Mable: Here we are with the next chapter! I don't own 9, Enjoy!
The Inmates Run the Asylum
Chapter Ten: A Night Inn
The boat ride was much shorter than the swimming as it was a motorized boat that they rode. Child manned the steering on the back as the others sat around and dealt with the sprays of salt water. Two enjoyed it a bit more than everyone else did. They made their way back to the beach to briefly stop and collect their things that were left behind, then continued along the coast with the boat. They decided to skip past the White Kingdom entirely and stopped at a small port Nook of the kingdom. By now it was late and dark out, and the Stitchpunks were already worn down.
Almost immediately after they stepped off the boat Five bowed over and panted a little. "Can we- Can we set up camp?" He was clutching his side and Two came in closer in concern, "Is that bothering you?" The Mad Hatter nodded slightly, "A little." The White Rabbit was discouraged by this and hummed before insisting, "Let's find an inn. I can pay for it." Nobody argued and after Child hid his boat they went to find one. The Fish in a Kettle inn was the one they finally stumbled upon and entered inside of. Two quickly went to the front counter to haggle with a Stitchpunk with fins down its arms and a blue complexion.
The others sat and waited relatively patiently until he returned. "I managed to get a couple of rooms for us. Two double rooms and a three bed one. We'll figure out how to sort those." He paused before remarking, "Five, I would like you with me. It'll give me a chance to watch that wound." He insisted with a tone that showed he wouldn't take 'no' for an answer. Nine looked towards Six, "I guess maybe we should share." Six nodded until Eight suddenly spoke, "Actually… Six'll take one of the doubles with me." Nine's brows raised before furrowing in suspicion.
"When have you ever wanted to share with Six?" He asked and Six almost wanted to not get a room with Eight so that he wouldn't have to talk about what happened, but he caved and exhaled. "No, Nine, it's okay. We'll be fine." He gave a smile of reassurance and Wonderland Eight finished, "Then I'll stay with Two and Five and you can stay with Child." Nine sputtered, "What?!" He looked over towards the taller male before glancing to Child who was standing nearby, looking into a small kitchen. "He tried to kidnap me! It doesn't help that he's strange too!" Child chimed in from across the room, "I'm also not deaf."
Nine murmured lower, "Like that. That's what I mean." Wonderland Eight rolled his optics at the younger, "Look, I need to watch Two. He's king, it's my job, and he wants to stay with Five, and other me wants to stay with Six, so you have to stay with Child. If he does anything then just shine your lightstaff on him." Nine looked back towards Six and Eight again before Wonderland Eight continued, "Leave them. They'll be fine." He assured. "Of course you'd say that. He's you." Nine pointed out in exasperation and Eight gave a smug look, "Yeah, small world, huh? It's a shame you don't have the March Hare to back you."
Two handed out the keys and the Stitchpunks climbed the stairs before entering their chosen rooms. They were nice little rooms with quilt covered beds with brass frames. Six crossed over to the farthest one to the window and peered out, seeing down into the street and the lit streetlamps along the road. Suddenly the door closed and he could hear the thumping footsteps. He hesitated before looking back, watching as Eight sat down on the farther bed which creaked under his weight. The male exhaled with tiredness that Six usually didn't hear and started to remove his clothing.
He tossed the clothing onto a wooden chest at the foot of the bed. The Guard stretched a bit and tossed his knife down as well. Once it was beside the bed he looked directly towards Six. "Alright." He announced and the striped male looked downwards, clutching his key tightly before murmuring, "I… I guess you want to know." Eight nodded, "That's the plan." He looked straight to the Artist and waited for him to answer. Six exhaled and slowly sat down on the opposite bed before looking towards Eight, biting his lip and clutching his key.
"I-I'm a little anxious." He admitted and Eight nodded, "Relax. We're safe in here. There's people all around us, walls, doors, and nobody knows we're here except us." He encouraged, but could see that the smaller was still disturbed. He exhaled and went to stood, "Here, I'll secure the door and the windows. Will that make you feel better?" The smaller nodded and Eight crossed around to lock the door and the two windows. Once he was finished he looked back to the striped one who was taking off his clothing. Maybe it was because he hadn't see it for a while, but Eight stared at the revealed stripes.
