I yawned again as I traveled down the path. How long had I been walking? Ten minutes? Fifteen minutes? I didn't know. But everything seemed to repeat itself. On top of that, I hadn't seen this pathway break off to the gardens. I stopped, thinking. Maybe if I get back to the building Peter brought me to, I can find my way back to The House! I smiled and pushed energy into my legs, falling into a sprint. I no longer paid mind to the scenery, instead keeping my gaze forward. My smile widened when I saw the outline of the tall tower.
Since I hadn't seen anybody in there earlier, I didn't think twice as I opened the door. If I get to the roof, I could find my way back to The House with ease! I started to walk up the stairs, but stopped when I heard a voice a few staircases above me. "Who's there?" I ran up the stairs in search of the voice. I'd better explain why I was there. I stopped when I saw a door at the end of a staircase. I knocked on it, "You can come in." I opened the door slowly.
"Excuse the interruption," I said quietly. I looked at the owner of the voice, who stood in front of a clock-covered desk. Is that… a guy? But he's so pretty! Though his voice was so deep… His hair is so long, too. I walked forward, staring at him. He glared back at me, though it softened sufficiently when he got a good look at my face. I know that look. That's the same look Blood gave me. "My name's Marina Jenkins." His hopeful look fell, but he nodded. "Who're you?"
"My name's Julius Monrey. Are you a Foreigner?"
I nodded before I said, "Excuse me for just barging in. When Peter brought me here earlier, no one seemed to be home, so I thought no one was here."
He nodded again, "Why are you here?" I blinked; was he asking me why I was in Wonderland, or why I was in the tower?
"Where is here?" I asked hesitantly. He sighed, turning to sit back at his desk and work on the clocks.
"This is Clock Tower." I nodded, sitting at the table in the middle of the room. So… this is Julius. I wonder what his Role is? I mean, he has a face and all… I shook my head. Would it be rude if I just came out and asked, 'Hey, what Alice in Wonderland character are you?' I sighed. "If you have something to say, just say it."
"You have a Role, right?" He coughed into his hand, eyes going wide to stare at me. I shrugged, leaning back into my seat. "I've made a, eh, friend since I've arrived in Wonderland. She's explained a few things." He nodded, returning his gaze to the clock in front of him.
"My Role is the Mortician." Mortician? There wasn't a Mortician in the book, or in the movie… Is this a Heart Country exclusive thing? Or is my imagination getting out of whack? Besides, what would a Mortician even do? Rose said they have clocks instead of hearts. So, does he examine the clocks or something? "You haven't answered my question. Why are you here?" He sounded agitated.
"I'm here because I'm trying to find my way back to The House." He shook his head in distaste. "What?"
"You shouldn't befriend The Gardens Group," he said. (I noticed that it sounded like he was warning me.) "They're incredibly dangerous."
I laughed, though I probably shouldn't have. I mean, all I have seen is Rose's nice side! "No way," I defended, "Rose is a sweetheart!" He mumbled something under his breath, and I leaned forward. "What was that?"
"Nothing. You're trying to return to The House?"
"Yessir."
He stood up and walked towards a window. He pointed out of it, and my eyes followed his fingers. Hey! That's the path I had just come from! "They're tricky, and I don't see why. Everyone knows where The House is." He pointed to the other side of the path, and I squinted. Among the vegetation was the faint outline of another path.
"Wah~ They are tricky!" I grinned over at him, but he only huffed and walked back to his desk. I was still curious about his job, though. "Julius?" He cringed, and I stepped back. What was wrong with him? I shook my head, remembering the incident from earlier. Perhaps my looking like Alice is affecting him pretty badly? But he wasn't even looking at me… I pushed forward, though. "What does a Mortician do, here in Heart Country?"
"You're not at liberty to ask that," he growled. Oh...kay… Maybe I shouldn't have asked that. I nodded, walking away from the window and towards the door. He looked crushed when I placed my hand on the doorknob. "You're going." He looked so sad… Maybe if I befriend him, he'll be happy?
