Forum of the Elder Gods (Grave;Cross)

[Mamono Assault Force]

Hearing his words of defiance, she tilted her head back and laughed. Even as he jumped over her and moved to slash at her backside. "You might be right, but that is how we define Justice in this world. And you gladly accept the sins of your mother." she said calmly, before turning slightly as he neared the conclusion of his attack, and raised her arm with lightning speed, blocking it... As his blade made an ear wrenching *SCREECH* as if he was twisting a pure, hard metal. The density of her scales on a legendary level such that his ears rung just from attacking them... And when all was said and done, his attack left a scratch mark upon her scales, with the tiniest dribble of blood from her arm. Once he had dedicated himself to jumping, it seemed Ryu already won the fight in her mind. Before his feet even touched the ground, his body was gripped in her claws of her left arm. Her points digging painfully into his body as she lifted him, and slammed him harshly into the ground. The air in his lungs was forced out, and the dragon's eyes glowed menacingly. Her right claw lifted over his face, and a ball of light formed from weaves in front of his face. "Cutting through my scales is likely the greatest feat you've ever accomplished in your life. But unfortunately for you, it's also your last." she said grimly, as the ball grew bigger... Beaming with pure blue energy and with such heat that his face felt like it was being scalded. And such was Grave, without the skill or power to stop it in time.

In those next few moments, the ball would be forced upon his face, destroying his body and soul in an instant. No afterlife, just pure oblivion. His existence erased for eternity, as if he had never existed in the first place. It was The End.

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The world the kind of faint that would be reminiscent of one recalling their memories. As if Grave was allowed to recall how he died. A freeze frame of the memory right before it happened. It was blurry and not as easy to recall as one might find when simply gazing at something. It lacked the concrete define nature that it needed to be absolute. Only, it was like a memory he could look around in.

Everything was like that for a moment, Grave able to carefully observe, but not do more than that. He could not weave, he could not move. It was like all but his mind were locked in stasis. That's when the girl with the white and purple hair and the snow cap leaned over him, a cheshire grin on her face as he observed him laying there. Unlike everything else, she was well defined, and clear to see. As if she was the only tangible thing in that moment. "I feel sorry for you." the odd woman announced over his head. "I agree, you probably didn't deserve this. But that's life." she chuckled. Her voice was like madness whispering into his ear. Each sentence she made, it's like it wasn't from the same person. "Do you want to live?" she inquired.

Then, her grin widened to a warped degree.

"Because I think this is the best time to ask that question, don't you agree?"​

 

[cross_grave]

Grave grimaced as he rushed through the air. So Ryu didn't care at all. She was past the point of questioning her own decisions or actions. Maybe she never had done that. Still, it did give him the opening to attack... Or so he thought. Even with his enhancement and the explosive release of extra power for more speed, she easily reacted in time to intercept his strike. And yet... At the very least, he had the satisfaction of seeing her bleed. The sight was honestly shocking: so used was he to feeling powerless, that the image of his blade carving through even a few of her scales, if just barely, felt strangely unreal. And uplifting.

Sadly, that sensation did not last. The dragon quickly made it quite clear how big the gap between the two of them was. Caught in a vice-grip and smashed into the ground, Cynder could clearly feel the pain even with magic running through his body. And for all the ability he had discovered in this brief battle, he had no way of stopping the overpowering attack Ryu was preparing. Desperation kicking in, he sought to grasp his weapon firmly and try to stab her - maybe in the eye, it looked much easier to damage than the scales - but somehow, he felt that his efforts would come far too late.

The expected blast didn't come, though. At first, Grave just thought it was his mind playing tricks on him, a screwed perception of time brought about by mortal danger. But soon he realized that it felt unreal. Too unreal. Like a distant, hazy thing, something he could barely recall. A scene that lacked the firm nature of reality. And within it, he once more noticed the woman from before. That strange person who had earlier conversed with the dragon woman was here, looking down on him in this frozen world. And he was willing to bet she was somehow responsible for this brief pause.

Grave tried to move, do something. Anything. Yet he could not. He could only watch, which did not comfort him any. And the strange woman's musings were even less comforting. Her question, even less so. There was insanity in them, in her. Each word making him shiver. He sincerely doubted he could trust her. And yet... He desperately found himself wanting to. In this maddening state, he wanted to believe that she did not stood against him. Because he wanted to live.

He was afraid of dying. Even at his most miserable, he'd still choose to worm his way through life somehow rather than end it. And as he was forced admit to himself he didn't wish to die, he also had to admit he had been, slowly but surely, finding new reasons to live on this island. Even if he still couldn't fully bring himself to open up and get close to others without his warped personality getting in the way. Club, Ziah and others were chipping at that shell. His resolve had begun to grow lately, too. In fact... Didn't he come here in the first place to build his family anew? To create something to live for? He wanted to live. He wanted to speak, to scream, to shout at this person that one thing. In spite of the shit this world seemed determined to throw in his way...

"I want to live!"

 

[Mamono Assault Force]

The nameless strange woman smiled more softly. The world became more of a haze as Grave felt like he was being wrapped in a miasma of strange weaves... Or rather, in all the confusion, once his mind cleared a bit, he'd find that he was wrapped in weaves that rivaled the power and skill of even Ryu. "Well, that's good. Wanting to live is a natural response. In fact, I was counting on it." she declared. The world continued to shift... Twisting and warping until it seemed like a memory that was being sucked away. Grave felt a sense of weightlessness, as if the world ceased to exist around him and all he could perceive was countless dreams soaring by at the speed of light, unrecognizable and indistinguishable. The weaves around him carried him as if he was being delivered through the throat of the universe... Until Grave found himself no longer on his back, with the weight of a dragon squeezing the life out of him... But instead on his back in the middle of a patch of grass in a... Odd forest.

