Echo
Administrator
Keeper of the Multiversal Peace
PM me if you've got any questions!
Posts: 8,659
Characters: Lexi Elendil, Sergeant Valerie Reyes, Katara Shadowdancer, Emilie Golding, Meghan Squire, Dayana "DG" Grace Williams, Jessica Rose, Chiyo, Aniani and Mirati, Xani, Robyn Luxli
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Post by Echo on Jul 4, 2013 0:15:14 GMT
Into the castle. Find Duchess. Jessica looked up to see the vast walls of the castle towering above her. "How the hell am I supposed to find one person in this place?" Sighing. Irritated. "Well that depends on who you're looking for" said a voice just behind her. Jessica turned. Came face to face with a man dressed in red armour. Riding a red horse. Red horse? "My, my. Who do we have here" he half-sneered. "I'm J-" she faltered, remembering her deal with Hatter. "-Just Alice." The horse took a step or two back, as if even it was aware of the name. "Well then, Alice. I, a Red Knight, serving under the Red Queen of the roads, claim you captured!" "Are the Reds and Whites allowed inside the Diamond Quarter?" Jessica asked, curious. "Oh, they're obliged to have one or two of us this side of the gates, in case there's trouble outside." The Red Knight explained, dropping his aggressive manner in an instant. Jessica didn't think that made much sense at all, but before she could question it there was a voice behind her. "Hold up, what's going on here?" Jessica turned again and saw a man dressed in white riding a white horse just behind her. "Apparently I've just been captured by the Red Knight" she explained quickly. "Well, the Reds don't control this part of the roads! Therefore, I, a White Knight serving under the White Queen of the roads, will challenge you and rescue this fair maiden!" The White Knight cried out towards the Red Knight. The Red Knight looked a little taken aback. "The Reds have always controlled the roads between Emerald and Diamond! You will, of course, observe the rules of engagement?" "Certainly!" "Very well then!" It was all Jessica could do to dive out of the way as the two knights charged at each other, lances and shields raised. The Red Knight was unhorsed instantly. He got back on, angrily. "Fine. You win this round. I didn't want her anyway." And with that, the Red Knight galloped off down the road away from them. Jessica got up. Dusted herself off. "What in the hell-?" "Are you alright, young miss?" The White Knight asked her. She nodded. Grumpy. "May I ask your name?" "Alice." Blunt. Direct. Irritated. "Alice?!" The White Knight looked astonished. "It's a good thing I rescued you then! Heaven knows what old Red there would have done with you! Where, pray tell, are you going?" 'You didn't rescue me. We were talking.' Jessica thought. She didn't say it. "The Diamond Castle" she said "I'm supposed to find someone there." "Oh? Who?" "Duchess" "Well then! I shall be your protector and guide until such a time as Duchess is found!" Jessica raised an eyebrow at him. "Do you know where in that place she'll be?" The White Knight frowned. "Erm, well, uh... No..." Jessica sighed. Hung her head a little. Nodded. "Come on then..."
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Post by Sierra on Jul 4, 2013 19:32:07 GMT
The red pawn waddled along to where Nickel was stood. "Do you have a flag?" he shouted to the white pawn.
The white pawn also waddled up to where Nickel was stood. "I don't need one, this road in the White Queen's jurisdiction." he replied.
"Is not!" "Is too!"
Nickel took a hasty step back when both pawns turned to look at her. "Don't go!" the red pawn yelled at her. "We need you to settle this!" the white one shouted.
"Me?" Nickel looked taken aback, "This has nothing to do with me!"
"Well, you can tell us who was here first." the white pawn replied.
"I don't know, I saw you both at the same time." Nickel blushed, she really didn't want to get involved. "Why don't you each claim half the road, that way both of you can report back to your Queens?"
The pawns to each other and started up arguing about which half of the road they each wanted to claim. Nickel sighed and intervened again.
"Red soldier, you take that half." She pointed to her left. "And White soldier, you take that half." She pointed her right. "And now the argument stops."
Both soldiers nodded in agreement and turned in opposite directions, headed back to their Queens.
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Echo
Administrator
Keeper of the Multiversal Peace
PM me if you've got any questions!
Posts: 8,659
Characters: Lexi Elendil, Sergeant Valerie Reyes, Katara Shadowdancer, Emilie Golding, Meghan Squire, Dayana "DG" Grace Williams, Jessica Rose, Chiyo, Aniani and Mirati, Xani, Robyn Luxli
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Post by Echo on Jul 5, 2013 13:48:32 GMT
Jessica and the White Knight stood in the middle of the bustling courtyard looking around. "Any thoughts...?" Jessica asked. Despondent. Unsure. There must have been hundreds of people around them, and they were only the ones she could see. This was a lot bigger than the walls had her believe. There were probably thousands of people within the castle walls. Finding one was going to be like finding a needle in a haystack. The White Knight shook his head sadly. "I live and work on the chessboard roads..." "Well, we'd better start asking people then..."
