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Forum of the Elder Gods (Grave;Cross)


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The Cait chuckled. "Exchange? Boy, we call it trade. If you can break that button down into things of less worth, they will be worth one button to that person. But to someone else, not so much." She replied.

Then to the Cheshire, the purple feline floating replied with her usual gigantic smirk. "Well to start, your way to win isn't based on chance, is it? It's about mood." She stated. "My advice to you would be to understand the world as no one else does, to truly grasp the hidden thoughts behind everyone's mask. But if that escapes you, why not make your assumed chance a certainty? If you murder them all, then you should pick the lowest numbers. I'm sure they will not have had a good day~" She said with an unflinching smile. "Otherwise, to know the numbers to pick is to know the numbers that were picked. To know that now, you must know it 'then' as well. Think about the you behind you, and throw him a bone~ If that baffles you, I invite you to think on it for one or three days~!" She laughed, before vanishing slowly. "Good luck~! Oh, and by the way, you probably can't hear the Bell very well in here..." She said as she finished slowly fading away.

The brain is unique in it's ability to focus. By bringing attention to certain things, it notices them easier, such as mentioning a Bell, and then hearing it faintly outside...

Time: 2:00 PM - 1st Day.

It seemed like the morning crew were leaving the Casino, men and mamono all departing to their homes. A surprisingly normal sight of a collection of similarly dressed persons all returning to a place of relaxation.
 

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Grave frowned as she processed the Cat's reply. So... Find someone who could sell him a bunch of individually less valuable stuff that collectively had the same value as a single button? That... Made sense, really. It was common sense, in fact. In hindsight, perhaps his question was a little stupid. Either way, at least now he had a confirmation that this worked just like in the normal world. He'd need to find some kind of trader to make this work, though. Bit annoying, honestly, but perhaps it would not be necessary. As long as he managed to puzzle out the cryptic advice he got from Cheshire, preferably before he managed to waste even more time. Gods damn it.

Granted, not all of her advice was entirely cryptic. Which, unfortunately, didn't mean it was all that useful. Her advice about grasping the thoughts of people who chose the numbers to get a read on their true mood was something he had no confidence in pulling off. Socially, he was inept at best. Figuring out how other people thinking was always a bit of a crapshoot for him, especially when they were deliberately misleading. Unfortunately, not everybody wore their heart on their sleeves like Club or Ziah. Well, maybe the latter wasn't all that open with her feelings, but over time he was growing increasingly confident in his ability when it came to figuring out how she thought.

As for other options... Murder was out of the question. The last one, though... This one made Grave frown as he tried to figure out what she meant. The only way it made sense was if he somehow had the ability to either change time by contacting his past self and telling him the numbers, or the ability to rewind time. Both would be a surefire way of winning, without a doubt, but neither were within his power to accomplish. He wasn't some kind of god or seer or... The half-blood paused, stunned for a moment. Then he slapped himself in the face. Of fucking course! Kaga! He knew someone who could see the goddamn future! He could just rush to her place and ask her for the numbers! And even if she couldn't or wouldn't tell him, she'd perhaps have some insights pertaining to the advice he got from Cheshire. It was time to return to the kitsune and explain the situation to her. And hope she could help.
 
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Time: 2:30 PM - 1st Day.

Rushing to Kaga, the way time moved, he could see the sun in the sky moving overhead as a visible indicator that time was flying by. It also was an oddity how it never moved on a straight path. An oddity indeed.

Finding Kaga, and explaining the situation... She silently looked into her ball. After a moment, she shook her head. "The vision was not clear, pertaining to what you were wondering. All I saw was a sea of blood rain and chaos, an image of our future. As well as the legendary vorpal blade shimmering in the darkness cast by red clouds, atop the clock tower." She explained. "I'm afraid that this likely doesn't help you. I am sorry."
 

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"Yeah... Tells me about what I'm expecting so far, really." Grave sighed, nodding. Guess reading the future was an imprecise art after all. "Well... It's not your fault. Guess I'll just have to solve this in a different way. Thanks for all the help." He briefly pondered his options. He could try to learn more about those women, but doing so would be tough. Dealing with other people was difficult for him, and getting close the way he'd have to did not come easily. On top of that, he had no guarantee he'd be able to interpret their true selves and emotions correctly, much less figure out which number on the scale they fit. Assigning a numerical value to something so abstract... It seemed foolish. Still, maybe if he had some extra insight? "Say... Do you know anything about the people from the casino?" If she could tell him enough for him to figure out an approach, he could give it a shot. If not... Well, he could always focus on getting Jabberwocky pieced together again first.
 
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She did not seem to need her crystal ball for that one. "Yes. Sith, Ever, Roulette, Phayr, and Demonica. I know them well. But, it is their numbers you seek. This much I can see without need for a look into the Known. However... I do not forsee this path ending well for you. However, I will tell you what I know: Sith is fickle, she will write high if she makes a lot of money. Miss Ever is always a puzzling one. She wears masks, and seems to care only for the mysteries of the Known. She's the one who determined that gambling is not random, but preordained results that you cannot escape. Other than that... She's never much for conversation, not the good kind anyway. She -will- brood with you over vague topics though. The Roulette Bunny simply enjoys spinning her wheel. When the patrons win big, she's happy. But few ever do, if at all. Phayr is the harpy. I'll let you in on a secret... She's a complete idiot. She will agree to whatever number you tell her to write, but she has an issue where facts get mixed up in her head. She hears what you told her and then later remembers it as something else. She's not random, however. Sith and Ever found a way to communicate with her such that she remembers things not as they told, but as they intended. Finally, Demonica... She will purposefully pick a number she thinks you won't pick if she catches on that you desire her number. She's a bit sadistic. But, by default, they write how they feel onto the paper, despite the games they sometimes play. And, oddly enough, I can see their numbers for the third lotto from today..."

