Welcome to Madness - [O//A]

[Azure Caterpillar]

The Professor thought for a moment; she was quite sure she could trust them. Alice seemed rather wary for some reason, and Caterpillar just seemed to be in a mood; these two were probably trust worthy. Also it might be useful for her to find out more about the place too; though the main matter was that of the time... yes, most definitley.

"That might be a good idea, maybe we will find both easier if we are looking for them at the same time... depending what the time actually is at the moment," She looked into nothing for a moment, most likely contemplating something. "But anyway, I would be happy to travel with you and your pet!"

Caterpillar (who had been pondering how not just a city, but people too could just appear out of nothing) glared at the Professor; he wasn't keen on being called a pet.

"Excuse me, but I am not a pet! I'm merely traveling with Alice to get answers." He declared and turned around; this was getting quite ridiculous now, he hoped not everyone they met would act like this.

"I suggest we try another street; as you have obviously not found anything down that way." He said to the Professor in an annoyed tone.

"Oh... um, sorry about thinking you were her pet," She replyed honestly. "Okay then."  

[The Night Faery]

Alice bit her lip and cast a sidelong glance at the caterpillar. "You know," she said slowly, "I was prepared to be quite offended-- I rather thought she meant I was your pet."

She leaned back to look around him at the street down which they had come, and nearly toppled backward; she wasn't used to being six feet tall. She stuck out her hands and put her foot back, and when she regained her balance she smoothed out her dress, looking slightly embarrassed. To the professor, she said, "Well, since you seem to be interested, you're welcome to travel with us." Another look to Caterpillar. "Right, sir?"  

[Azure Caterpillar]

"Humans arn't kept as pets; for it is only they who think it is right to keep another creature as a pet." Caterpillar replyed sternly; before heading back from they way they came. A caterpillar keeping a human as a pet? Ridiculous. "As long as she doesn't get in the way, she can come along." He answered the other question just before reaching the first street.

"I promise I won't, sir!" The Professor said, guessing this was the correct way to address him as Alice had done so. "And thank you very much, Miss Alice, for letting me come along." She added, giving a quick bow before following Caterpillar.

"What happened before you met the Professor?" Caterpillar turned to face Alice again. "And why did you run off? You never did answer my questions before."  

[The Night Faery]

Alice swallowed hard, unsure of how to go about detailing her experience with the voice saying Wake up, Alice.

"Well," she said, frowning a little, "You answer so very few of my questions, sir, it seems only fair that I make you wait to hear the answers to yours." With this she cast a glance at the Professor and managed a smile; the woman had called her "Miss," and even though she was very different, she seemed nice enough, and Alice realized a second time how silly her initial terror had been.

A look at the sour-faced caterpillar brought the main matter back to her attention, and she chewed on her lip nervously as they walked. "It was like sort of a... day-dream," she said, trying to find the right words. "Only much more real than that. I heard a man's voice telling me to wake up, and then I saw a very bright light, and someone leaning over me, only I couldn't see who it was. Then, as sudden as that, I was right back there." She waved a hand behind her to indicate the place in the street where the three of them had convened. "That was all, and I haven't the faintest idea of what it meant."  

[Azure Caterpillar]

"If I do not answer a question; it can only be for a good reason." Caterpillar said frowning; he wasn't keen on people not answering his own questions. But he disregarded Alice's statement when she explained what had happened. This was most concerning indeed; it could mean so many things. To fully understand anything about it he'd have to get more information.

However, all he said about it was; "What it means will become clear eventually."

"That wasn't very helpful advice," The Professor commented while looking around at the next street which was new to her. "Maybe you were hallucinating?" She looked at Alice with interest. "Have you eaten anything odd recently? Or perhaps... whoever was talking was trying to hypnotize you..." The Professor began thinking up all manner of odd things that could of had that effect; but eventually just started whispering something to her pocket watch.  

[The Night Faery]

Alice put her knuckles to her lips to quiet a laugh that was bubbling up; any animosity she had held toward the Professor was gone now. She had only just met the caterpillar herself, but she had already gotten the impression that he didn't take kindly to jokes at his expense-- and here already was someone prepared to make these comments.

Once she made sure she was under control, she said, "I haven't eaten anything odd that I can remember, except for a mushroom that made me rather small and then, well, this tall." She reached down into her apron pocket and withdrew the mushroom, holding it out to the Professor for a moment before dropping it back in its place. "Why ever would someone want to hypnotize me?"  

[Azure Caterpillar]

"I have no idea!" The Professor declared while grinning; though then she thought for a moment. "A mushroom that makes you small or tall? Sounds a little odd to me; but then I don't often research organic things. I'm more of a mechanical person." She could say that again.

As they walked she was swinging the watch too and fro; and observing the surroundings with mild curiousity. "All these streets look the same to me."

Caterpillar hadn't bothered commenting on her remark about his advice; though one could tell he was annoyed. But the mushroom being odd? What was she thinking? "I assure you there is nothing wrong with the mushroom," He said, and added; "and the streets arn't all the same, if they were all the same they would all lead to the same place... which, they don't."

He continued onward; leaving her a little baffled by his logic. Caterpillar although seeming to know where he was going; wasn't quite sure himself which way they should go. He had hoped he would of got more answers quickly; but now it seemed it could be a while before they got any information.  