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The vegetation seemed to move, as if the whole world was breathing. His current position was far more relaxed, as if he were just laying down. The tension and danger was gone, and all he could see was the woman from before, now above him. His head was resting on something rather soft and comfy. Upon observation, Grave would find that his head was resting on this unknown woman's lap as she was giving him a lap pillow. Her hands reached down to cusp his cheeks. "Grave Cynder, I've heard much about you. You are the carrier of the Chosen Soul. Particularly, a fragment of Fate that alters the way the progress of time and decision affects you. From the beginning, you never had free will. Your destiny was decided a long time ago." She explained. The sky above was like a miasma, a fog of a blue sky twisting and moving like a current of water, a slow moving river over head that had unusual colors floating by. A red and yellow cloud floated side by side, and a rainbow seemed to swim through the sky like a serpent. "Everyone who recieves a shard inherits a part of who Fate is. And since it is from her soul, a different part of her psyche determines the course of your Fate." She said, her voice of madness twisting in his mind. Making it slightly difficult to follow. "For example, the chosen soul inside of your goblin friend is the shard that represents Fate's primal desires. The part of her mind that always is the first thought that comes to mind. Without forethought or perception of consequence." she explained. "And your shard is from Fate's fears. Her hesitation and her doubts. The parts of her that hold her back." she declared, before smiling deeply. "The fragments control the events of your life as Fate sees fit. So long as you have that shard, you are not in control of your own destiny. " Her hands began to caress his cheeks, massaging his face as her fingers curled to grace his jawline. "But in return, you gain incredible power. It's like selling your soul to the devil, minus the part of your consent. If you ask me, that's very underhanded. It's why I never answered that crow's call to join Fate and her meddlesome religion. For you, this means that everything that has happened, the entire reason why you're here right now, is due to a certain meddlesome bird that decided you needed to suffer. The other chosen are all like this as well, your goblin friend would never have been crying alone in that abandoned Inn if it weren't for the shard that the bird put into her soul."

"But I'm not here to tell you that I'm going to free you from that. I do not want a chosen soul, you can have it since it's too much trouble. Oh, that reminds me-" she released his cheeks to put her hands upon his head. He could feel skillful weaves going into his skull. "You wanted to give your mother a body, right? [FONT=comic\ sans\ ms]I can do that for you.[/FONT] For a price." she declared. In that moment, Grave would suddenly feel his mother stir within him. It seems she was still there. Just silent. Or rather, she seemed angry, possibly because this white and purple haired woman of madness was poking her. "I am the god of this land, and I could use a little helper. And you could use someone who can get you out of that situation with Ryu. Sign this contract, binding yourself as my servant, and I will give you the blessings of madness. It's not as bad as it sounds, I promise." she giggled. Then, she held up her hands to grasp his own, locking her fingers with his. "I'll make your life interesting, and all you have to do is lock threads with me. Our souls will be bound together."

She gave him such a smile that beamed with confidence, as if making the message clear that he didn't have a choice. "But, you've been silent. Ask away. I don't promise to make sense, since we don't have the ingredients for that in this world."

 

[cross_grave]

Grave watched the world twist and fade away, slowly realizing the woman was not one of Ryu's followers, as he had assumed. She was one of the dragon's peers, and for whatever reason she saw fit to intervene on his behalf. At the same time, however... The way she spoke of counting on his desire to live suggested she had a stake in this. This help would not be free, he was certain of it. At the same time, this woman was one of the few people who could help him, given how utterly outmatched he was. He would have no choice but to rely on her if he wished to survive and get others out of this mess as well. At the very least, whatever place she dragged him into was preferable to being choked by a dragon. Somewhat.

The place Cynder found himself in was certainly odd, he'd admit it in a heartbeat. Sky acting as if it was water, clouds and rainbows like fish. Lying down and feeling oddly relaxed with his head on the woman's lap, the half-blood felt a sort of morbid curiosity rise in him at the sight. His attention was soon stolen by her tale, however, even if it was slightly difficult to follow because of her voice. But what he heard was... Disheartening would be putting it mildly. As he listened, Grave's expression shifted through a multitude of emotions. Disbelief. Realization. Outrage. Misery. And the offer she made him was not recieved much better. Eventually, his face settled into a grim, pained frown as he fully understood his situation. Lying down silently with his eyes closed, contemplating his questions and choices.

"So this is it. Die at Ryu's hands and disappear, or make a deal with a mad devil while a manipulative one is already stringing me along." He eventually spoke up, voice quiet and bitter. "This is a sick joke. Everything I went through, all because someone decided I'd make a good pawn. And now I'm supposed to bind myself even more or vanish." Grave opened his eyes again. At first, resignation filled his gaze as he glanced at the woman's hand, intertwined with his. However, for a moment he seemed to hesitate, falling silent again. Gradually a new emotion shaped his features, expression sharpening as the forming glare betrayed the slowly building fire within: rage. A cold, grim chuckle escaped his lips, followed by a quiet, maddened laugh.

"Fuck this shit." Grave declared with a growl. "From the beginning, no one really gave me any chance, huh? Fine. I think I've just found another goal to live for." He chuckled again, the angry smirked disappearing soon after as his wrath settled into a slow burn. "I can't say I trust you. If anything, I'm damn sure right now this is another faustian bargain you're talking me into. Were it not for the fact I've got no other way of dealing with Ryu, I'd have refused on the spot." He admitted. "Even with her taken into account, I can't say this is entirely what I want. Still..." He stared the woman in the eyes. " I suppose it might be better than the alternative. I want to know a few things before I agree to anything, though. I want to know how this is going to help me get others out of this mess, and the details of this contract."

Grave continued, listing off what he wanted to know. "How binding is it, what exactly being your servant means, what is expected of me, how much actual loyalty you want, how much I'm screwing myself over with it, potentially or outright. What is offered in return. And how is it any different from that damnable shard I've got." He spat, for a moment feeling particularly bitter. The one thing he had hoped to be his strength, turning out to be his greatest curse. It sickened him. Cynthia may have aided him more than a bit, but ultimately she left him to the whim of a goddess that cared little about sparing her pawns suffering. He paused, his expression turning a bit more melancholic again as the half-blood realized which question he really wanted to know the answer to. "Can... Can I even trust you?" Cynder asked, his tone turning soft, almost vulnerable. The woman was, among beings of power around here, the one of the closest to actually treating him with some goddamn fairness. And he was desperate for some honest aid.