"I'll be back though, I promise. I'd like to be friends with you!" I said. He looked up from his work, wide eyes on me. I smiled at him. "Goodbye, Julius!" I walked out of the floor, shutting the door behind me gently. As I walked down the stairs, I wondered whether or not I could befriend him. He seemed a little rough on around the edges.
I walked out of Clock Tower and looked around. I looked at the path I had come down, then towards the path he had shown me. Placing one foot in front of the other, I walked down the path. My mind reeled with everything I had learned today. Clocks, Role Holders, Faceless, Potion of Hearts, Wonderland… I'm so tired, and I'm in a dream! "At least this dream is fun. Maybe I can sleep here, too?" I mused aloud.
I grinned when I saw the lights of The House. I knocked on the door, and Chamomile greeted me cheerfully. "Welcome, Miss Marina!" I smiled at her, nodding. "Mistress didn't think you'd be back so soon. It's only been two Time Changes." I shrugged my shoulders and looked around the living room. The walls were covered in flower wallpaper, and a flower-patterned couch was positioned in front of a typical flower-shaped coffee table. I smirked. They were really serious about this whole flower thing, weren't they?
I walked into the large dining room, examining it as well. The table was incredibly long and made of oak, surrounded by eighteen chairs (one on each end and eight on each side). The chairs were made of the same wood as the table, and each one had a different flower cut into the top. I looked up and noticed that there was a chandelier with flower-shaped light bulbs. I wondered what the rest of the house looked like.
Rose chose that moment to walk in from outside, and she stared at me. "Oh? Back so soon?" she asked. I nodded, yawning again. Man, I was beat! She smiled, pulling out the chair she had sat in earlier (I now noticed the large rose crafted into it). "So you're tired?" I nodded again. She leaned into her chair as cups full of water were brought out for the both of us. "Well, drink this and go to bed. It's best you meet Mister Gottschalk before we suddenly go to Clover Country. You can tell me about who you visited tomorrow." I pouted; honestly, I wanted to tell her now and ask her about everyone. Sure, she had already explained them, but now that I knew them, I wanted to learn more!
"I met a lot of interesting people today," I muttered. She drank from her glass, but stared at me. That's when I noticed Bud wasn't with us. "Hey, where's Bud?"
"Bud? Ah, he's asleep in the gardens." When I sent her a questioning stare, she said, "He likes it out there, and the weather here is almost always warm, so I see no harm in it." I nodded; they really were like flowers, then. Maybe they were flowers. I mentally laughed at that. No way! They're just flower-themed. Then, it clicked. Flowers! Like the singing flower garden in the movie!
"Rose, do you and your girls sing?" I asked. She sent me a confused look, but nodded.
"The Gardens Group's original purpose was to be a singing group. We became a mafia gang of sorts after the original Rose fought with her Hatter." Ah, that make sense. Actually… it doesn't make any sense. She fought with the Hatter, so they became a mafia gang? What was the fight about? Something terrible, probably. "You're asking yourself what the fight was about, right? Well, that Hatter fought with her about the group's singing. She got pissed and killed half his men." Oh…
"Is every 'Rose' easy to anger?"
She sat forward and grinned, "I like to think that I'm pretty patient. But… yea, usually we are." She leaned back into her chair, red eyes locked on the ceiling. "Every rose has its thorns, you know." I couldn't help but grin. I yawned, picking up my water and drinking from it. It had a slightly bitter taste to it… "Ah, that's mineral water!"
"Oh," I looked at the glass, noticing the floating minerals in it, "that explains the taste." I sat the glass down. I didn't really want to drink anymore of it. Staring across the table, I yawned once again.
"Tired?" she asked.
I nodded, "Yea. Coming to Wonderland has been pretty eventful and all." She smiled gently, pushing one thick lock of hair behind her ear. Her hair reminds me of vines… I shook my head to clear the thought.
"I can have Poinsettia show you to your room." She whistled, and a young Faceless girl came up.
"Mistress?" Rose ruffled the girl's bright red hair, and she giggled.