She gazes into her ball, before her brow narrows in somber gloom. "There are five papers, each with a written "One" onto blood soaked parchment, amidst melting flesh and fur..." She described. "... Instead of the lottery, I am foreseeing their deaths. All of our deaths. The Known reveals to me, that those set on staying for the storm will not survive... But..." Her eyes flash. "Your corpse is not among any of the dead. But I cannot see where you are. It's as if you do not exist in the Known. As if you're some kind of anomoly that's disrupting the Known. That is to say... It's as if you have no place in the flow of time. Events, past and future, I can see. But I cannot see you. Yet I can see you here, in front of me." She hummed. "I suppose you're no ordinary mushroom man, are you? I suppose it makes sense for you not to belong here. Your kind went extinct long ago. With the death of the Queen of Clubs. This realm is so odd, we all likely accept your existence as normality. But even you appearing here like this, still somehow feels normal. I struggle to be surprised. I think that's fine." She nodded.

A beam of light seems to touch her eye, and Kaga winces, before looking out from the flap nearby to the outside of her tent. "Time seems to be fleeting... The Known is whirling, as if agitated. The storm draws ever closer. I worry that you have no time at all." She declared.



Time: 4:00 PM - 1st Day

Grave would not remember the 3PM bell. The sky was a familiar yet unsettling shade of blue, with green clouds in the sky shaped like long lines, or semi-circles wrapping around and being pushed away from the red clouds in the distance, and the very distant sound of thunder and blood red lightning.
 
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Grave frowned as he processed the information Kaga gave him. A fickle, money-focused feline. Well, she did seem to be encouraging him to gamble. An enigmatic woman interested only in the mysteries of reality and obscure knowledge. A simple girl that enjoys her job. A total, complete, utter thundering dumbass. And finally, bit of a spiteful bitch. Five colorful personalities which he'd need days to figure out how to communicate with, much less accurately read their intent... Or get lucky in his interactions with them. Yeah, this was not happening. Not in the time frame he had to work with.

And unfortunately... Kaga's vision confirmed what he had suspected for a while now. The coming storm would indeed be the cataclysm to end everything. A storm of death. From the moment he met Alice, he knew she'd bring nothing good. Her later actions only reinforced his beliefs. One way or another, it was likely inevitable that he'd have to face her at the end of the third day. Yet... Perhaps there was hope. For all the doom and gloom of her vision, the seer couldn't see him anywhere. As if he existed outside of what she could percieve... Outside of reality. Yet if his guess was correct, then she saw things that were predetermined - fated to happen. As a chosen, he was meant to follow a fate of his own, carrying the fragment of a goddess... But perhaps there were some perks to it as well? Or was it Cynthia's intervention, the kidnapping she performed years ago, that broke him out of the preordained flow of events? Or was it only within the Hatter's realm that he had this power, as an outsider? Either way, one thing was becoming clear to him. If everybody else was indeed destined to die, washed away in a tide of blood... Then he was the only one who could change this, as the only one whose fate wasn't sealed.

The realization was not a pleasant one. Grave had no particular desire to be some kind of chosen champion, not after learning what it meant to be selected by Fate as a host of her vice. At the same time... He had made his decision earlier, to stop being so goddamn pathetic and become strong. Not to mention, this whole thing was happening for the sake of preparing him for dealing with Ryu once he returned back to the normal world. And there was that one more tidbit that caught his attention. His kind went extinct along with the Queen of Clubs? What did she mean by this? Did his mother have some kind of connection to this place and the Hatter? He wanted to ask more, but the bell insisted on reminding him that he was running out of time. Cynder sighed. He already wasted enough of it, he could not linger here a moment longer. "Thank you for all your help, Kaga." He told the seer. "I can't really promise anything, but... If there's some way to stop that massacre, I'll give it my best. Take care." He said, bowing as he left.

It was time to move. Grave had already decided on his course: West, to the realm of Jabberwocky. He could already see the future storm gathering. Which meant he had to move as quickly as he could. Though as he walked, the young man called up Cheshire again. Hopefully she'd have no issue with talking and walking at the same time. At the very least, he'd have no issue with walking and listening at the same time. His questions were rather clear-cut this time: who was the Queen of Clubs and how was she related to him and his abnormality? What did Kaga mean by his kind? And if he had no place within the flow of time... Could he leave from one point in time and appear in another, maybe?
 