 

[Mamono Assault Force]

The woman smirked, and her appearance changed. Or rather, her clothes did. As did her position over him, instead lifting up to stand over him. Grave's strength returning, allowing him to stand. It seemed Grave's answer made her change her mood. Shape shifting at well, she took on a dapper appearance. Tight fitting white pants with symbols of diamonds running down her side, complete with a green coat with white frills and a green tophat which was to behold her white and purple hair pouring down her face in attractive yet random strands. "I don't trust me either, suffice it to say." she declared in a more cool voice. A plant seemed to sprout from the ground on command rather than through her weaves, and become a single leaf that was to be her seat, picking her up and allowing her to sit upon it. "We're all mad here, after all~" she chuckled. "But if you want me to be honest, then I can't be honest. Once you demand honesty, it feels like I can't be honest, because you make the listener tell you what you want to hear." she said in reply to his last question, seemingly ignoring the one prior for now. She only smiled at him, as if something was deeply amusing her... Though that expression was not new. She always seemed to have a maddening and ever constant degree of mirth. "The contract is as binding as it is not. I won't give you orders, that would make too much sense. [FONT=times\ new\ roman]And I don't favor a world of order where things make sense.[/FONT]" she declared. Her voice changing ever more than it has been. Each start of a thought felt and sounded like it came from a different person. "I might not lead you astray. Rather, I will always lead you to where I intend you to go. Likely, you will not have gone where YOU intended to go. Therefore, it depends on how you define 'trust'. I don't have a definition for trust. But I trust that you knew that~"

Then, she hummed, crossing her left leg over her right. But she decided she didn't like that, and did it the opposite. Another hum of wordless conversation later, and she decided to cross her leg over her right after all. "I don't really have it written down, the contract that is. It's more of an agreement that is between two honest individuals. I like to think myself honest, since a lack of honesty inclines a certain tendency to conform to a lie for the sake of consistency. Even insane, wordless babble can be considered being honest, you know. But you're probably understanding this agreement about as well as I had thought it out. Just think of me as being your supervisor~" she cooed. "You can refuse if you'd like. In the end, my desire is merely to have fun. It's all the blessing of immortality can grant me, anymore. Most like me are nowhere near as lucky."

 

[cross_grave]

With his ability to move returning to him, Grave stood up as well to continue the discussion. The answers he got were... Confusing. So much so that he began to pace with a frown on his face, as he sometimes tended to do when lost in thought. He could almost feel a headache coming as he tried to puzzle it out. Eventually, however, he felt as if he began to figure out what the woman was saying, as least a little bit. She'd not do what he wanted or expected of her because that'd be too consistent for her tastes, unless she decided to suprise him by randomly doing so to prevent him from getting too used to her being contrarian and thus making it the norm - or so he suspected. She'd keep an eye on him and nudge or push him where she wanted him to be to get the most amusement out of it. Thus, he could pretty much expect everything and nothing from her at once. Whatever that meant.

As he pondered this, Grave took note that despite the fact he was being asked to essentially pledge to serve the whims of a mad, overpowered mamono, his mother was still silent. Even though she was indirectly responsible for this mess in the first place, given that she was the source of Ryu's ire. 'Bit quiet for someone with a stake in this, you know.' Cynder mused in this thoughts, openly enough for her to pick up on them. 'Got any advice or opinion to share about this one, at least?' He asked. While he really wanted to know what she did to piss the dragon off so much in the past, given her silence so far he doubted that she'd be willing to speak of it.

Regardless of what his mother said, though, Cynder would eventually stop his pacing and look back at the mad woman that sought to contract him. "Before I make my final call, a couple more questions." He declared. "One: you haven't said anything whether this'll help me get others out of this mess and not just myself. It's going to be a dealbreaker if it's just me." Grave stated firmly. "Also... Out of curiosity. If I refuse, should I assume that you won't help me? Just want to clarify that point." He shrugged. "I know straight answers don't seem to be your forte, but I'd appreciate anything resembling that. Or, well. Straight enough to figure out an honest answer out of whatever you're going to say."

 

[Mamono Assault Force]

His mother stirred a bit when he mentioned and thought of her. It was like a rumbling in his head that made him feel woozy. However, she continued to remain silent. It was as if her utmost desire was not to be apart of any conversation.

The hatter seemed to perk up when he mentioned his friends. "Your friends? But of course! They're here as well. Well, here or there, it's hard to tell. But they 'are' here. Or there." she said with a smile. Roughly confirming that they came into this world with him. "All three of them, in fact! You might be able to name them~" she confessed. Then, she lifted a finger to make a point. "For one, you shouldn't assume anything, because that's the opposite of what you desire, which is honesty. If you truly want honesty, then assumption will surely be a wall to ensure you never get it. But that only affects you, I'm plenty honest, and I believe you're the only one here who has any problems right now~" Even still, each thought she went through, it was like a different person was talking. A different person with a different idea. Some sounded helpful, others sounded playful, some didn't care, and the last one sounded malicious.

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The leaf slowly set her down, and seemed to rot before Grave's very eyes as it did so. As if the hatter's need for a seat was the only reason it was given life, and now without purpose, she commanded it to die. A morbid feeling went through Grave's heart, a natural human response to cold death. "Indeed, they are all alive. Indeed, I will not help you. But indeed, I will help you. And yes indeed, I will hinder you." she promised. "But first, you should look in a mirror, because the you that you know isn't what you knew." she explained, before taking to the ground, sitting and then laying down in the grass of the mushroom forest. She placed her hat on her face, taking to relaxation. "I've called for a guide to help you. Look for the Cheshire Cat." she declared. "Good night, Prince." she said, seemingly preferring to rest, while Grave was in the middle of seemingly nowhere. With no direction or ways to tell where to go in a world of nonsense and magic. And if he felt the desire to confirm what she said, a small pond was nearby, with frightening looking thin wigglers inside that looked so thin that instinct encouraged Grave not to stick his hand in. The reflection however, was himself, but incredibly pale with white hair, and a mushroom cap all included with a dapper vest much like hatter's. The look alone suddenly made him seem like he fit in with this world.

To top it all off, he did feel strange, and different. A certain unfamiliarity with his body overcame him, much like when he was in his female form. Looking down, his clothes were different, and he seemed to be wearing a small mushroom hat that looked like a wide brim meant to protect him from the sun. Indeed, if he took it off in sunlight, the odd sun, a purple light in the sky, would burn his head painfully. After a moment, Grave felt an empty, vacant feeling. Like he had lost something. Naturally searching around, he found that at some point, his mother's presence had faded away. Vanished. Getting a better grip on the world, Grave found that the magical threads within this world were so strong that they were passing right through him. It seemed that his mother couldn't withstand the forces that be and remain in his soul, and let herself drift away.

Whether he chose to walk or try to talk to the hatter, or simply stay in one place, it was madness that found him in the form of the faint hint of a cresent grin floating suddenly in front of him when he decided to turn. It was like having ones eyes finally pick up on the fact that a terrifying and venomous spider was suddenly so close to you, unmoving and without you knowing you were coming within inches of it. A symbol of fear and terror. A grin that had gotten so dangerously close that Grave felt as if his mortal coil was plucked like the string of a guitar, life itself reminding him of how fragile he is. A maddening sensation. But that's all it was, a floating set of front facing teeth grinning at him.

