It was a pleasant day in the unusual woods of Wonderland with the wondrous birds chirping about the merits of their eggs, mad people talking about writing ravens and whatnot, and royalty beheading the innocent. Of course, that in itself was not as weird as the cloaked man who strode in a steady pace, ambiguity in his current actions. From what one could see, one might have guessed he was part of the land's inhabitants. However, with a blank look in his eyes and his constant shuffling of cards, unfamiliarity with the rest of the occupants of the region was a clear sign.
With an air of cunning and easiness wafting about the eccentric figure, he passed a rickety wooden gate. Obviously, he had no interest in what lay beyond the boundaries of his vision, but…He perked his ears in apprehension and a slight change in thought prompted him to backtrack and peek inside the fence.
From what his colleagues had told him from previous reconnoiter missions, a man with a jaunty top along with a brown hare should have been singing a zany tune. What they were singing about, his peers would not tell, only to tell him that if he was to find our, he would need to trade jobs. With a sly smile, he would always make them gamble their way into during their assignments AND his. However, his recent gaming caused his superiors to take charge and make sure he did his job without bargaining in the process.
Humph…work, this land of many creatures…it all was nothing to the blonde man as he unlatched the fence from the inside by leaning over and let himself in. Walking slowly, but warily, he was instantly greeted by a long table, an assortment of teacups, kettles, and crazy chairs. At the end of the long table, a young girl sat in a red chair, a throne the foreigner assumed.
Dressed in a pink dress that flowed to her nobly knees, a simple silver diadem adorned the crown of her dark red hair, and a lacy pinafore embellished her front. Eve though he should have taken note of the new resident who had apparently came out of nowhere, he decided to interact with the civilian. What a better way to start his note, he thought to himself!
"What's a pretty lass like yourself doing out here," a pleasant British voice inquired to the young maiden before him. From what he can tell, this girl seemed off. As if she did not belong to this world like him. Shaking that incredulous thought from his head-how could someone travel from world to world without portaling-he decided to question the girl.
After he asked the question, the girl blinked a few times as if she were waking from a peaceful dream, swirled the contents of her mug for a bit, and nodded to the seat nearest to her right. Clearly, the princess-the crown indicated her status-in front of him wanted him to take his seat in her presence. As he walked around her chair and neatly placed his derriere on the cushion, she shook her head, a sadistic look in her eyes.
"Did someone tell you to sit there?" It was a musical note that could have easily charmed a certain water wielding man to swoon. However, the blonde was not that man he was vaguely displeased at the snob's behavior.
Without a sound, although he wanted to sigh really badly, he willed his body to rise and move into his previous position before the girl. Mechanically, he smiled gaily at her, as if to set her at ease, even though he wanted to tear her apart with his cards and-
"Nonetheless, Artsy White wants you take her place," she spoke with a note of heartlessness. A fact that reminded him of the six originals, a fact that disgusted him to no bitter end. It did not help when she spoke she talked to her teacup as if he were nothing but leftover tealeaves.
Once the gambler settled his being-or was it non-being? –He chuckled mysteriously to himself as he glanced at the redhead at the head.
"Why would a person of your status surround yourself with such," he looked around himself in mock wonder," idiocy."
Sipping a cup of newly poured tea, her face remained expressionless, or was it dreamy? It almost made the flaxen haired Nobody gulp in fear. Who could remain this stoic in circumstances in terms such as these?
"I never took a man who never revealed his face to have such standards for nobodies like me." Another sip of the hot beverage made its way to her full, red lips. "Is that not idiotic enough?"
Clearly, the girl was a rich snob who looked down on people, and clearly the hooded man at her side was also miffed, although mildly. In response to her aggressions, he pulled down cowl and prepared himself for another round of questioning. Perhaps, this time an obvious answer will turn up.
"Dreadfully sorry for my ill manners, but do you live in this part of Wonderland?" Hypothetically, if he started out small, he could break down her barriers and obtain some useful trivia.
"Dreadfully sorry, are you? That is…dreadful." Again, no eye contact from the lithe figure in the throne of blood red. "So…Wonderland…" It seemed as if she was toying with the sound of the moniker of the world she was currently residing. It also strengthened the resolve in the blue eyed vagabond that she was different, an extra in the world of the insane. "No wonder this land is filled with wonder."
Deciding that this time her voice did not hold any transgressions, he proceeded to ask her about her name.
"Artsy White knows. She knows all. In fact," as she poured herself another cup of steaming liquid," she knows who you are."
If Nobodies were meant to feel, this Nobody would have felt fear and wariness of the girl's intuition. Nonetheless, the man had felt cornered many times in the past amidst his games and always won. There was no reason to panic, not just yet.
"Oh, do you now? What do you know about me?"
"You like games and you always win because you're lucky. You have time." At the word time, the blued eyed vagrant found that he was finally staring into the eyes of his host.