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Time: 4:30 PM - 1st Day

(Music Used - )​

The Cheshire appeared as he thought about her. She seemed to be sitting like a feline atop a rock he was walking by after exiting Kaga's hut. As if she were there the whole time. "We have to stop meeting like this~ People are going to suspect we're an item." She said with obvious jest, based on her quite iconic Cheshire grin. "You have many questions. As usual. It seems you're learning however, just how connected we are. You don't even ask, you simply know that I can hear you~ That's quite well and wonderful. Yet, I'm also quite aware that you aren't thinking of any compliments. That is quite rude of you. I've thought of a compliment: You look cute when you're pathetic and lost~ It just draws me right to you~!" She cheered with a bit of vim. As he walked past her, the moment he'd take his eyes off of her and the rock, when next he'd look. She was gone.

Looking ahead, to the entrance and exit of the carnival, he saw the Cheshire cat sitting atop the colorful archway leading back to Labyrinth town, looking up at the sky. Or particularly, the red clouds. Her feet swung at different tunes opposite each other, like a youth enjoying life. "The blood rain was never something that this world had never seen before. They see it quite a lot. It's when the blood comes to wash the world away. Everyone dies, then they continue their lives." She revealed. "You live, and then you die. Is that so strange a concept? I know it isn't, yet it bothers you. Death seems to be the one thing that people fear, despite understanding it so well. Understanding often comes with the comfort of being fearless, but for Death, it does not. Indeed, many will die when the rain comes... But there was once a time when there were people who did not fear the rain." She revealed. In Labyrinth City, The Cheshire Cat continued to appear here and there. Always relaxing, unmoving, but keeping pace with him.

She was sitting upside down on the signpost for the casino as he walked by. The hustle of the Casino ongoing still. "The Queen of Clubs was a mushroom. Just like you. She ruled over all the mushroom people. And in terror, the people flocked to her to hide under her shroom caps that could block the blood rain, granting immunity to those covered by it, while watching the land rip itself apart. This created a problem, as those who found shelter were supposed to die."

The town was ever so confusing. But he found his way. Soon learning that the Cheshire Cat was sitting on the corners of his intended direction, this time sitting in an open window to an elven woman's house who wore a spade cap while Grave could smell the sweet bread she was baking. Oddly, it did not make him want it. "To solve this problem, the other queens agreed that the Queen of Clubs needed to die. But this would just mean a new Queen of Clubs would arrive, and the problem would likely continue for eternity. More life than death, means that life becomes a cancerous growth that destroys the world as we all know it. Death, in this case, was the hero of this story. Come to save us from Life, which we had so often held dearly."

A wagon was rolling along side Grave as he walked, full of odd blue pumpkins. The Cheshire Cat was stretching as she rose from amidst the Pumpkins, slicing a chunk out with her claw and eating it right behind the sahuagin fish woman who held the reins for a pair of what seemed to be small mouse girls. "I was consulted. And thusly the Hatter. Here, in this world of madness, to create is far easier than to destroy. The land grips and doesn't let go. So, we told the three queens what they needed to do... And they created the Vorpal Blade. Capable of destroying even the Jabberwocky, the most immortal of creatures."

He found the exit, and he rounded the corner to leave the city and head west, before finding the Cheshire Cat standing right in his way, her arms folded behind her back as instinct made him stop to avoid collision. She merely stared at him with golden eyes, and an ever present grin. "They cut her into a thousand pieces. When she died, the rest of the mushroom people died with her. To that end, for you to be here as a mushroom, means you should not exist. And in every sense of the word. Yet here you are. And lucky for you, the blood rain is not your concern. You have that ancient blessing... But when the blood rain comes, it's not the rain that will destroy you. The world will destroy you. Despite having the ultimate blessing, the world will tear you apart all the same. Because you don't belong. You are the return of that cancerous growth. Yet, it's unreasonable for you to return...

"Indeed, the most mad of them all, is you. It wouldn't be unreasonable for you to do even more unreasonable things. But, time travel? Isn't that quite unreasonable~?" She asked.

The wind flourished from the open and wild fields of this wonderland. Something caught Grave's eye and he blinked. When he did, the Cheshire Cat was gone in that instant. When instinct searched, he could not feel the Cheshire Cat's presence. She seemed to leave, just like that. A bit unreasonable.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Time: 9:00 PM - 1st Day

Grave's march led into the most normal thing happening. The various lights in the sky that called themselves the collective sun collected on the horizon, and their lights vanished. The sky became a jet black. No stars to be seen. The only thing that lit the world were odd floating cyan balls of energy, like puff balls weightless they seemed to be pushed around by the wind. Sometimes leaving Grave in total darkness, other times completely illuminating the mushrooms, grass blades, and odd swirling trees that would have two roots from one end to the other. Sounds of the Ocean could be heard. He knew them well.

(Music - )
Coming out of the wild lands, walking in the oblivion of this world's twilight, Grave found that the cyan spirits behind him did not venture this far. Yet, there was still light. A far, distant ball of light that seemed to be so powerful, that

The water seemed like a this ooze, or miasma. Yet it sounded even lighter than ocean waters. Sitting cross legged on deep purple sands of the beach, the Cheshire Cat seemed to appear before him once again. "Even if the Jabberwocky's body can be destroyed by the Vorpal Blade, her soul remained. That light that you see in the distance, is the Jabberwocky's soul. It longs to have a body once again. What a shock it will be when a mushroom man is the one who rebuilds it. I hope you do not mind reviving the one responsible for committing a mass genocide of your people~" The cat cooed.