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Suddenly, the teeth moved, opening to reveal a floating tongue. "Optimism is the coping mechanism of white fragility. I think you'd agree with that." said a female voice from the floating entity. "Better than depression, don't you think? A truly cruel punishment. There is no fever, no rash, no blood to send people scurrying in concern, just the slow erosion of self." Then, blaring into his eyes were a pair of yellow lights that stared into his soul, forming over the floating teeth and tongue. No doubt the eyes of this manifestation. And his weaves detected nothing more either. There was no invisible body to go with this entity. However, it floated back, the eyes narrowing to suit a crazed grin as suddenly threads moved from the eyes at an incredible speed, manifesting a body that seemed to appear out of thin air, as if she truly was invisible. Or so someone who couldn't weave would think. The truth is, this monster was an incredibly capable weaver.

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"Good evening, mushroom man. You seem to really have it together. We can't have that~" she declared. "What business do you have, needing my help? I assure you I will help you, since a good friend asked. However, our definition of help may vary. It all depends on your perspective, and whether it matches mine or not." She said, speaking as if the hatter wasn't there. And if Grave did not leave, he'd find that she was gone, no longer laying there in that spot. "You look a bit like a human though. Are you trying to look like a human? Or are you trying to convince yourself that you are what you're not? Either way, I think you're mad." She declared with an amused grin.

 

[cross_grave]

Grave grimaced. His mother was... Well, about as helpful as she was 95% of the time. At least the hatter finally confirmed that his friends were safe. Ish. Beyond that, she didn't say much that was immediately helpful. Though he had to admit, she may have had a point about making assumptions. If one wasn't prepared to challenge them constantly, they could skew one's perspective towards what he wanted to see. At the same time, however, she was making it quite apparent that she was about as stable as a house of cards on the back of a running horse. It was as if she was switching to a new personality every two seconds.

Left to his own devices after the hatter settled down to rest, Grave pondered his next move. He was supposed to meet a guide, and was advised to look into a mirror. It puzzled him, but ultimately he did look into the nearby pond, being very careful to avoid the percieved danger. The reflection he saw in the water startled him, though not as much as the realization it matched his current appearance. Somehow he had ended up looking just like an inhabitant of this insane world, and annoyingly enough he couldn't simply remove his cap and walk around without it. The vest and clothing he could deal with, it was pretty good-looking, but the mushroom cap was not his style. Sadly, it seemed that he'd have to bear with it.

Cynder sighed as he paced around, trying to work through the strange feeling of being in an unfamiliar body, only to swear as he noticed yet another thing was off. His mother went missing. Swept up by the currents of magic, she vanished somewhere. Groaning as he realized he now had a fourth person to find, the half-blood noted that the strength and density of threads in this place was abnormal. He was willing to bet this was a result of this world reflecting the madness of it's ruler so strongly. Or perhaps it was outright created by the hatter. That made sense, really - a place made entirely from magic would have an immense concentration of it. Either way, this just made his predicament more complicated.

Grave's musing were interrupted as he finally noticed something he probably should have noticed a couple seconds earlier - a mad grin floating in the air before him, sending shivers down his spine. He managed to keep his composure when the hatter's leaf withered away despite the sense of morbid foreboding he felt while watching it die. This, however, made him yelp and jump back in fright, fight or flight instincts kicking in until he realized the smile did nothing. Just floated in the air, unmoving... Until the smile's owner finally decided to speak and reveal herself. In quite possibly the most chilling and disturbing of manners.

Cynder stood, frozen in place, though the words spoken by the cat were what shook him up more than her entry. Some part of him had no doubt that she spoke of him. Of the soul-deep pain he had been carrying for years that kept grinding him down, an unbearable burden he had little choice but to bear. For a moment, he felt horribly vulnerable in front of the being that suprised him so. It wasn't until she switched to the more hatter-like kind of insane speech that he managed to shake off some of the shock and start thinking again. This Cheshire Cat was meant to be his guide, but... Where was she supposed to guide him? Letting out a breath he ended up holding in without realizing, the young man took a moment to mull over his answer.

"If I look like a human, it's because I either am one or as close as one can get to being one with mamono blood in them. And lost in this place, I suppose." Grave sighed, opting to start from the last question. "I'm afraid my monster side is out of commission for now anyway. And not here, last time I checked." He pointed out. "Feel free to think I'm mad though, quite frankly I have to be if I managed to get myself in this mess... But I digress." The half-blood shook his head. "Miss Cheshire, I'd like to request your help in finding a few people here. My sister Ziah, a goblin named Club and Atea." He listed. "Also, my mother's soul is probably floating around somewhere, I'd like to do something about that if possible." Suddenly, something occured to him. Earlier, Atea had mentioned he'd have to choose, but specified nothing. Was this world going to be the stage for the choice he was supposed to make? "Also... I'd like to ask you to guide me to where I need to be as well."

 

[Mamono Assault Force]

The Cheshire chuckled. "What a wonderful way of thinking. Indeed, you deserve to be here because you're mad~" she cooed.

Then, she seemed to roll a bit as she thought about his request. "So, you wish to find people you knew. I do not know who they are, and I get the feeling you don't know who they are either. Why, I know everyone in Wonderland. And I don't know them. I even know you, and I shouldn't." she said with mirthful mystery, slowly rolling as if a projectile in slow motion, before coming to a halt to float above him, moving her arms as if to swim through the air above him, and succeeding in doing so, drifting like a dream. "But, if you need me to guide you, I have to wonder, where do you want to get to? If you don't know, then it doesn't matter where you go, does it?" she said a line to him that he had a feeling she said to someone else once before. "And just between friends, we all have names that we don't. If you were looking for yourself, you shant find it here. You are the Mushroom Man. I am the Cheshire Cat. And my master is the Mad Hatter. Perhaps you should find someone who has a name that they don't? You shant find them, but you might meet them. Oh but I digress~" she cooed, eventually floating upside down in front of him, taking a sitting stance with her legs folded, floating over him. "If that confuses you, then your head's not quite with it. Though I profess, I'm not all there either. I would offer words of encouragement, to tell you that you will one day understand, but I doubt your chances, since I'm still trying to understand it myself. A good luck to you none the less!" she cheered him on.