"Hey, Poinsy, will you show Marina to the guest room?" The young girl nodded her head, and her hair shook. It reminded me of a flower in the wind.
I felt stupid. I couldn't just live here without working. "Rose, tomorrow will you give me some sort of work?" She looked up from playing with Poinsettia, eyes wide.
"You want to work?" I nodded. "I suppose you can be my ear to the ground. Listen for the juiciest gossip in Heart Country!" I blinked; that sounded surprisingly easy. Too easy… She must've seen my confused face, because she said, "I don't leave The House very often, so it's nice to know what goes on outside." Oh, killing two birds with one stone. Let me explore and beat my game while she collects information. That was actually pretty smart.
"Okay, I can do that." The young girl walked up and grabbed my hand. "Goodnight, Rose!"
"Night, Marina."
"You're room is located next to the Mistress' and the Master's." I followed her as she led me up a set of stairs. But, The House seems so small on the outside! Where did all of these rooms come from? I'd have to ask Rose when I woke up. As we walked down the long hallway of doors, I noticed that each door had a flower engraved into it. Ah, like the chairs? Was that how they labeled their things, with whatever flower they were? Probably, now that I think about it. ...that's pretty cool, actually.
We came to a blank door, and Poinsettia opened it. I stared in awe at the room. Seriously, where did all this room come from? This room was gigantic! There was a king bed with white covers, a large rosewood vanity, and a gigantic mirror. The walls had a mixed flower-pattern, and a large window sat across from the mirror. "Mistress gives everyone large rooms, so they're comfortable." Ah, that explains it. Seriously, how could anyone dislike Rose? She was a sweetheart! Giving all of her underlings these freaking gigantic rooms…
"Well, I have to ask. Is there a bathroom nearby?" She pointed at the door on the other side of the hallway. I nodded. "Do you think Rose would loan me some money for clothes?" She nodded once. "And does anyone have an extra pair of pajamas?"
"No one is quite your size… Well, except for Lily. I'll go grab one of her nightgowns." She scurried off, leaving me standing in front of the doorway. I turned around to stare at the room again, yawning. I needed to change and get to bed, soon. Poinsettia returned with a pale pink nightgown and wished me goodnight. I headed across the hallway and into the bathroom. I stared in awe at the bright pink walls and white marble top counters. Rose must be loaded, with these gigantic rooms and fancy bathroom(s?).
Not wanting to dally (as my yawns had grown more frequent) I quickly wiped off my face of any makeup residue. Then I grabbed a conveniently placed container of toothpaste, squirted some on my finger, and "brushed" my teeth. I stripped next, taking a black band from my wrist and tying my hair back before I slipped the nightgown on. It was a decent fit, other than the fact that it was a little loose around my bust. I frowned pitifully; even here, I was flat chested. Couldn't I have big boobs in one of my dreams? I mean, Rose's are pretty big… I shook my head, crossing my arms and staring at my pale face in the mirror. Better not fret about nothing.
I walked back to the room, shutting the door behind me before pulling back the covers. I threw my clothes onto the ground before I crawled underneath them, pulled them back up, and promptly fell asleep.
At least, I thought I fell asleep. The next moment, I stood in the middle of gray fog. A man with gray hair and an eyepatch stood in front of me, smiling cheerfully. "It's wonderful to finally meet you, Marina!" I blinked once, then stared at him in confusion. He didn't look nearly as intimidating as Rose made him out to be. Maybe she was scared of him? I'd have to ask her later… "Rose isn't scared of me. She just exaggerates things." How-!? What!? How can he…
"Can you read minds!?" I asked excitedly. That's incredible! A mind reading guy! Now, what's his Role?
"Yes, I can read minds. I play the Role of the Caterpillar." Ah~ The caterpillar? Does that mean he smokes as well? As if on cue, a pipe appeared in his hand. He puffed from it, staring at me cockily. "Yes, I do smoke. How do you know so much?"
"Well, I really liked the Alice in Wonderland books and movies…" I glanced off to the side, staring at nothing.
His eyes widened, "Alice in Wonderland?"