He crossed back over and sat down on the bed, looking to Six once again. "We're completely secure in here. Come on, Six, it's time you stopped hiding things." Six nodded in agreement before exhaling, "I know… That morning I came out to find a letter left to me about drawing supplies. I know now it was a fake, but then I thought it was real, and headed into the trees to find them. When I got a few feet from camp I found a stream of ink and a tree of paper. Then I stepped out past the bushes and found, just, a world of paper and ink."
Eight's brows raised and Six exhaled softly, "It was… Perfect. I went deeper into a tunnel of thorns and paper flowers, to the steps of a castle. I had the thought to go inside until I- I realized that there was a diamond on the wall. It was the Diamond Kingdom, but there was still- There was a voice in my head telling me to go home. I know everyone thinks that I am insane, but I don't hear voices, and these thoughts weren't mine." He was almost fearful to admit this to Eight and feared that the large male would think he was crazy.
Yet Eight simply listened with a slow nod as though he was paying deep attention. Six almost felt a slight, delighted warmth in his center. Eight was listening and believing him. Yet at the same time there was a coldness as he had to accept what happened. "As I escaped it tried to attack me with vines and paper and- And everything disappeared and I could see the destroyed town! One of the vines became wire, barbed wire, and it wrapped around my ankle, and I could hear you all so I tried to grab a rock, but it was out of reach!" He begins to blurt out with more excitement and terror, Eight listening with a look of shock.
"A-A-And then- Then I couldn't reach the rock, but I used that tugging thing I've been able to do and got it close enough! I grabbed it and struck the barbed wire over and over until it gave way and I rushed to you and the others!" He stopped, gasping and beginning to pant softly at his ramble, and Eight paused, "Wait, wait. Go back a few steps. What tugging thing?" Six's mismatched optics widened. He hadn't expected to slip and certainly never expected Eight to catch it quicker than he did. "Umm…" He paused before quietly adding in, "I've been moving things… With my mind."
Eight stared blankly, Six stared back, and finally the Guard asked, "What?" Six gave an embarrassed smile of slight amusement, "I don't know what it's called, but I've done it a few times… And I'm able to do more with it." Suddenly Eight reached towards the ground and felt around. "What are you doing?" Six asked in paranoia and Eight responded quickly, "Let's test this out. I'll need something small…" Six reached over to his over shirt and started to go into the pocket, pulling out his tiny hedgehog toy. "Maybe this?" Eight stopped looking and now started watching him again. "Show me."
A light nervousness filled Six, but he complied, setting the plush on the bed and trying to move it. It took a few seconds to regain control of the tugging but just as before he was able to get a grip on it, and with a sudden tug the plush was brought towards him. He continued to pull until it was brought over his leg and rested in his lap. He smiled a little and looked to Eight, "What do you think?" The Guard leaned back a little bit, "Whoa…" This was on a whole different level of weirdness. This sort of thing was different then everything else, it didn't seem like it even belonged in Wonderland.
"Is this… A Wonderland thing or a home thing?" Eight offered to clarify and Six bit his lip, "I… I don't know really." He admitted before looking to the toy in her sharp fingers. A few moments passed until Eight suddenly spoke, "Look, I don't know anything about that, but everything else-… If the person doing this really did try to take you then there's a reason." Six looked fearful, "So… So you do think that maybe they're coming after me?" Eight didn't respond for a few seconds and instead just stared at the wall.
"Eight?" Six nearly pleaded and finally Eight looked to him and responded, "I don't know… But we'll have to watch our backs from now on. I sort of thought we'd be ignored, since we're not from around here, but that's obviously not the case anymore. You should've said something." Six nodded slowly before defending himself lightly, "I was afraid that it- he- they would come after me harder if I told everyone about what happened. To quiet me." Eight lightly flinched and rubbed his head tiredly, "That's… That's not going to happen. I'll make sure of it."