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Post by Sierra on Jul 5, 2013 21:20:29 GMT
'Well that was a lot easier than I had imagined,' Nickel thought to herself as she carried on her ridiculous walk along the checkered road.
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Echo
Administrator
Keeper of the Multiversal Peace
PM me if you've got any questions!
Posts: 8,659
Characters: Lexi Elendil, Sergeant Valerie Reyes, Katara Shadowdancer, Emilie Golding, Meghan Squire, Dayana "DG" Grace Williams, Jessica Rose, Chiyo, Aniani and Mirati, Xani, Robyn Luxli
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Post by Echo on Jul 6, 2013 22:27:31 GMT
It didn't take too long to find out where Duchess was. It seemed everyone here knew who she was. She owned a large inn just off the main concourse leading away from the castle proper, on the other side of the courtyard. Apparently. But when Jessica and the White Knight arrived it turned out to be more of a brothel. Far too many red lights. Jessica sighed heavily when she saw it. The White Knight visibly shuddered. "Come on" Jessica groaned, pushing the door open. "We have to find Duchess."
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Post by Sierra on Jul 8, 2013 18:03:59 GMT
((OOC: Weirdly enough, I just re-watched the Danny Dyer version of Malice in Wonderland )) After some time, Nickel found herself walking through one of the richest places she'd ever seen. Everything was a little too bright for her, lots of blues and purples. She followed the checkered road until she noticed a sign reading 'Eternal Teas, a Hatter establishment'. With a shrug, she hurried inside. Nickel coughed loudly through the smoke as she made her way through the room. She could barely see for the smoke, and almost jumped in the air when a voice sounded right behind her. "Can I help you?" said the voice. Nickel turned round and nodded, "I'm here to find the Hatter?" she replied warily. " I am he," announced the voice. A man stepped forwards through the smoke. He looked to be very colourful, wearing a red waistcoat, purple tailcoat and a top hat, and he seemed just a little eccentric. "What can I do for you?" he asked, offering her the pipe he was sucking on. Nickel shook her head at the offer, "I'm looking for Alice, I was told you might be able to help me." Hatter took a step back, retracting the offer of his pipe, "What do you want Alice for?" Nickel frowned curiously, "I was sent to stop the Queen of Hearts from taking over Wonderland, and I'm hoping she can help." At the mention of the Queen's name, the room hushed, the only audible sounds were the puffs from people's pipes. Nickel looked around her, "Did I say something wrong?"
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Echo
Administrator
Keeper of the Multiversal Peace
PM me if you've got any questions!
Posts: 8,659
Characters: Lexi Elendil, Sergeant Valerie Reyes, Katara Shadowdancer, Emilie Golding, Meghan Squire, Dayana "DG" Grace Williams, Jessica Rose, Chiyo, Aniani and Mirati, Xani, Robyn Luxli
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Post by Echo on Jul 10, 2013 0:04:29 GMT
((ooc: I took inspiration from it for Duchess and her brothel lol))
The White Knight was definitely averse to being touched by scantily-clad women. Jessica didn't like it in the slightest, but decided it would be easier to just deal with it. The whole place had a seductive red glow. Soft lights. No harsh shadows. Jessica couldn't tell if the walls were actually red or not. She decided she didn't care. There were rich silks, velvets and satins everywhere. Eventually they found someone who looked vaguely like she was in charge. She was fully-clothed. "Are you Duchess?" Jessica asked. The woman shook her head and pointed to a bead curtain behind her. The wall beside the opening was marked "Duchess". "Oh..." Jessica made for the bead curtain. The woman stopped her. "I need to see Duchess. I was told to find her." The woman shook her head again. Jessica was about to appeal to the White Knight for help when she realised he was no longer behind her. She didn't want to know what had happened. Her demeanor changed. She became incredibly self-important. "Do you know who I am?" The woman shook her head again. "Alice." The room fell silent. "Let her through" called a soft voice from behind the bead curtain. The woman reluctantly stood aside. Jessica pushed through the bead curtain.
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Post by Sierra on Jul 12, 2013 10:21:03 GMT
The Hatter ushered Nickel into a separate room behind a long curtain. "Tell me everything," the Hatter demanded.