"Go on then. Just sink right in~" She smirked, looking at the water. "I'll be right here~"
 

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Grave rolled his eyes at Cheshire's joke, though he did appear to be mildly amused by it at least. He just wished she'd stop with things like that not-compliment, though. Sure, monsters were generally superior to humans, physically and magically at least. And powerful ones seemed to enjoy lording that over them. Even in simple, small ways like poking fun at how out of his depth he was. Frankly, that was annoying. There wasn't much he could do about it, though. And he had to admit it, for all of the annoyances? Cheshire was a fountain of knowledge. A lot of it was cryptic and didn't seem immediately useful, but there was much to be learned from her if he could crack the peculiar code she communicated through. It was as if she enjoyed speaking in enigmas and mere hints rather than plain facts. Best he could do was roll with it.

As he continued to make his way through and out of the city, Grave couldn't help but wonder how Cheshire was able to pull off that disappearing trick. It was damn convenient, at least from an observer's perspective. He didn't know how it worked, after all. Perhaps there was some kind of condition or limitation attached to it. Maybe it required the user to be incredibly skillful. Or maybe it was something that could be done only within this realm, or an ability unique to Cheshire. He wouldn't mind being able to do the same, though he doubted he'd be able to pull it off. Then again, one never knew until they tried... And it really was an awesome ability. Seriously, he needed to get his shit in order soon so he could start to learn how to do more interesting stuff with magic.

Though admittedly, as Cheshire continued to tell the story of the Queen of Clubs, he found himself more and more interested in the tale rather than the strange trick he was using. It was a bizzare history, yet it seemed fitting. Something fit for the land he was in. Still, he found it rather odd that the blood rain was apparently something that occured often. Was this realm not made from the Hatter's soul? Was she so warped that she'd periodically allow the slate to be wiped clean before starting anew? Or did he misunderstand this world's nature again? Either way, he understood why people feared this rain: even if they were reborn, the lives they had been living before were likely irrevocably lost. Memories, achievements, everything they had before... He really doubted that'd be carried over. Could they even claim to be the same person as before? No. He understood why they'd cling to what they had.

The rest of the story wasn't much more pleasant. Though now he knew where the Vorpal Blade came from, at least. Still, this made Cynder even less thrilled to face it's owner if it was that goddamn deadly. And there was the fact that he was, somehow, the sole remainder of a race that had been wiped out from existence... Huh. That wasn't all that different from what he was in the normal world, wasn't it? This was probably one of the reasons why he became what he was. But it wasn't the only one, was it? Both the protection from the coming storm, and the fact that he was a walking impossibility. One was meant to buy him time to act even when everything began to fall apart. The other would hopefully be enough to let him accomplish the impossible. And he was growing increasingly certain that he'd have to do just that. No, he was given this form for a purpose, he was sure of it. Perhaps even let him bend this time limit he had to work with a little.

Still, Grave had to admit that this tale provided him with some useful insights. A land where creation outpaced destruction was a strange one. Usually one balanced the other, but not here apparently. This'd explain why the rains were necessary to clear things up. Perhaps this was another hint that this world was indeed the Hatter's creation. Actually... That'd explain why she'd allow the wipes to happen. Still, while it'd explain why she was exempt from them, maybe, what protected Cheshire? Or the Queens? Was it their special roles in this realm? Each answer gave rise to more questions. He pondered this as he continued to walk, day turning into night as he made his way to the west. Sometimes walking in darkness, sometimes with the light of these strange orbs as his guide. He wondered what they were.

Soon enough, Cynder arrived at his destination. An ominous sea, illuminated by a single ball of light... Jabberwocky's soul. It amazed him how stubbornly powerful creatures like them could cling to their existence, even after death. Much like his mother. He sighed as Cheshire showed up again in her usual fashion. Even if he was a mushroom man now... He didn't really feel kinship with them. He was an outsider, after all, not born and raised among them. It was hard to identify with them, despite being their last legacy. "...Well then." Grave sighed. He could see no boat, nor did he have the time or skills to make one. And this water certainly wasn't normal. Who knew how it'd react to him? At the very least, though... He was still a decent swimmer. "See you later, then." He said as he walked forward, stepping into the murky liquid. It was time to go and deliver the body parts. Hopefully they'd attract her soul quickly.
 
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"See you next fall~"

Those were the words of parting when he sank his foot into the liquid. The cloudy maisma that somehow behaved like water, proved to be the former rather than the latter, as first foot in turned into his whole body. There was no purchase, there was nothing to stand on. His whole body fell forward and he plunged into that purple abyss. Falling down, he passed through countless clouds of that misty violet that he saw from above. His mind couldn't decide if it was a floor he'd meet or just oblivion. The unknown was all he knew in that moment. Falling, yet not accelerating. Some kind of half-way between air and water, allowing him to fall but not allowing him to reach a deadly speed. It soon became a wonder, for knowledge that his speed would not allow him to die. In fact, he began to grow slower, as it seemed the miasma was growing ever so thicker. Deeper, into the liquid mist...