Then, she pointed her paw on the path ahead. "Your friends are not this way. But someone else is. Why not meet them and greet them? Why not meet the royalties of the Suits while you're at it? Four in total, Spades, Hearts, Diamonds, and Clubs. That last suit should sound familiar to you. Not that it does, but it should. I suggest meeting the Queen of Hearts first. She'll be mad to see you, absolutely mad!" she said with joyous behavior, before taking the bell from her collar and putting it into his hands from where she floated. "Just ring my bell if you wish to speak to me. Do it even if you don't want to. I promise I will always tell you something~ Whether what I tell you is something you find helpful depends on your perspective, and whether it matches mine or not~" she said, and those words indeed sounded familiar. Then, it seemed as if her aura seemed to seep into the bell, sealing herself inside of it. Grave had room to put it into his pocket. The Cheshire Cat was now sleeping. She didn't seem too interested in hearing any replies or talking further. Unless he rung the bell.

In the direction of Cheshire's pointed paw was indeed several traces of life. More than the one she promised. Though, as he proceeded onwards, a strange feeling overcame him. That empty feeling one hardly feels when losing track of time. It was hard to tell how much time passed. But as he walked, the journey through the strange land of mushrooms of his likeness seemed like an endless dream that overtook him to the point that only when his nose picked up on the scent of blood did he realize the sky was orange. His body still felt fit, as if he walked for only five minutes, but it was clear he had walked for hours. Reality seemed hard to grasp and thought was hard to remain coherent. His momentary lapse of concentration on the amount of time that went by was once again, broken by the unquestionable smell of death.

A strange sensation came over Grave, the magic of the world washed over him as if he walked through a wall made of water that left him dry. A strange feeling of passing that once again broke his concentration... Until concentration was restored to gather himself... Indeed, it began when...

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. Covered in blood, and standing over the grotesque body of some unknown mamono who met a terrible fate. She looked to have been cut into pieces by the knife the girl held. As Cheshire promised, he found someone. But she said nothing to him as she turned to look at him as he caught her in the act of manslaughter. There was no way of telling who was killed with the way they were carved. Even the face was nothing but chunks. And all with a knife no less. The faint glow of a red incandescent mushroom made the back of her black hair glow and her green eyes shimmer with a haunted light. Still, the girl did not produce more than an ominous aura. Grave did not feel like he was being threatened. Instead, he was watched.

The girl stood, staring at him. Nothing more.

 

[cross_grave]

Grave watched the Cheshire Cat float around in the air lazily. He didn't exactly expect his response to make her claim he fit in, at least a bit, but in retrospect perhaps he should have. Her words were still confusing, though. He needed a few moments to puzzle out their meaning. Having names that we don't, and not knowing those he mentioned yet knowing everyone in this place... Perhaps the others have become just like him? In that case, he'd need to find out what they've become and ask about them using these new names. Not an easy task, but perhaps if he found more inhabitants of this place, they'd be able to shed some light on this problem.

In the meantime, however, there was little more he could do beyond following Cheshire's suggestions. Just go whereever and find people to greet. The mention of the queens in particular got him curious, if mostly because the connection between Club and the suit bearing her name made him wonder whether the girls became these queens. Hearts first, though. If she was going to be mad at him, he'd rather deal with that first. Hopefully it'd not go as badly as his meeting with the dragon. Sighing as he pocketed the bell Cheshire faded into, he set out down the path she pointed out. Just why were her words so oddly familiar?

The walk was long and short at the same time. Long because once he snapped out of musing over his situation while he walked, he realized the day seemed to be coming to an end. Short because the whole time seemed like a blur, and the trip itself was no more exhausting than a short stroll. That last bit was something he'd take without questioning: it worked out in his favor, so why complain? However, what broke him out of that trance was worrying. The smell of blood and murder. Someone had been killed just a short way ahead of him. Steeling himself, he marched forward, frowning slightly when he met the strange sensation before him. His focus broke, though thankfully only for a moment. Yet that moment was enough to reach the scene of carnage. And more importantly, meet the one responsible.

Grave spared a glance at the mamono, mostly to check if it was someone he could have known before focusing his attention on the girl. There was no doubt she was the one responsible, though how she did all that with just a knife was beyond him. In fact, he didn't even want to know. Thankfully, while she was definitely unsettling, she didn't seem to be threatening... Yet. He examined her with some morbid curiosity, wondering how he should react to this scene. Various approaches and scenarios ran through his head. Eventually, he opted to just throw them all out and go with the flow. This land obeyed no logic but it's own and that was a twisted thing indeed.

"Seems a bit excessive." Cynder spoke, nodding his head at the corpse. "But perhaps warranted. Perhaps not. Can't say I can tell without witnessing the whole scene." He sighed. "I apologize if I'm disturbing you. I'm..." He paused. Which name should he introduce himself with. Raising one hand to play with the brim of his hat. Eh, why the Hell not? "I'm called the Mushroom Man, I suppose. Or so I've been told." The half-blood shrugged. "May I ask what your name is? If you don't mind, of course. Also... Have you seen anybody else around here, perchance?" He glanced around. "I'm looking for someone, you see. Though I suppose I'm also going to see the Queen of Hearts. Seems like the kind of thing that might push me in the right direction. Maybe."

 

[Mamono Assault Force]

"No, excessive is the correct word." She spoke. Though with her tone of voice carried a feminine hostility. She didn't inspire any feeling of comfort. Rather, Grave could be certain she was almost antagonistic in voice alone. It reminded him of the Hatter, a bit. But just a bit. "If you are the Mushroom Man, then I suppose the person I killed was the Rabbit. If names are appearances, that is. And since I look like a particular kind of demon, I am Alice." she introduces herself. But instead of for his sake and politeness, it seemed she too was finding a name for herself. "The only people I have seen are The Hatter and Rabbit. The latter of which is now Dead." she said coldly. "I don't believe we can help each other, if neither of us know anything. I shall figure things out in my own time. If we ever meet again, I hope that we have something useful to say. I am not fond of this world, so I'd rather not dwell on it. But ironically, figuring it out is what I must do to leave. Though you seem like you wouldn't have that problem, Mushroom Man. Just looking at you makes me sick." she declared, her brow furrowing a bit. Indeed, she made it clear she didn't like him. "So despite how much you look like you belong here, you don't know anything. As long as you don't get in my way, I will ignore you. Consider that a good thing. But, it'd be wasteful not to combine efforts." she admitted. "I will gather info, ugly Mushroom Man. If you listen, every twelve hours, a clock tower will chime."

As if right on time, a loud, resounding bell reverberated through the air.