"It's a series, back where I'm from." He crossed his legs, floating on nothing and staring at me. Oh, that's right! I meant to ask about Alice and why everyone forgot her! He scoffed.
"Everyone forgets the previous player when a new game starts." He tilted his head, "Was Alice the last player?" I nodded. "Then, how do you know of her?"
"Because it's called Alice in Wonderland, not Marina in Wonderland, stupid!" I walked up and flicked his forehead (he wasn't that far above me).
...he felt easy to get along with. Maybe he'll be my second friend here? He grinned, "I'd like to be your friend, Marina." Ah~ I forgot he could read minds. It's hard to think when I know someone can hear. "You could always put up a wall."
"How?"
He stared at me, "I… honestly don't know." His face twisted, and he muttered, "Gray does it all the time, that butt…"
"I just won't think of anything weird while I'm here." I nodded, assuring myself. "That way we can just talk." He smiled, raising his hand and covering his mouth. Then he coughed. I fell backwards when blood dripped through his fingers. "OH MY GOODNESS!" I placed my hands over his, not caring about the blood that covered mine. I then pulled his hand away to stare at is face. Blood dribbled down his chin. "Are you okay!?"
"I'm ill."
"If you're coughing up blood, you need to see a doctor!"
"I don't like hospitals."
"Nightmare, you need to at least see a doctor! You don't have to go to a hospital!" He blinked, as if he never thought of it like that. "You can have a doctor visit you or something!" I rubbed one of my hands on my nightgown, then placed it against his forehead. "You're burning up!" His cheeks suddenly got a pink tinge to them, and he disappeared from my view. "Go to a doctor!"
His voice rang throughout the dream. "No!" My eyes snapped open, seeing sunlight pour into my room. I blearily remembered that I'm supposed to have Elliot show me around. Maybe he could show me some good shops? But I have to tell Rose about what I did during the Time Changes… Maybe I could tell her later?
I got up and pulled on my clothes from yesterday. Then I begrudgingly walked to the bathroom. I needed some makeup… Some eyeliner and mascara, that'll be just enough! I shook my head and washed my face, then brushed my teeth. I looked at myself in the mirror, deemed myself acceptable, and walked out of the bright pink bathroom. I walked down the wood paneled hallway, staring up at each door and trying to name the flower. I wasn't good at it, since I didn't know flowers very well. Just the typical rose and daisies.
After walking down the stairs, I walked into the dining room. Rose sat in her chair, Bud on the other side of the table. Every chair was filled, and girls talked between themselves. I only stared in awe. Rose stood up, "Attention!" Every girl stopped what they were doing and stood up straight.
"How can we help you, Mistress?" they asked in unison. My eyes widened; they were so incredible.
"We have a guest, and she's only met a few of you! I demand a roll call! Alphabetical order!"
On of the tallest of the group opened her mouth, "Anemone!" I noted her short purple hair. It wasn't light like Lilac's; it was a rich purple that reminded me of velvet.
A smaller girl with long white hair spoke next, "Calla!"
Next was a girl with shoulder length, deep red hair. "Carnation!"
"Chamomile!" I noted that she sat right next to Rose.
"Daffodil!" Bright yellow, curled out hair.
"Gerbera!" Short pink hair.
"Ginger!" Red pigtails.
"Hydrangea!" Light purple hair pulled into a bun.
"Iris!" Long dark purple hair.
"Lilac!" She sat on the other side of Rose.
"Lily!" Long pink and white hair.
"Orchid!" Pixie styled hair with one long ponytail.
"Peony!" Layered, short pink hair.
"Poinsettia!" She sat next to Bud. I couldn't help but notice that she smiled at him fondly.
"Sunflower!" The tallest of the group with short, yellow hair.
"Tulip!" Another tall girl with shoulder length pink hair.
I stared at the sixteen girls, looking at each of them in awe. "You're all beautiful," escaped me before I could stop it. It was true, each one had a certain elegance to them. They giggled to one another before Rose snapped. They stood straight up, faces forward and mouths set in firm lines.
"Now, you may sit." Each girl sat in time, except for Poinsettia. "Poinsy, sit."
