WHITE'S POV
"Is this where that darling scientist lives?" I muse, looking over the large Studio smack dab in the forest. Black slightly groaned
'No. We need the Paint Brush from Painter before going to the Laboratory.' Cyan writes
"But I do recall that we needed the cure for my counterpart." I smile, hiding my worry. The wounds aren't healing. They are festering and spreading through his body. He can still speak, unfortunately, but not without severe pain. In Wonderland, I would go ahead and kill him just so he can pop back up with no injuries.
But the Looking Glass consists of different rules. If Black dies here ... then I, the other half, will soon follow to his fate. My smile tightens as I look over our guide. I don't trust him completely. There's a good chance that he is trying to kill us both here, rendering the role of 'Joker' to be taken care of by another or, simply not at all. In Wonderland's game, we cannot be killed. But here, in the Looking Glass ... there is a chance the role in its entirety can be decimated. Already I can feel my own body beginning to slow down and begin to succumb to Black's weakened state.
"Hands in the air!" A feminine voice sternly orders. My head snaps up, spying a rather petite girl leap down in front of us with an arrow aimed at my head. Oh ho~ where did that sneaky little turtle run off to while I was otherwise distracted?
"F*** off." Black weakly spits between his teeth, unable to turn around and glare at the young girl.
"Quiet, counterpart. Now, my lady, who are you?" I politely smile, looking over the obstruction in our way. She may just be the Role Holder we are searching for so I don't want to kill her and take her paintbrush until I am sure it is her.
" ... Painter." She answers after a few moments, never lowering her bow fixated to my skull.
"Excellent! Now, be a lamb and keel over and die-," I begin before a knife sticks out of a nearby tree. My eye dangerously slides over to the tree line, finally locating the spot our little guide had run off to without me noticing. He's a shifty little Role Holder that even I, Joker, has a difficult time tracking. Cyan leaps out of the trees with the large bag of ingredients, trotting over to Painter's side. She grit her teeth and tried to leap back but her feet were pinned to the ground with knives stuck in the soles of her shoes.
"M-Mock Turtle? What are you doing here?" She asks, taken off guard by his presence. I am not surprised that they know each other. Mock Turtle has the role of entering the Looking Glass every now and then. It's simply a rule and does not entail what he must do there. His presence just must be known to the inhabitants of the Looking Glass. Mock Turtle gently sets the back down, creating some signs with his hands towards the girl. So cute, they've created a sign language with each other?
"Oh, so they are here for ingrediants and you're leading them. I'm sorry, I thought they were as bad as Dollmaker." She apologizes before rising her bow back to us, "though they are still tresspassers in my territory."
"What are you going to do about it, skank?" Black huffs, earning him her arrow's point to Black's end. Ah~ that would be quite painful if she decided to loose that. Mock Turtle steps into the path of the arrow, pulling out a notepad for her to read the words.
'Cyan.'
"Cyan? Is that a name?" She asks, shocked. The tips of Mock Turtle's ears flush as he nods. So cute, it seems he is interesting in the young Role Holder. Not that it is any concern of mine as long as his affections do not get in the way of my wife waiting at home for our return. Painter softly smiles as Mock Turtle pulls on some invisible strings, yanking the blades around her feet out of the ground. "W-Well, then ... it is nice to formally meet you, Cyan."
Mock Turtle's tail twitches back and forth rather quickly as he bows, offering his arm out to properly escort the little lady back to the Studio as his other held the back of ingredients.
"Aw, you're a sweetie, aren't you?" Painter gushes and links arms with Mock Turtle before giving me the stink eye. "Makes me wonder why you're with them."
Mock Turtle simply shrugs and allows her to guide us to the front door. My shoulder begins to grow sore as I carry Black to the entrance, eager to leave the load somewhere that I won't have to carry him. As strong as I am carrying my own weight does wear on me. Mock Turtle steps ahead of her at the door and gently pulls it open, giving her another slight bow.