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that made his gut tremble from the depth of it's toll.

"It signifies the beginning and end of daylight. If this is the first day we have met, then we shall meet on the toll of the third evening. I will tell you all I have discovered. I will await you at the top of the clock tower. You cannot possibly get lost if you follow the toll." she declared. "Now, leave me. This Rabbit owes me something, and it'll take me time to pick through the remains. You'd be better off figuring out how to get on top of that Clock Tower, if you want to even show up for our meeting." she declared, before she kneeled over the horrid smelling remains and began to make awful sounds of her hands picking through the chunks in search of something.

Grave heard a slight jingle from his pocket. In the corner of his eye, he saw the Cheshire's teeth. "Best we leave this girl be. We know not of what she searches for, but we will if we stay. Tis not what you expect perhaps; however, no one expects Death." the cat advised him, before her teeth vanished and her whisper unnoticed by Alice.

(Music Used -

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)​

In the direction of the bell tolls, which soon ended, Grave would find that there was a large town ahead. It seemed insignificant mind the large tower in the middle with a large golden bell within a tower made of purple stone and green mortar. The town itself was similarly of purple tone, the walkways of concrete at least gray. Likely due to how everything being a different color would make sense in a world that didn't make sense. So it made sense to not make sense, and leave some things be: as the Hatter would no doubt put it.

All the while, the odd sensation he experienced before the morbid scene never left him, leaving him with a looming feeling of dread. Instinct raw in the back of his mind, alerting him that a terrible fate was to be his forecast. All the while he moved, he could feel the Cheshire Grin behind him, yet not there when he looked. A looming presence always following him, unclear like everything else, if she was friend or foe.

 

[cross_grave]

Alice, huh? The girl sure as Hell wasted no time being friendly. If anything, the more she talked, the more Grave grew convinced she'd be trouble. She seemed to be no minion of the Hatter, too, only yet another person playing this game. And one that had no problems with killing, judging by what happened to the Rabbit. Somehow she was able to tell he was not an inhabitant of this place, too. Maybe because he revealed he was a little lost. At the very least, she was not about to hunt him. He was sure as Hell that this only meant more trouble in the future. The sound of the bell she spoke of was enough to give him a horrible feeling about their inevitable meeting. Yet it seemed that reaching the tower's summit in time would be his end goal in this world.

Once Alice was done talking and began to stick her hands in the Rabbit's corpse, Grave decided to take Cheshire's advice to heart and simply left the scene. Not willing to bear witness to further desacration of a corpse. The scene still left him with a horrible feeling, a premonition of horror that made his instincts flare, seeking to fight or flee. Neither seemed to be something he could do: no foe presented themselves nor did he carry a weapon, and there was nowhere to run to as well. The one benefit he could see in this situation was that now he had a place to go towards other than the mushroom forest. The city and the tower in it's middle.

Grave hastened to the city, feeling both the pressure of time and fear, with Cheshire providing little comfort to ease it. He intended to reach the city and take a look at the tower to see how much of a challenge it'd be to get to the top. At the same time, something occured to him. Reaching into his pocket, he poked the bell the Cat gave him, calling her to offer advice. Or in this case, provide an answer to a question. "Cheshire. You suggested that I go visit the queens, yet now it seems I'll have to go meet this Alice on top of that tower. Is it possible to meet all four of them and make it to the top within these three days?"

 

[Mamono Assault Force]

(Music Used -

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)​

And so, he departed to the purple city, which he soon knew the name of given the sign dangling over the entrance that he approached. "Labyrinth City". And justly so, as he saw it up close, it made little sense in terms of direction. It seemed like such a mad city that it was perfect for this world. His walk lasted him some time... And with the way the sun moved, he could almost feel on his cap, what time it was...

Time: First Day - 8:30 AM

Some had an internal clock, or so they claimed. And indeed, Grave could feel it as well. As if the time of this world was closely bound to him in some fashion. Though, he didn't meddle too much on that, instead asking the Cheshire for advice. At first, the grin appeared, then the girl herself, floating as if laying on her side in mid-air. "If you ask me, I'd say that as you are now, you can meet everyone well within time. Get to know the population. But there is little you can do about their plights. You are just a weak mushroom man. Indeed, I say little, because there is one thing you can do. In this world, there is a creature known as the Jabberwocky. She killed and ate the last queen of diamonds, and decided to name herself the new queen. Mad, right?" she chuckled. "The Jabberwocky does her duties both well and poorly. But to be sure, she is the most accessible of all the queens. The others... Are untouchable in each their own way. But such is your wish, I imagine~ To touch the queens~" she giggled. "But, as for how to climb the tower, I do not know. If I told you that you could fly, I would, but you can't. I can fly, and I can't. You see?" she inquired. "As someone who is quite in favor of laziness, I say let Alice do the work of figuring out how to reach the top, and follow her example. I suspect a girl like her might frequent the library." Cheshire declared, pointing to a building with a pair of eyes for a sign hanging over it's doorway, before she was completely gone when Grave would look back, hiding once more.

 

[cross_grave]

Grave considered his options. The city's layout was... Confusing, to say the least, but at least he had two landmarks he was aware of. Even if the tower was impossible to access for now. Still, Cheshire had some decent advice. Letting Alice worry about finding the right way to the top seemed to be the best idea. In the meantime he could take care of getting to know the locals and seeing the queens. Still... The way time felt in this world was weird. Almost as if it's passage followed him closely. Perhaps he could do something about it, perhaps not. It'd be nice if he could squeeze out as much as possible out of these three days he had.

In the meantime, he had to figure out what to do. Apparently the new queen of diamonds, Jabberwocky, would have to be the first one he reached. Perhaps once he managed to get to one of them, the other queens would become more accessible. First, though, Cynder decided to take a look at the library. It was a good starting point for figuring out where to go. Maybe he'd meet someone willing to tell him more about this place and what to expect from the queens. The books could prove useful, too. He'd need to moderate the amount of time he spent reading them, though. Back in the times when he had the opportunity to actually read, he sometimes tended to get too absorbed and lose track of how many hours he spent on them.

Walking towards the library building, Grave considered his situation once more. The mushroom man... He couldn't help but feel like there was some significance to this appearance and how he seemed stuck with it. This world seemed to impose it's characteristics on those who lived here, but what of outsiders like him? Were they stuck in their assigned roles, or could they change them somehow? He'd need to investigate this. If the library had no information on that, he'd either have to find someone who did or figure this out by himself. Either way, he had much learning to do, and he'd have to do this fast. He couldn't exactly take his time with that stuff without slowing it down or something.