Until his fall became so slow that he was barely aware of hitting the ground. With a soft, gentle landing on his front, the purple mist cleared from his quite soft impact landing as if his fall had actually been a great one. When he'd rise and look around, the parting of the mist was not natural. In fact, it was clearing a way rather clear in front of him, like a pathway cut through the mist made just for him, to give direction. The pathway, as it so happened, was also in the direction of the floating ball in the sky. The mist itself danced in that light's aura, as if they and it were one and the same.

Such as it was, the path was cleaved, until a throne became apparent in the distance. All it would take was his approach, and without choice, he had no other option. Not any visible ones anyway... Then, from his belongings, the pieces of the jabberwocky sprung forth, the mist lashing at him merely to steal it away, taking it to the throne that Grave would recognize to be a mere collection of bones. The pieces placed themselves onto the missing parts of the skeleton, before the flesh from those pieces began to make a grotesque noise while the flesh from them seemed to grow like an infection alone the bones. Filling around them and completing what would one call a body around the skeleton. If there ever was a depraived mind that could imagine flesh melting off the bone, he'd be seeing the opposite. Organs began to grow, before being hidden by dark flesh. Curvy flesh began to shape over the bones to reveal a feminine shape. A horrifying visage of a lifeless body quickly came to fruition, before the star above shot downwards with a deadly speed as the body threw itself back, bending over backwards to open its mouth to the sky, into which the light flew, vanishing into the gullet of the reincarnated beast Grave saw revived.

The light was gone, and the land became shrouded in darkness... But only for a moment.

(Music Used - )​

From lights round, decorated across her body, including her mouth and eyes, he saw a mere glimpse of a very alive creature. It's violet eyes staring at the only sight to see, before she seemed to erupt with that light, blinding him... And casting away all the miasma that coated her land. When his eyes adjusted, . The floor he stood on was no floor. Like gods of many tales, he stood upon liquid that would not allow him purchase. It did not even ripple upon his step, as if the seemingly wavy liquid was indifferent to his presence. Meanwhile, various trees had seemingly grown from this bizarre ground. It seemed to be some kind of insane mixture of ocean and forest...

But, as it all came to him, .

As the mist cleared, her revival complete, the Jabberwocky saw her first moments alive once more to include Grave, the mushroom man. In silence, she stared at him, before falling backwards, her body sinking into the throne behind her, which looked like a great assembly of purple bramble from the tree roots around them gathered together on the whim of something greater to shape a throne. She seated herself there, and folded her left leg over her right, grasping at the arm rests of her throne with great claws that could rival Ryu's own. That much he would know very well.

Then, her voice let out an all too similar boom. With lungs belonging to an old, legendary creature.

"What do you seek, Mushroom Man?"
 

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Grave found himself alarmed as he realized this was no water. He was most concerned by the fact that he seemed to be falling towards some unknown floor that, for all he knew, could have been so far down he'd keep falling for hours. It's not like he had any means of slowing his descent... But it turned out he didn't need to do that. The miasma seemed to be doing this for him. In fact, as time passed, he realized he seemed to be slowing down, slightly but consistently. It began to dawn upon him that perhaps rather than simply falling, he was descending into the heart of Jabberwocky's domain. Perhaps bearing her body parts was enough to grant him passage to her sanctum where she could be revived. Or maybe it was just as quirk of this realm. Either way, eventually he felt the ground beneath his feet once more, touching down so softly that he had almost missed it. And as he recovered from his landing, he realized that he was indeed being granted passage. Down the path towards the Queen.

With little choice and no reason to refuse it, Grave made his way through the corridor that unfolded before him, trusting that it'd guide him to where he needed to go. Until he finally found what he had initially assumed to be the Jabberwocky's throne. A rather ghastly sight, considering it was a pile of bones. But just as he wondered whether this was what was left of her corpse, events began to unfold without his input. The body parts suddenly slipping out of his clothes to rejoin the rest of the body startled him, but the spectacle of watching the body regenerate one strip of flesh after another was enough to stop him in his tracks. Partially due to nausea. Partially because he knew he had to wait for the Jabberwocky to finish putting herself together. Still, he was rather grateful for the brief period of darkness that followed the soul's return to it's old shell. It gave him a moment of reprieve to forget that horrifying sight.

The light that came next was blinding, but once it cleared, Cynder found himself staring in wonder at the sights spreading around him. A land that seemed to spring from beneth the surface of a massive body of water, water he was somehow standing on. A strange forest filled with plants he couldn't even begin to recognize or name. With the mist no longer obscuring everything - or perhaps, this whole place actually existing again - he could marvel at this ominous, yet beautiful sight. The half-blood quickly found his attention drawn to the other creature in this place, though. A dragon... One of a different sort than Ryu, but still a dragon. A creature that was not to be trifled with. Resting on a throne that nature itself seemed to form for her, looking at him without betraying a single thought. Then speaking in a voice that sounded like thunder, demanding to know the reason behind his presence here. He didn't have much of a choice besides replying.