"What a sweetie." Painter coos as she steps in.
"Feh. More like coward." Black grumbles as Cyan writes something down.
'Says the brave fool who stole the offerings from a church.' He smoothly counters. As I read it Black grumbles under his breath, deciding to use my senses more of his own which are slowly decaying.
"Oh, you did?" Painter asks, sounding surprised as she turns to Joker.
"The stupid b**** hurt my foot." Black growls, hardly sounding threatening.
"So ... if something hurt his foot, he automatically steals money?" Painter says, putting two and two together. I sweetly smile, offering a different line of thought.
"Retribution, dear. There is a difference." I correct as Mock Turtle takes the girl's hand, kissing the back of it through the mask before holding up his notepad.
'Do not waste arrows on him. He was the fool and is paying the price for being one.'
"I don't need to listen to a f***ing cow." Black huffs, his breathing beginning to grow more labored. My own clock aches with the pain he's suffering, feeling it increasing in my body.
'Who is the one who cannot walk?' He smartly writes back as we step through the door. Mock Turtle shuts it behind us, clicking the lock shut without being told to.
"My dear Painter, may I, Joker, use your paintbrush?" I ask with a sweet, enticing smile. Her eyes narrow until Mock Turtle steps between us, showing her his notepad again.
'Please?' He writes. Painter stares at the notepad, looking right at him and only him.
"I would. Maybe ... but can't." She answers sincerely.
"And why not?" I push, beginning to lose my patience. Black will not hold out much longer and we need that ingredient to be back with my soon to be lover.
"An artist can't let go of her good paintbrushes so easily!" She protests, sliding her paintbrush from her pocket and holds it behind her in defiance.
'Please? Their lover, and my close friend, has taken some poison and we need a cure to make the antidote.' Cyan writes, holding it up to her as his ears droop. Painter stumbles back, clutching her chest.
"Ah ... h-how sweet-! O, curse thy rules!" She groans. Cyan's tail flickers back and forth as I walk up to her and gently pat her head.
"You can see our concern and reason for our hurry, can't you?" I sweetly smile, trying to entice her to hurry up and hand over her paintbrush.
" ... er, well ... ," Painter begins, biting her lower lip in thought. With a reluctant sigh she begins fishing around in the leather bag she always carries. She slips out another paintbrush, one which held more power in the mere sight of it. Ah~ so the other one she was holding wasn't the right one at all. She had probably pulled it out in case we tried to force our hand. Although in the position we are in, I am hardly in a place where I can truly force her. "I'm not supposed to give it away like this, so until you are done with it I will be following you."
"I promise to return this the moment we are done with it." I assure her before sliding it into the bag of ingredients. As I do so Mock Turtle writes something else on his notepad and shows it to the young girl.
'Thank you. How may I repay you?' He writes. Painter reads it before sheepishly scratching the back of her head.
"Well, um, I can't think of anything at the moment, Cyan."
'Then I am in your debt until then.' He writes before making another slight bow.
"You're just a real sweetheart, aren't you?" Painter compliments before looking over to Joker. Her eyes catch sight of Black's face, noticing the familiar scars and open flesh wounds. Her lips part in near horror at the sight.
"He's been attacked by Forgotten?" She asks, looking back to Mock Turtle, "and you haven't given him the cure?"
'We are currently on our way to the Mad Scientist's house for just that and some Yummy Acid.' Mock Turtle swiftly explains.
"Yes and I feel we are running a tad short on time." I breathe, struggling not to show my signs of weakness. I can't help it. My hands are shaking and I can feel my arms about to give way. If we do not make it to the Mad Scientist soon I fear ...
Yes, I, Joker, fear that I may not make it back to see my lovely wife's face.
‡
Awe~ so cute! I know it's a bit short but the next chapter will be longer, I assure you. I've gotten over my slump and will do my best to update as soon as this hits 10 REVIEWS ... this fantastic game of Joker will come to a close soon but what a spectacular close it shall be!