Slowly Six laid down on the bed, stretching out onto it wearily and exhaling softly. A few moments passed before Eight stood, "I'll be right back." Six suddenly straightened quickly, "Wait!" He called out and Eight looked back. The smaller was a little embarrassed and looked downwards. "I just… I don't want to be alone." Eight stared before nodding in agreement, "Let me just step into the hall to check on the others, alright? I won't go anywhere." Six almost reluctantly nodded and watched as the Guard headed to the door and peered out. Ironically Nine was standing in the hall, talking down the stairs to someone.
"Hey." Eight spoke and Nine jumped before looking back, "Oh, hey! How's everything?" Eight looked back to the door slowly, "Six is a little shaken…" He tried to figure out what to say, whether to say what Six said, and finally decided to be quick, "Something happened back at the Diamond Kingdom. He's fine." He added the last part when Nine looked concerned and continued, "But he's pretty freaked out about it… Look, I'm watching him for the night. You'll have to hold your own." The male put on a brave face and looked over towards his room where Child already was, "…I can… Here, take this to him."
He handed over a tin of scones. "Two was making them with tea. Maybe it'll make him feel better." Eight nodded and took them. From the smell of them they would make him feel better too. He headed back into the room while Nine entered into his own. The two beds were seated comfortably by each other and Child was sitting by the door reading. He paused to look at Nine who had a firm look, staring at him. Then Nine stepped closer and announced, "I'm taking this bed." It would have been thoroughly brave and insistent, if not for his voice cracking halfway through.
Eight entered back into his room with Six who was waiting. The smaller looked tired and merely watched as the larger entered back in. Eight flopped down on his own bed, opening the tin to take a scone for himself, "These are yours by the way." He pointed out and looked over, "You look tired." Six closed his optics and corrected, "I'm exhausted." A small tug of amusement played at Eight's marked lips. "Then sleep. I'm not going anywhere." Yet Six couldn't sleep as easily as Eight liked to suggest. He was tired, certainly tired, but shutting his mind off was another story when he was afraid.
"Eight…" He dared to start, quite embarrassed, "Can I…? You know…" Eight raised a brow, "Know what?" Six sat upwards, "You know…" He looked to the bed with interest. The Guard raised his brows before getting a briefly amused look. Six felt a blush grow and was almost ready to lay back down and ignore the idea entirely. Instead Eight finished, "Fine." He moved over on the bed and watched as Six practically leapt into it from his own. "But only because you showed me that trick with the toy." Eight added in coyly and Six smiled thankfully, clutching said toy to him as he cuddled under the blankets.
For a moment Eight found himself staring at the striped male. He looked so tender, to relaxed and comforted by just lying there, almost closed optics staring back with a relaxed smile tugging at his lips. When Eight dragged him optics away he stared down at the tin of scones before offering it to Six. He wasn't really in the mood to chew on the baked goods. Instead he just felt strange, giddy and perplexed. He wasn't actually supposed to be enjoying this, especially nothing as simple and foreign as sharing a bed with Six, who was also looking back at him.
Six eventually started to nod off and closed his mismatched optics, prompting Eight to look back at him. Just studying the smaller who he once bullied and now was starting to see something different in. At the same time part of him reminded that he had always been slightly interested in how odd Six was. Six was a Wonderland in himself. Eight shook the thoughts off, "This isn't the time or place to obsess about something like this…" He assured himself and leaned back on the bed, closing his own optics and relaxing, deciding to leave the lights on just in case.
He would be on guard, he would protect the little Wonderland Stitchpunk.
In the other room Two had helped Five out of his coat. The one eyed male winced a bit and rubbed his tender side. "Ah… What do you think?" The White Rabbit circled him and looked at the small wound. It hadn't changed size or look any different. "Hmm…" Wonderland Eight meanwhile sat down on the opposite bed and stretched, starting to take some of his armor off. He leaned back on the bed and rested. Two looked back to him briefly and then returned to his work, "I… Well, I'll put a stitch in it, but it'll need to be healed properly. Let me see if I have any Snark scales."
Snark scales were more specifically a types of petals that grew on a Snark Leg flower. They were frequently used to cure Boojum poison, but so far neither Two nor Five saw any side effects of such an ailment. Five encouraged him, "I don't think we'll need them, but better safe than sorry." He was rather optimistic, even when Two suddenly looked disgruntled as he searched through his bag. "I don't think I brought any… What was I thinking not bringing any when we'd be so close to the island?" He scolded himself thoroughly. Five seemed to shrug it off and so did Eight.