"To be honest... That is a bit of a mystery to me as well." Grave admitted, reflexively tipping his hat to the woman with a slight bow, trying to look polite. "I've been sent on a bit of a journey by the Hatter, supposedly to learn what I need to learn to survive once I leave. But right now, I'm mostly trying to prepare for a meeting with a girl with a really nasty, mushroom-dicing blade. I believe you're familiar with her. Or at least her weapon." Understatement of the century. And perhaps a bit too much of a smartass remark, in retrospect. Welp. "In less than three days, we're supposed to meet at the top of a clocktower... Which I suspect is when that rain of blood is going to hit again. Between this and her rather unfriendly disposition, I find myself in need of every bit of help I can get. And I've been told you may be able to help me in some way." He explained. "I suppose that having a way to go back in time so I can get my hands on a Forget-Me-Not, or just a Forget-Me-Not would also be really helpful."
 
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The jabborwocky's eyes seemed to light up with ponderings. His mention of a blade most of all seemed to have her attention as her movements and breathing were slow, like that of a beast that drew air in and out with great yet careful motion.

"I do not possess a Forget-Me-Not. I never needed one, as my memory is something I often wish I could let go of, to experience life when it was new. But, I do know of only one blade in this world. The Vorpal Blade... To challenge the one with the Vorpal Blade is to be shed of your body, as the blade carefully carves the flesh from your soul. If it's my help you came for, then you were sent here for the one thing I offer: a means to fight the one with the Vorpal Blade. But even with my gift, you will still be destroyed. You will need more power... The power of the Four Queens, the power to Control Time, and the tenacy to endure being struck down by the Vorpal Blade, over and over again... For victory against the Vorpal Blade is possible... When time itself is on your side."

She made a gesture with her hand, beckoning Grave.

"Approach me. I will bless you with the ability to own a blade to rival the sharpness of the Vorpal Edge, but not it's supernatural power. That alone is what I can give. The other Queens can give you more... If they even will."
 

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"Let's hope I'll find them in a good mood, then." Grave replied dryly as he approached Jabberwocky. Power of the Four Queens... But one of them was dead. Getting that one would take going through some hoops for sure. And it still might prove to be one of the less problematic ones. And then there was also dealing with the Vorpal Blade itself and it's insane wielder. If he had to endure countless strikes from it... Well, he hoped it wouldn't suck as much as Atea's spiritual surgery. That was one experience he'd prefer to forget. "Um, may I ask one question?" He ventured as he stopped in front of the Queen, keeping his gaze and posture respectful. "The power to control time... Where might I find it?" If he had this, then getting the Forget-Me-Not would become trivial, hopefully. That'd let him get the memory from Kaga. And the song within would certainly prove useful in the events to come, if she was to be believed. Perhaps this power should be his next goal.
 
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"Questions are good, mortals do not often ask them... But, there is only one in this world with the power to control time. And for an eternity, she was the only immortal mortal. One capable of dying but with a life lasting forever. The one you seek, is the March Hare."

The name of the Hare, a bunny he could easily assume, would resonate through his mind. As well as the imagery of Alice, who was standing over the absolutely mangled and bitter remains of a dead rabbit.

"Without her Watch, capable of controlling the flow of time, your quest is folly, and you will die to the Vorpal Blade if you challenge it. Then, your body and soul will be washed away in the red storm... But, that is besides the point of my promise."

With that, she reached out her claw, and her arm streched out in a freakish and bizarre way, as if there wasn't a single bone in her body, reaching out to his head, and with deadly claws, the image of Ryu about to end his life flashed through his mind as a similarly powerful claw snared his head... And his vision went black as her claws dug into his scalp and began to twist and dig. Her hand was twisting, grinding, yet there was no pain. He felt like she was peeling off the flesh of his head, reshaping it... Before suddenly the bizarre torture was over. Her claw withdrew, and his face was left with winding scars as seen in the reflection of the violet ooze below. They were so perfect that it looked apart of the design of his body. And there was one other key difference...

(Music: )​

His mushroom hat was now lined with crimson red lines, thin and shiny like blades. Jagged and curved like lightning bolts yet with pattern and reason while still looking like chaos. His hat had the same coloration and deadliness akin to looking at the Jabberwocky's own claws.

"Remove your hat, and throw it. I've taken and split one of my claws and scarred your body. The blade will destroy whatever it touches. That is my gift to you. When you face the owner of the Vorpal Blade on the day the clock tower rings it's last, I will hear your prayers. If you think of me, no matter where you are in Wonderland, I will hear you. Should I be destroyed again, let your thoughts become powerful, and even if I'm shattered, I will come to you. As thanks for reviving me... I will try to prevent your Death."
 

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Grave winced a bit as he remembered what happened to the rabbit. And if he could recall correctly, Alice had been looking for something among the remains... Well, this complicated matters. If she took the watch, then getting it back would be a bitch and a half. Before he could contemplate this further, however, he saw the Jabberwocky reach out to grasp his head. A memory of Ryu's assault flashed through his head as he was grabbed, but he was too off-guard to react before being seized. He could feel the claws dig into his head, yet... There was no pain. He could feel them dig into his flesh, but it did not hurt. The sensation could hardly be described as pleasant, though. Fortunately, it did not last long.