 

[Mamono Assault Force]

Labyrinth city was true to its name. A very confusing place. The citizens of this town said every sign told the truth, but not every sign was helpful. The Cheshire said much the same. In fact, some signs were better for your destination than others, but to be sure, they never lied. This caused Grave to wonder through Labyrinth town for a long while. And indeed, he'd find the library. It wasn't too far from where he started looking, it was beside the Curiosity shop, in fact. A minor shop with details bizzare yet uninteresting or least or all, useful. Venturing into the library, he wouldn't find Alice there, instead...

Time: 9:00 AM - 1st Day.

He came across what seemed to be a dark purple horn just laying on one of the tables, forgotten from the looks of it, as it wasn't hung or protected like an ornament. It seemed to belong to some great beast, but it was unknown who. The Cheshire's voice rang out. "Ah, someone haplessly left behind the horn of the Jabberwocky. That must mean for certain she is dead. I wonder who could have killed it and brought its horn here?" she inquired with a chuckle. "You wouldn't happen to know anyone with murderous tendencies, would you?" she asked with amusement. Though the power of the Jabberwocky was strong indeed, as he could still feel her life force even from just the horn. In fact, he could even feel it calling to him. Pleading for aid.

"Put... Together...... Split..." He heard a voice weakly in his head.

"A debt is a nice thing to have. That, and the Jabberwocky is the Queen of Diamonds still. I think you know what you need to do." The Cheshire grinned coyly with only her teeth visible, which then vanished from his sight as they floated ominously in front of his vision.

"Three... Gather..." the voice sounded weaker, as if rapidly losing strength. It felt like there was more than one part to be found. And he might be able to use weaves to find the traces... But Grave would find himself substantially weaker than before, his presence of soul on a level of pathetic. As if he couldn't bring forth the power of the Chosen Soul. Or perhaps... He had lost it, along with his mother.

 

[cross_grave]

Grave let out a tired, exasperated sigh as he finally entered the library. Navigating this town was a goddamn nightmare. He lost way too much time making his way towards a building he was able to see from his starting point. The fact that Alice wasn't inside was a small boon, he supposed. The fact that he found a fresh trail was even better, though it's morbid nature made him wonder just how good it really was. On one hand, his objective became a bit clearer, and he had a chance to earn some favors. On the other hand, the fact that this Alice was able to slaughter a Queen did not bode well. Especially since he could tell that the Jabberwocky was no pushover.

Picking up the horn, Cynder began his search, somehow feeling as if he was getting used to Cheshire starting to pop up in random spots. Besides, he had more important problems, like finding the remaining pieces of the beast. That being said, his first attempt at looking for them with magic made the half-blood start swearing, uttering a good number of vile curses as he discovered a very distressing fact. His power was gone. The part that made him a Chosen had been stripped away from him. While this meant that Fate would not keep him on a leash for the time being, it also meant that he could rely only on his meager strength in this insane land. This made him feel incredibly vulnerable. How was he supposed to survive these three days, and the inevitable confrontation with Alice, with such pathetic level of power at his disposal?

After taking a few deep breaths, Grave finally composed himself. This was not the end. If he managed to get Jabberwocky on his side, perhaps she could provide him with the help he needed to overcome this. Hell, maybe he'd be able to find some other source of power here to make up for the loss, at least a bit. In the meantime, he'd have to be frugal and as efficient as possible with what little he had. Focusing, he used his third eye to get a good look at Jabberwocky's aura. If there was still some connection left with the other pieces, then perhaps he could poke at it carefully with a few of his own weaves until he found a trail and focus entirely on that. He'd have to make sure to use only as much energy as needed and not waste any of it for now. There was no brute-forcing this. "Cheshire." He poked the bell as he worked, a thought occured to him. "Do you think the other pieces might be in locations that are somehow significant, especially to Alice or the Jabberwocky? If that's the case, having a list would make it easier to find the rest."

 

[Mamono Assault Force]

The Cheshire appeared behind him, lifting his mushroom hat to place her breasts upon his blonde hair and head. "Well, if I had to guess, it would be places where Alice would go, as you said. I think the Carnival, and the Frog Princess are likely places for a serial killer to visit. As one deals in unspoken magicks, and the other is a creature capable of controlling the weather. As the artifact we hold answered three, I believe we know where to go, yes? It might also be the restaurant, since there is a myth that serial killers might not eat their victims, or perhaps the bath? Maybe she bathes after every murder, but there are many baths around town~" she chuckled, before lifting her boob hat from his head and placing his mushroom cap back on and slowly vanishing. "I think you should decide the best course of action, which would of course be to disappear as I do, and let the world sort itself out."

Unfortunately for Grave, he would notice that these two locations were even more complicated to find. Labyrinth city was not a kind place to new people.

(Grave has learned how to quickly find the Library. It will take him less time to return to it.)

 

[cross_grave]

"Disappear... Yeah, right." Grave spat as he considered the situation. This was annoying. This was really, really annoying. Going in blind, on a time limit, with only Cheshire's words to give him some guidance and no power he could make use of. Damnation. If he at least had his magic, he'd have been able to perhaps circumvent some of the issues he was facing. Things would be slightly easier if he could at least figure out Alice's movements. Though he somewhat doubted she'd be at the restaurant or the bath. The girl didn't seem to care about staining herself with blood and while she was definitely picking through the rabbit's corpse, it didn't seem like food was her objective.

Sighing, the half-blood set off, deciding to start with the Carnival first. There could be many restaurants around and there were definitely many baths, which meant that eliminating them all as potential locations would take a lot of time. With the Carnival or the Princess, however, he'd likely have only a very limited number of locations to check. Plus, he could still use the piece in his possession to guide him as long as he could follow the faint link it had with the others. In fact, doing so would probably help him eliminate the locations faster - if it wasn't pointing at a place, then he could probably skip it. And frankly, anything that could help him save time was welcome. Even with how many hours were left on the clock, he still found working on a timer to be a distinctly unpleasant sensation. Hopefully he'd at least run into someone on the way to point him in the right direction, or any sign that could direct him to his destination. A vantage point would be nice as well, to help him get a better look at the city's layout.