Steely blue sapphires framed with fiery lashes fluttered up and down in a condescending motion. Dark red strands of flyaway hair framed her heart shaped face, but intensified the wildness of her true nature.
"You have all the time in the world. Or," as she stopped scrutinizing the eyes of yours truly," there are more worlds, yes?"
Strategies lined up in the man's mind as he struggled to find a coherent response to the princess' whims of unknown means. He decided to play it safe by telling her dark truths and white lies.
"What would you say if I told you that I am the Gambler of Fate?" His crafty eyes winked maliciously at her as he pulled out his deck of trusty cards. During his methodical shuffling, his piercing blue eyes remained in contact with hers, all the while conveying no emotion.
"Am or was?" Surprisingly, the royal paid no heed to the hidden threats inside of wanderer's eyes to answer correctly or suffer.
"What do you mean?" Confusion decorated his British cheeks as he processed what she had uttered.
"Is it Wonderland or Upside Down Land? Or is it an asylum meant for the intelligent and mad?" She began to add numerous sugar cubes and cream into her brew. "Time holds no meaning for all of us. For me, Artsy White, or you." Vicious laughter erupted from the full lips of the girl as she conceded the truth.
An unimpressed grunt emerged from his muttered curses as he realized that maybe he should have left this mad girl alone. Grumbling apologies for his inconvenience he left his seat, only to be pulled into a cushioned emerald rocker. Still, at the head of the table, the bloody female snickered at his attempts to free himself.
"You should apologize. No one likes a party pooper at parties such as mine," an arrogant undertone took over the supercilious one. "Isn't in grand?"
A glare that could have killed thousands was sent to the man when he refused to meet the girls' demands for recognition.
"Artsy White says my party is the finest and the most magnificent! What she says is law! So answer me." Though she had calmed halfway through her outburst, her forget me not eyes brimmed with vehemence.
"Such magnificence," the man gasped for breath because he was currently choked by the writhing appendages of the chair," for someone as lowly as you."
From previous missions concerning other inhabitants of other worlds, he had expected some type of retaliation from her. Instead of misplaced anger or any type of movement that could indicate furiousness, the redhead just bowed down. Her hair cascaded around her visage concealing her ferocity from the outside. Thinking that maybe he hit the jackpot, he moved as if to get away from the chair, the appendages were loosening from his form.
"There is not time here, but can you change that?" It was a soft voice that halted the vagrant in his tracks.
As he turned away from the exit, his breath stopped in his throat as he saw a sight that was to behold.
The red girl, one of ferocity that had reminded him of his fellow female neophyte, was now replaced with an angel. It seemed that both were twins, as they appeared to be one and the same. While one dabbled in the darkness of this mad, mad world, the other seemed to serve as a haven from the lunacy. Still, as his boots ghosted over the fallen twigs that seemed to crack at any given moment, he needed to stay wary and leave when necessary.
"I may be the Gambler of Fate, but some things can not change." At that statement he knelt in front of the girl and viewed the physical changes of the girl.
Whereas the red princess had a red dress that extended to her knees, this one was far more modest and less colorful. Her eyes were kind, gentle, but there was no sign of life that could have been differentiated from a common Nobody. These were the orbs of a person that lost so much with nothing returned for compensation. Where the similarities ended the differences started. Red was a fighter, white was a beautiful corpse.
"I knew that you would say that." She smiled to herself, lost in a private joke. She bowed her head of golden locks to the ground, not out of haughtiness, but of embarrassment. "I know all."
"Ah, I take it that you are Artsy White." It was a statement that was already confirmed when he genuflected to the meek princess. "What do you want most that you would resort to magic? My magic in this case." Evidently, he felt an urge to help her, rather this flickering candle than the raging bushfire.
"I wish I was never born," tears formed in her eyes," I feel so useless. No one ants me, I'm never needed and I hinder others. If I can not belong in one world what chance do I have in others?" Whimpering could be heard from the modest lady as she dropped her cup and placed her forehead on the table, flaxen tresses pooling onto the tablecloth.
If he were whole and human again, he would have been deeply shocked by her anxious request to end her life. Since that he was a magical being of both light and darkness, he could hardly care less. However, she looked desperate for help and deep down, he intended to give it.
"Come now." He plastered a fake smile on his face. "If I'm enjoying your company, then some other people might."
"Pity, I for one thought you would succeed, but you're just like the rest. Off with his head!"
Back in her resplendent and red glory, tracks of blood ran down her pale cheeks. With an unreasonable look in her face, she grasped the handle of a wicked looking knife from the pockets of her pristine pinafore. Hurriedly, the cloaked Briton thrashed from his kneeling position when he realized-
"Oh, how cute, you can't move. Wouldn't you agree, Artsy White?"
Silver loomed in the peripheral of the Nobody's eyes as he tried in vain to run away from the girl.
Splotches of dark red paint colored the grassy canvas of her newest painting.
"Such a magnificent painting," she paused as if to recollect her thoughts," for someone as lowly-"
"-as us."