As the monster queen finally withdrew her hand, Grave noted to his dismay that her handiwork left rather nasty marks. Scars winding around his face in a bizzare pattern that somehow managed to still fit his physique perfectly. Well, at least it wasn't totally ugly... And they were a small price to pay for the sharp blade that now ran along the edge of his hat. Infused with the monster's own claw, it had become an absolutely deadly weapon, one he could not use lightly for many, many reasons. He doubted it'd destroy the Vorpal Blade, but if used well it could give him a chance to fight it's wielder, at least for a bit. It'd be not enough to finish his quest, however. He needed more. Much more.

"Thank you, your highness." Grave bowed respectfully once the Jabberwocky finished her explanation. "For the aid you've given me, I thank you from the bottom of my heart. Unfortunately, I can't stay here much longer." He grimaced. "I believe the Hare has already fallen victim to the woman wielding the Vorpal Blade. We can only hope she hasn't taken the watch with her, but I doubt things will work out so conveniently." Still, there was no other choice but to press on. He had to make recovering the watch his primary priority. Without it, he'd be completely unable to get out of this mess alive. "Either way... It seems I truly have no time to waste." Now the question was... How to get out of here and go back to the scene of crime he encountered earlier?
 
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The Jabberwocky lifted her claw, and made a motion with her sharp fingers, producing a seemingly simple card of diamond suits, with an image of her likeness in the middle... Which she then threw like a weapon towards Grave. The card moved so quick, it got stuck against his bladed hat, making a small notch in the card.

"This card is One of Four. When you want to pray to me, this should help you think of me. Good luck, despicable Mushroom Man. When all is said and done, and the owner of the Vorpal Blade is slain, my agreement will be done. That card is proof that I owe you a token of respect. But once that owe is no longer due, you will be but a mushroom, and I the one who plucks. Keep that in mind, and be wary of me, Mushroom Man."

With that said, magic surged, and a burst of the strange liquid miasma below burst forth underneath him, sending him soaring into the sky... Wind rushing past, great heights reached... Before the gush ended as he floated a moment in the air to see the 'shore'... A line of sand that ended with a great wall and deadly drop. His fall was cut short soon after, when the Cheshire Cat awaited him right below, seemingly from nowhere, to catch him in her arms and slowly float to the shore again, placing him there where he once stood, right in the footprints he left behind, but in reverse... And behind, the miasma filled the 'ocean' once again.

"We have to stop meeting like this~" The Cheshire cat said with her usual half moon grin. Her words sounded highly familiar. "Are you quite satisfied? Nice hat, by the way. But a bit edgy, if I do say so." The Cheshire cat flicked at his hat, her claw making a metallic cling noise against the blade, which seemed to chip her claw just from the light impact. "Oh, dear me. That's not good. You'd best be responsible with that. Speaking of... Where to now, I wonder? The time has past. You've been down there for a while now. Did you fall asleep?" She inquired, as the light hit him from behind. Despite so much time passing, he didn't feel fatigued at all. Or hungry. However, the ever present moisture in the air felt very nice on his skin...

He could hear a very faint, yet powerful bell... Tolling in the distance...

Time: 5:00 AM - 2nd Day
 
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Grave blinked as he saw Jabberwocky materialize a card. Then he blinked again as that card ended up getting stuck on his hat. Carefully reaching up, he plucked it off of the edge, giving it a careful look and pocketing it. That last speech was not ominous at all. What the fuck was up with dragons and them wanting to kill him? He couldn't help but sigh. Still, anything else he could have said was cut off by the surge of miasma that sent him flying out of the ocean - and high, high up into the sky. As he looked down and saw the drop, he felt an urge to scream. Thankfully, Cheshire came to assist him before he did so, though it took him a few moments to fully get his fit of panic under control. Having solid ground back under his feet came as immense relief.

"I believe you've said that before." Grave noted, wondering if this was a usual greeting from her or no. "And yes, I think... Wait, watch it!" He tried to warn her, but he was too late to save her claw. At least it was just a claw and not a finger. Claws grew back. "Ah, yes. I am not planning to use that hat against anything that doesn't deserve it or require it. As for time... I honestly don't know why it took so long. Maybe it was the descent." He shrugged. "Or maybe time just runs weird in there. That place is odd as Hell." Kind of an understatement, and it could be said about all of Wonderland. At least his body didn't seem to require food or rest for some reason. Blessed be small mercies. "Anyway. We need to find the March Hare. Or at least her watch. Without it, we're in deep shit." Cynder grimaced. As nice as the sea air was, he did not have time to enjoy it. "Let's go. I hope I can count on you to guide me down the fastest route to her."
 
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(Music - )​

The cheshire cat seemed to gaze at her paw for a moment, before Grave would see her broken claw regenerate in mere seconds. Like a dream returning to its original shape. "In the end, it is not a weapon to match." She declared with simplicity, before pointing her paw to a seemingly random path ahead. "I wonder though, if it's odd. It certainly is, but only compared to everything else, which is also odd. That makes your words a redundant statement, yet you're not wrong. It's simply normal to be odd, so pointing out something normal... I think that's odd." She said with her usual smirk. "I know many things. Some of those things I was witness to, but none of it you weren't witness to. I was witness to the corpse of the March Hare, do you know what that means? But I can lead you to the corpse, where your adventure began, along with hers. Together, you were witness to the same ending of a life. And now together with me, you will remember it." She declared, before opting to lift from her position, and float ahead of Grave, staying close by his side... Before suddenly floating close, and rubbing her cheek against his own scarred pale flesh. Her warmth was something he responded very fondly too. Her warmth was very nice, and made him feel something pleasant. It wasn't like feeling a gentle touch, or soft skin. It was like simply feeling 'warm' and 'happy'. An indication of his loss of human senses.