[The Night Faery]

((Here, Jacy, I'll give you a place to jump in. ^-^ ))

"But how do you know they don't lead to the same place?" Alice pursued, feeling a little daring now that she had overcome her fear of the mechanically-accessorized woman. "We haven't been to all of the places, so we don't know whether they're the same."

With this she shrugged, and continued to walk beside the caterpillar, her hands clasped behind her back and her mood much lighter than before.

------

The Queen was absolutely, utterly, life-threateningly furious. She had only gone away for a second, and when she had returned to the telescope the girl had escaped! She had known this would happen, but she had wanted to see how the child would get out so she could improve the entrapment.

"MESSENGER!" she screamed at the top of her lungs. She meant Bai, but she absolutely hated calling her inferiors by their names; it was far too... personal. If the girl didn't show up within the next six seconds, she was going to have her head. "MESSENGER!"  

[Azure Caterpillar]

"Most of these streets seem to go off in different directions; therefore one assumes they don't lead to the same place," Caterpillar replyed in a matter-of-fact kind of way. "If they did all lead to the same place... then..."

"Then that's the place we're going!" The Professor smiled. "Correct, Mr. Caterpillar, sir?" She said, wondering if all caterpillars were as strict as him.

Caterpillar sighed; why did he end up traveling with these two anyway? As they continued onward he thought he could sense someone watching them; but there seemed to be no one around at all. Maybe it was just the city's effect; he wasn't exactly keen on this place. "I don't know where we're going; we'll find out once we get there."  

[The Night Faery]

"That's quite all right with me," Alice said, shrugging again. She didn't much like this place either, but even if their purpose was as of yet undefined, at least their journey had become lighter in spirit. "You know, I heard once that you never really know where you're going until you get there, even if you think you know-- because who knows what could happen along the way?" She spoke with a singsong voice and maintained a casual air, although occasionally she glanced around and behind them. "I suppose you're right, we ought to just wait and see. Of course you're right, you always seem to be...."  

[Azure Caterpillar]

"If he's always right then... wait, how can someone always be right? I wonder if there's a question we could ask him that he wouldn't know the answer to?" The Professor asked; giving Alice a quick grin.

"Surely there must be something..."

Caterpillar frowned; what were they going on about now? But really all he could think about at the moment was how he was missing smoking his hookah.

"I am not interested in your questions." He said, then looked at Alice. "I always seem to be correct, because I usually am correct. That's all."

Caterpillar thought for a moment; these streets didn't seem to be getting them anywhere, perhaps they should try one of the buildings? "We could knock on one of these doors; maybe someone will answer."  

[The Night Faery]

Alice returned the Professor's smile, but frowned at the Caterpillar's proposition. "I'm not entirely sure if that's a good idea," she said, chewing on her lip again. She tried to look inside the grimy window of the nearest building, but its interior was dark. She pressed the sides of her hands to the glass, cupping them around her eyes. "I don't see anyone," she said, straightening up and wiping off her hands. "It's strange how empty this place seems. I wonder why it had to be made so large...."  

[Azure Caterpillar]

"Then if we are continuing onward; I suggest we do something to take our minds off this gloomy place." Caterpillar answered; noticing the street now forked in two different directions. Looking down both streets he guessed there probably wouldn't be much difference whichever one they took.

"I didn't meet anyone else except you two now that I think about it," The Professor said while looking at a sign post, which wasn't very helpful as it didn't actually say anything on it. "and what could we do to make this less boring then?"

"How about... poetry?" He looked at Alice. "You could recite, perhaps?"  

[The Night Faery]

((By the by, since you guys [meaning Azu/anyone who jumps in] are Alice's personalities too, feel free to disappear into real life for a post every now and then...))

"Poetry?" Alice frowned. "What makes you think I know any poetry?"

Still, she thought back as far as she could, which was not very far at all, and somehow she managed to dredge up the beginnings of a poem. She murmured the words she could remember, too shy and embarrassed to speak louder until she remembered the whole thing. "How doth the little crocodile," she said softly. The frown deepened, but she raised her voice so the caterpillar and professor could hear.

"How doth the little crocodile improve his shining tail,
And pour the waters of the Nile on every golden scale!
How cheerfully he seems to grin, how neatly spreads his claws
And welcomes little fishes in with gently smiling jaws!"

She smiled, but suddenly the frown returned; this time it was one of puzzlement, and she wondered aloud, "Was that how it went?"  

[Azure Caterpillar]

((Ah okay, I was thinking about doing something like that soon anyways. ^_^ ))

"That was not said right," Caterpillar said sternly; in a almost scoulding tone. "You knew that poem before? What made you recite it incorrectly?" Maybe when the world changed; so did Alice? Or perhaps she just didn't know how to play by the rules yet... however, if the world has changed, that means maybe the rules have? Caterpillar found this thought rather disturbing; he had to get more information soon... something was clouding his senses about this place, but he couldn't tell what.

"You don't have to tell her off you know, besides I kinda like the way she said it." The Professor commented. "Who put Caterpillar in charge anyway?" She said to herself jokingly; thinking he was a little too strict most of the time, maybe he should recite to them? But she then just had visions of him reciting a poem with one hundred stanzas or something.