"Mistress, where will our guest sit?" Rose blinked, then grinned.
"There's enough room at both ends of the table for another chair. Looks like I'll have to go out and buy a new chair for Marina." The girls started chattering all at once, and I heard a few 'I'll get it for you, Mistress!' She held up her hand, and the ladies silenced. Next, she scooted over and patted the extra room on her seat. "Sit with me for now, Marina." I shyly sat next to her. Then, suddenly, I remembered.
"Has anyone seen Truth?"
Everyone turned to me. Rose stared at me with wide eyes. "The cat?" I nodded. "He probably found Boris…" she groaned.
"Boris?"
She sighed, "The Cheshire Cat. He lives at the Amusement Park with Gowland." I nodded. Okay, so Truth might've made a friend… Or died. Hopefully it's not the latter. She perked right back up when the girls all stood up. "Are you all ready for breakfast?" They nodded. "Today we have omelettes with parsley and cheese. We also have some delicious vegetarian toppings. You each know your plate and cup, now go eat." The girls chattered once again, filling into the kitchen in an orderly line. It seemed to go by age, because as you looked closer to the back, the smaller the girls got.
"Is it always like this for breakfast?" I asked, amused.
She grinned, "Every Morning Time Change." She leaned back into her chair, staring at me and twitching her nose. "Would you like to accompany me shopping today?" My smile fell. "Ah~ What happened? Someone snag you?"
I nodded, "Elliot March is taking me around to see the sights." Her eyes got wide, and she smiled again. "What?"
"Little Elliot is taking you shopping!? That's great, we can all go!"
I raised a curious brow. "Don't you usually stay in The House?"
She frowned, "I wanna go shopping with you…" I pat her back and nodded, signalling she could come. With the way she reacted to me saying Elliot was taking me out, it seems that she likes him. Maybe they're friends? But they work for different mafias… The line had decreased, and she stood up. I followed suit. "We're also going to have to buy you a set of dishes and silverware."
"Speaking of buying stuff, could I ask for a loan to buy some clothes and makeup?" She looked over at me as we walked into the kitchen. I noticed that it had white everything: countertops, floors, appliances, and light fixtures. Color neutral, so no flower would be offended? Hm, maybe.
"Oh yeah, you probably need some clothes and stuff! Yea, Poinsy said you borrowed Lily's nightgown. How's it fit? Lily has big boobs, so it was probably loose around the chest, right?" I flushed; ah~ she hit the nail on the head.
"I'm very flat chested."
"Do ya drink milk?" I shook my head. "There's your problem. You need some milk in your system." I rolled my eyes. Wasn't that just some wives tale? She smiled as she reached into a cabinet and pulled out a rose decorated plate and a rose shaped tea cup. She then handed a similar looking plate to Bud, who had quietly followed us in. I flushed; had he heard all that talk about my flat chest?
I wasn't feeling all that hungry, so I watched as Rose piled an omelette onto her plate. We walked back out and sat back down, and everyone hurriedly dug in. The group made small talk, and I watched as Poinsettia tried to get Bud to talk. So, he was a shy little fellow, eh?
She bumped my elbows with hers as she ate, and after a few minutes her plate was clean. She stood up, and all the girls stared at her, awaiting her command. She smiled, "You've all behaved well this Morning. It was wonderful to have breakfast with you. You may reward yourself with an hour off of practice tonight. But now, my guest and I must go visit Mister March." The girls all groaned in dissatisfaction. "Now, now, I'll be back soon." They smiled again. She turned to Chamomile. "Cammie, you're in charge. Make sure everyone does their chores." The white-haired girl nodded, standing up and clapping her hands.
"Okay everyone, once you're finished with your plates, take them to the kitchen and rinse them off! Then we'll go over the chore list."
Rose tapped Lilac's shoulder. "Will you please get my coat and umbrella ready? I'm going to go see if I have anything for our guest to wear." She nodded, standing up and walking towards the living room.
She turned to me and smiled, "Let's see if we can get you into something clean, yes?"