Together, they traveled the wisp filled beach lands...

Time: 9:00 AM - 2nd Day

With the sound of the bell echoing in the distance, they came to a familiar place. All the mushrooms were lively, and it was almost the same time of day. With similar yet different colored clouds in the sky, with the ever looming same-ness of deep blood red clouds, now claiming to be the very largest difference of his memories here. This day wasn't so wonderous, so much as ominous. There... A morbid sight lay, but no smell. A pile of red meat, still oddly looking fresh. Upon closer examination, a singular bunny ear remained amidst the grotesque body parts. "I present to you: The March Hare. This is her body. And you shant check, for I can tell that her watch is not amidst the organs present here. Just her flesh, and the faint remaining wisps of her soul." Said the Cheshire cat, looking to the corpse. "What do you plan to do now? If I had to guess, then that storm shall arrive after one and a half cycles. Maybe one tad less. Essentially, you're half already out of time, and only with one Queen of Suits on your side, in a way. If you would ask me what to do, I'd tell you to accept fate, as all here do... But you're the weird one, aren't you?"
 

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Grave raised an eyebrow as he listened to Cheshire ramble. Sometimes, he felt like he could almost understand what she was saying. And then there were times like these. Times when he had no fucking clue what she was trying to tell him. Was there a meaning to her words? Or was he overthinking things? He wasn't sure. Lost in thought, he didn't notice her getting close until she suddenly rubbed her cheek against him, making him pause and blink as he was startled. It felt... Nice, somehow. Sure, he wasn't entirely a stranger to the pleasure of holding someone intimately close by now, but this was not that. He simply felt warmth, and it felt good. Yet the sensation of touch seemed absent. The implication of this was chilling. Just what else did he lose here? What more was he going to lose?

With a heavy heart, Grave made his way to the corpse of the hare, following his guide. He wanted to examine the gore, see if there was anything left, but the feline stopped him. This was a complication. A major complication. In fact, a critical one. They needed this watch. They could not outrun the storm. But if they could go through time, then they could handle all things within the time-frame they had to work with. "We need to find her watch." Cynder decided, speaking with resolve. "It's possible that Alice took it, which unfortunately is our worst case scenario. I don't suppose you'd have the ability to track it?" He asked his companion. "If she left it somewhere like the body parts, we should find it. If she kept it, we can go find another Queen instead and hope we can seize it from her when we confront her."
 
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The cheshire cat gave an unfortunate shake of her head. It seemed that she did not know of a way to track the watch. "One might assume, that the March Hare was killed for the sole reason of her only possession. In fact, that's quite a dull and obvious assumption. However, it is the only one we can make. She is like you, after all. One can expect her to be so... Mad." The Cheshire cat giggled in light of the situation. "But that makes your next decision equally dull. But, there is excitement yet to find. First, the decision... There are three directions, and you've already gone in one of them. To the north is the Snowy Spring Mountains... The Queen of Spades lives there, as a tiny barbaric queen who ransacks her own kingdom, and her people worship her for it. To the East, past the Poisoned Pure River, is a Golden haired Queen of Hearts, who rules her most beautiful kingdom with an iron fist with her own voice as the word of law. Executions are weekly. And to the South... the former Queen of Clubs. Her grave is the Forgotten Canyons, along with all of your people. It is known, that a race cannot exist without their queen. So perhaps she is not entirely dead? Or maybe you're as a result of madness. Who knows~" She giggled.
 

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"Is it really madness to be objective-oriented? Well, granted, taking it to the point of murder is a bit far." Grave replied, shrugging. He objected more out of a growing habit rather than any actual desire to change Cheshire's mind. He could recognize that she'd just carry on being herself. When she got to the list of Queens, however... He couldn't help but groan and pinch the bridge of his nose in exasperation. Those three were familiar. They were very familiar indeed. "You've got to be fucking kidding me." The half-blood let out a long sigh, pondering his options. Given their geographical locations... He could try making a loop, go either north or south first, then head towards the east and finally go towards the place he hadn't visited yet. Sounded doable enough. There was just one problem... None of those locations sounded particularly accessible to him.

"Right, before I go off, just want to ask one thing." Grave turned his attention back to Cheshire. "Is there a path that'll let me reach them without too much trouble? Cause both the mountains and the river sound like some mighty difficult terrain to travel through." He pointed out dryly. "So, do I need to get something first before I can head to any of those places? And what about the canyons? Are they any easier or harder to reach than that?" He inquired. He'd need to pick which one to visit first... Hmm. Both the Queen of Spades and Queen of Clubs weren't patient types. Well, none of them were. Buth Spades was definitely the most impatient one. Unless he needed to get something special first, he could start with her and them move on to Hearts. Queen of Clubs was kinda dead anyway, it's not like she was going anywhere. And he was feeling a little bit spiteful towards a certain someone who basically got him into this mess in the first place, by not mentioning a certain dragon's bloodthirsty vendetta.
 
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