"I don't think it's a problem. The last guy who got Boojum poisoning had a big slice across his back. That little poke there was from a baby one, it's not going to have the poison." Two frowned, "That's what troubles me. It stands reason to believe that young Boojums are more dangerous as they cannot control what poison they do have." He suddenly noticed the dread on Five's face and quickly regained a reassuring smile. "But if that was the case you'd already show symptoms! Eight's probably right, I'm worrying over nothing, but just in case when we get home or find an herb dealer we'll apply some."
Five smiled back, glad that Two was willing to reassure him, even if he was now starting to worry. He tried to convince himself that it was fine and laid back on the bed. "I'm going to get some sleep." Two nodded, "We should all do that. We have a long day tomorrow." Five was asleep before Two even got into his own bed.
Nine's night didn't end just yet. He had headed down into the dining hall and was enjoying some time socializing with other Stitchpunks. Nine found them a bit interested in what he had to say and found himself more than eager to continue. "Then, suddenly, out of nowhere there was a crack as the Machine busted into the tunnel! We ran out, but before we could get out it lit the explosives with a gust of fire!" Two young Stitchpunks listening flinched back in fear. "We were thrown out of the cave and crashed into the rubble of the warzone!-" It was around this time when Child stepped into the dining room.
He was about to walk back out from discomfort, but that was when he started to actually catch some of what Nine was saying. "-Our Leader sacrificed leapt before me to take the attack. I rushed forward to grab the Talisman from the Machine. Either I'd get it and destroy the Machine, or I and the others would be killed…" He reached under his clothing and unzipped himself, pulling out the Talisman from inside. He knew that this was probably wrong but couldn't help but bring the proof out. He showed the circular item to the others, them giving small gasps at the sight, "But I came out in the end."
Clapping ensued directly afterwards. Child's optics immediately widened as his optics focused on the object. He sputtered and started to slide through the crowd, making it to Nine's side and grabbing his arm. Nine jumped before looking towards him and recognizing the hooded male, "Oh, hey." He was still pretty relaxed from the pleasure he got during the storytelling and thus calm. "Something wrong?" Child gave him an unimpressed look and tugged at his arm, "Come with me. Put that thing away." Nine glanced to the Talisman and it suddenly clicked, "Wait, Child-."
"Come on." The albino pulled him to his feet and Nine stumbled along, smiling in a faux casual way towards the others. "Sorry guys, I'm being called! I'll have to tell you more tales later!" The young Stitchpunk twins gave waves towards the male as he soon disappeared into the stairwell. Child practically dragged him into the room, shutting the door behind him, and Nine was regretting more slipping and letting the talisman into view. He was telling the story about the dangers of the Machine and what was basically the Machine was standing right in the room with him.
"You draw far too much attention to yourself… Nine." Child pointed out firmly, almost having to force the name out. Nine stumbled back next to the bed and asked, "What do you want?" Child fought the urge to roll his optics and started to his own bed. "A little more caution from you… That's no trinket you carry." Nine quickly excused, "I carry nothing." Child gave him a dumbfounded look before murmuring, "Really, Nine?" Nine was embarrassed and instead corrected with, "Nothing important. Not here, anyway. Wonderland and our world are different." He showed the male the Talisman to get confirmation.
The Jabberwock directed his optics elsewhere and raised a hand, "Get that thing away from me. Consider me a recovering addict; hide it somewhere and don't tell me where, and don't go showing it to people." He started to take of his cloak in preparation to lay down and Nine exhaled, unimpressed by the entire event. "Do you give the March Hare this much trouble?" Child hesitated and then smirked, "I like to think that I do." Nine plopped down on the bed and went to place the Talisman back inside, zipping himself closed. "You could've let me finish my story at least."