With a frown, Nickel sat down and launched into her story of everything that had happened since she arrived in this world. When she had finished the Hatter gave her a smile, "Alice was here, I sent her on to see someone else. If you leave soon you can catch up with her." Nickel grinned broadly, "Great, which way do I go?" Hatter led her back to the entrance and pointed to a road leading away from the tea-shop. "She's headed for the Club Barracks, follow this road, you'll find her in no time." The Hatter grinned broadly at the last words he said to her, and she left.
When Nickel was a safe distance away, the Hatter called through the tea-shop, "Ches?" The cat appeared from nowhere, "Yes?" "Follow her, take her out if you have to." The cat shook his head, "After what that mad woman did to me? I think I'll go and chase mice." With that he disappeared.
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Echo
Administrator
Keeper of the Multiversal Peace
PM me if you've got any questions!
Posts: 8,659
Characters: Lexi Elendil, Sergeant Valerie Reyes, Katara Shadowdancer, Emilie Golding, Meghan Squire, Dayana "DG" Grace Williams, Jessica Rose, Chiyo, Aniani and Mirati, Xani, Robyn Luxli
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Post by Echo on Jul 15, 2013 12:19:31 GMT
Jessica wasn't sure what she had expected to find on the other side of the bead curtain, but it wasn't this. She really ought to stop expecting things to be normal in this world. Seated, or rather lounging, on a red velvet chaise longue, in little more than a bikini, was either one of the most masculine women, or one of the most feminine men in drag, Jessica had ever seen; though to be fair that mostly consisted of the men and women in the previous room. Jessica couldn't decide which. She eventually settled on the latter. The faint formings of a mustache gave it away. And the bulge. Then again, the bra portion was relatively well-filled... Try not to think about it. "Come in child" It was the same soft voice that had called her in. It was definitely the same person. Upon closer inspection of the room, Jessica noticed a piglet on its side, apparently lounging, on a somewhat smaller chaise longue. Curious... There was also a large chalkboard on the wall with a list of morals written in flourishing handwriting. Curiouser... That's not really a word. Pretend it is. "You can't think how glad I am to see you again, you dear old thing!" Duchess smiled "No doubt you remember me from the last time." Jessica reluctantly shook her head a little. "Well, that can't be helped." He/She sighed. "I am, of course, Duchess." "Pleasure..." Jessica said. Uncertain. "Well now, what can I do for you, Alice? Some of my fabulous soup perhaps?" "Um, no, thank you." "Pity. It's got extra pepper in it now. They-" she indicated the bead curtain, clearly meaning the people in the other room "-said pepper makes them hot, so I added more!" There was a loud sneeze on the other side of the bead curtain, as if on cue. "I see..." Get to the point. "Truthfully, Duchess, Hatter sent me. He said you would take me to-" "-Mockers and Gryph?" Duchess guessed. Jessica nodded. "Always the bridesmaid, never the bride" Duchess sighed, mournfully. This worried Jessica a little. "Oh well, I have my whores!" Duchess said with a cheerful, somewhat lusty, grin. Try not to think about it...
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Post by Sierra on Jul 29, 2013 17:56:31 GMT
Nickel left the tea shop and started her long journey to the Club Barracks. She had lost herself in her mind, thinking of various chemical formulae, when she suddenly felt a splatter of liquid across her face, and an accompanying loud 'thump'. Nickel subconsciously wiped her hand across her face and looked at it, it was streaked with red. With a shake of her head, Nickel focussed on the scene in front of her. A squat balding man, had appeared to have leapt from the top of the 10 foot wall that was nearby.
Nickel ran over to him with a gasp and turned him onto his back, he was still alive, thankfully. She moved closer to him and that's when it hit her, the stench. He smelled terribly of rotten eggs. 'Sulphur,' she thought. "Hey, mister, can you hear me?" Nickel called to him. The man groaned with pain, "Humpty," he whispered. Nickel nodded and pulled her hand away from his head, the blood was pouring out from his shiny bald crown.
She started to panic, unsure how to help the man, when she heard loud footsteps and shouts. Nickel looked up and saw a large envoy of white soldiers and horses. The King's men encircled Nickel and Humpty, the leader eyeing Nickel suspiciously.
"Help him, his head is bleeding!" Nickel shouted at them. "Why did you push him?" came her reply. "I didn't, he jumped," Nickel protested. "A likely story," the leader replied to her. To his men, he shouted, "Seize her!"
Two men carried forward a stretcher for Humpty, as another four gathered around Nickel. Two picked her up by her arms, and the other two grabbed her legs. As much as she struggled, she couldn't get herself free. "It wasn't me!" she yelled loudly, but no one would listen to her as they carried her away.
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