 

[Mamono Assault Force]

Just as before, his attempts at navigating through the labyrinth city were fraught with difficulty. The townsfolk were a combination of dwarf girls that were as tall as club all marching around helping to construct a bridge to the tower for the celebration in 2 days, or various races that would be about as helpful as the signs themselves, or simply pointing him towards the signs. "The residents of Labyrinth City see navigating the complex twists and turns as apart of the fun. You'll have fun too, even if you have to go mad to do it." said the Cheshire from behind him. Once more, he searched all round for signs of the carnival... After much trial, he indeed found it,

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that seemed to be a house for more than just fun.

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)
​

Various races seemed to run the carnival, each terrifying in their own mythological right. The carnival seemed to run it's fair share of mysterious games. Including daring challenges for fun or prizes. Five copper to stare into the eyes of a gorgon and see if you can survive, a tent set up with an advertisement for such and a

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of the gorgon herself within. Grave would see a human boy run out of the tent to go hug his parents, both human and brown haired like he as he was laughing with both fun and fear, having looked at the medusa and gotten scared.

The usual fair also graced the carnival,

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running a bow and arrow game to hit the cardboard cut out harpy girls that were standing on a quite far distance. The prize seemed to be a choice, a date with the kappa, a kiss with the kappa, or a plushie doll of the kappa. It seemed to be a stall she herself set up, and she didn't seem to be getting any business to her dismay. She did seem to have sold a few plushies however. As Grave would get near, she would advertise to him with a smile and wave. "Try your luck! Win a prize of your choice, only seven copper coins for five shots!" she declared. "First attempt is free!" she added on. Seemed like an after thought.

What seemed to be a dog, or perhaps kobold? Was running a stand for throwing balls. Only, there weren't any targets. She stood about four feet high, a bit taller than club, as she was

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with excitement. Unlike the kappa, the customers seemed to flock to her. "Just one copper! Throw a ball and I betcha I can catch it!" she cheered, seemingly very excited with herself. Playing onto her strengths as well as what was fun in life for her. Indeed, the few balls Grave saw thrown, she caught them. Her prizes seemed to be the same as the kappas, including the plushies being ones of herself.

Varies stalls ahead were simply food and trinkets. But on far, far ahead was a tent decorated with a crystal ball on the top. As Grave held the piece of the horn from the jabberwocky, he could feel it reaching out towards that tent. Likely following it's guide, he went into the tent to smell incense burning an unusual but somehow comforting smell. The tent was lined with pillows, as such, a voice called out. "Remove your shoes, please." a female voice beckoned. A sign outsaid said as much, but she opted to remind anyway. After entering, he'd find the room of pillars to be lined with mirrors all along the interior walls. All casting the same reflection, of

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sitting in the middle. "I expected someone would come around this time. I am the leader of this carnival and its fortune teller. You, mushroom man... Your name is Grave Cynder, yes? You're actually a human that ended up into this land due to Misfortune." She declared, her left hand upon a crystal ball that sat upon the only table in the room as it shifted colors within. "And you've come seeking to find all the parts of the Jabberwocky that were scattered by the girl you arrived with, Alice. But that's as far as the Fates will go to tell me. Odd, how you two seem already at odds when it seems you've arrived together. Isn't it?" she inquired.

"Have a seat." she indicated to the opposite side of the table from her, a straight line from where he came in.

Time: 9:30 AM - 1st Day.

 

[cross_grave]

Grave sighed in frustration as he navigated the city. This place was annoying as Hell to go through and quite honestly, he felt he'd sooner flip his shit and set something on fire in rage instead of simply going mad as Cheshire suggested. Unless that was exactly what she was talking about. Then again, maybe it was just his frustration at the whole situation talking. Honestly, if he had had his power back, he'd have likely been coming up with ways to circumvent the confusing mess of alleys by now. Still, there was one curious detail he picked up on the way. A bridge for a celebration in two days? Leading to the tower, no less? He had little doubt it'd all come into play once it was time to meet Alice again, somehow.

Fortunately, finding the carnival took much less time than he had anticipated. There was quite the selection of games to play, even if Cynder wasn't sure whether he actually had any copper at all to play them. Not that he was particularly interested, much less inclined to try some of the riskier ones. Staring into a gorgon's eyes? No thank you. Perhaps she was a nice person, but he was not about to take a risk this big, especially when he had shit to do. Still, the sight of a seemingly normal human family made him pause for a moment. The sight was curious, heartwarming and painful in equal measure. The half-blood was curious where would a human family come from in a mamono realm, and he had to admit that watching a happy family out together was a pleasant sight. At the same time, it reminded him of what he never had, a bitter reminder of an unpleasant past.

Shaking his head to clear away the grim thoughts, Cynder carried on, passing by the two stalls. He could see why people flocked to the dog-girl: she was cute as all Hell and did cute stuff too. Perhaps in another time, he'd have stayed a while, if only to watch her. The lack of customers for the kappa's stall was a bit suprising, though. Sure, she looked at a tad odd, but it's not like she was ugly. Thinking about it, he came to the conclusion that it was likely the competition from the dog-girl that put her in this position. Maybe if he was a better shot, he'd at least try the free attempt. Sadly, archery was not something he had much practice with, his training had been focused on swordsmanship after all. Still, maybe he could try once he wasn't so pressed for time? Though he was certain that picking the date or the kiss as his rewards would end badly, thanks to a certain dynamic duo.

The remaining stalls were curiosities at best, even if the food stalls drew his attention a bit. Being raised in less than privileged conditions and spending several years on the road taught Grave not to waste opportunities to eat. However, soon he found himself standing in front of the final tent. A fortune-telling parlour from the looks of it, and one that felt suprisingly welcoming. More importantly, he could feel the horn direct him inside. Taking a moment to take off his shoes - odd custom, that - the half-blood entered the tent, looking around curiously. The many mirrors felt significant, somehow, but he had no idea how. They certainly directed his attention towards the fox woman waiting for him, who bade him to sit and spoke to him.

The fact that yet another resident of the island knew about him before even meeting him didn't even cause Grave to sigh. He was starting to get used to the fact that he was the only clueless person around. Plus, this one seemed to be able to see the future, or something close enough. That made it much easier to keep tabs on him. "To be fair, it's more like we've arrived at roughly the same time and not the same place, I think. I certainly don't recognize her from anywhere." The half-blood mused, sitting in the chair opposite the fox woman. "She's the one who decided to be hostile towards me, too. Doesn't seem that keen on renegotiating her stance, too." He muttered. "But yes. I am Grave Cynder, and I am looking for Jabberwocky's parts." That last bit sounded so odd out of context. "I'm hoping you'll at least help me with the search. Any other insights would be most welcome as well."