"And see your adoring listeners idolize your heroics? You already saw that. It only makes sense to stop when you're ahead." He casually shrugged as he sat down on his bed. Nine turned so that his back faced the other and slipped off his own cloak and hat, deciding just to give in and get some sleep. As he flopped onto the bed and stared at the rafters above he felt his thoughts return. "…Child, can I ask you something?" The albino looked over towards him, "Yes?" Nine fiddled his hands together. "Would… Would I have eloped? Are you certain I didn't?..." He huffed, "I don't even know myself anymore."
"It happens." Child remarked and Nine continued, "And I was so certain I knew myself fine a few days ago… But am I capable of abandoning my family for love? Then, as though that wasn't bad enough, get kidnapped while I'm doing it?" The other male smirked, "I'm not sure about you, but I'm not surprised… Considering the fact that you yourself just got kidnapped yourself." Nine gave a small smile, "Yeah, I guess, but the eloping… One seemed pretty convinced." Child moved to climb under the blankets, kicking off his saddle shoes. "Of course One would think of eloping."
Child curled into his bed and stretched a bit, "After all, One himself eloped." Nine looked over dumbstruck and turned to face him, "Wait, One eloped too?! Is this just a normal thing around here?" Child corrected, "One eloped with Two, more like. It's not widely discussed anymore, but One was in an arranged marriage. They were trying to strengthen ties between Wonderland and Candyland and the only king of proper age who wasn't attached was One himself, so he agreed. The Princess, Princess Pastillage, came to Wonderland herself to arrange the wedding. The day came and the willing One went missing."
Nine was listening eagerly and Child noticed. He turned towards the male and continued. "The kingdom was in an uproar, but One finally did return with Two and a small fellowship with him. It came out then that he had been romantically involved with Two, the White Rabbit, and that they had ran off to elope. Their group helped in the ceremony; the witnesses, the priest, and such. Needless to say the Princess was shocked and at first there was a bit of an outrage from her kingdom, but it worked out on its own. The Red Kingdom is basically made of One's guards so they were fine with it. They probably already knew and liked Two."
Nine nodded; he couldn't imagine anybody who wouldn't like Two. It put a bit more in perspective and he asked, "Did you know One and Two back then?" Child shook his head, "I did not. It was a long way back, back when I wasn't the Jabberwock, and I only met them more formally in recent years. Five might have mentioned it. Or possibly Cat, I can't really remember." He looked to the lamp and inquired, "Can I turn this off?" Nine hummed in questioning before nodding, "Go ahead." The light clicked off and the room fell into darkness between them. Nine cut through it with his voice, "Can you tell me more?"
"Not much more to tell." Child admitted, "Two became the secondary king. He still carries the title of king, but his lack of noble birth still sets him under One… Not that One would argue with Two being under him." Child said that with another smirk as if he was insinuating something, something that Nine didn't catch on fully too. "They had Prince Twenty-One who is currently the knave and the heir to the throne. More recently they had Princess Twelve, recent enough that I haven't had a chance to see her. I hear that she's a Rabbit like Two."
"She's pink and she has small ears like Two does." Nine pointed out and Child nodded, "Then she's a Rabbit as well. Princess Pastillage became Queen some time back and was married a year or so later. She has a daughter so I suspect she'll return to arrange a marriage between her and Twenty-One…" He suddenly paused and reached to turn the light on. Nine looked over in confusion, "What?" Child was staring at him, or his head more like. "I just… I remembered that you didn't have ears." Nine gave a slightly embarrassed smile and Child shut the light off.
Nine was relieved to not have the male staring at him any longer. It made him feel bare and now it was starting to bring a new curiosity into his mind. Mostly questions about the March Hare and the Jabberwock. There was obviously something there, but Nine couldn't tell if it was a strange friendship or a hatred or what it was. Either way, Child knew more about than his counterpart than even he did, and that disturbed him somewhat. It wasn't like he could do anything else tonight and merely pulled the blanket over him to get some rest. He had a feeling that tomorrow would begin another long day.
He had no idea, but it was a good guess.
Mable: A bit of a quiet, less eventful chapter, but I thought we all needed a little breathing time. A calm before the storm if you will. 83 The storm is certainly coming quiet soon at least. I hope everyone enjoyed and the next chapter will be posted soon!