Status: Should be finished anyday now. -_-'
Just Business
The Cautious Caterpillar
It was a long walk to the 'Hostipal Of Dreams', so you entertained yourself with Catepillar's calling card. If you tilted it certain ways, the color of the catepillar would change. The odd thing was, the colors never seemed to repeat. Tilting the card up, the catepillar would turn teal, but if you tilted it to the right causing it to turn yellow momentarily, then tilted it up again, the catepillar would be purple instead of teal and tilting it to the right again resulted in pink instead of yellow. Needless to say the card was about the only thing wonderful you had encountered in Wonderland....well aside from....
"We're here." Hatter announced causing your gaze to instantly dart from his face to the building. Surrounded in stone was giantic (interior) clockwork made of rusting gold. Beneath it, a set of glass doors were barely visible. "I havent been here since Dodo took me when I was a lad...and even then I was too mortified to enjoy it." Hatter continued starting towards the entrance.
"What do you mean 'mortified'?" you asked. "What is this place exactly?" Your eyes studying the clock hestiantly. The closer you got, the more you felt like you would be smushed by at it as it loomed overhead.
"It is a hositpal of sorts." Hatter said, holding the door open for you. "Though I think in your world, it might be called 'quarantine' instead." he added shaking a finger thoughtfully as he followed you in. The inside of the hositpal was a shocker - absolutely gorgeous. Polished wood floors, walls of gold and red, not what you were expectng after seeing that dull, strangely foreboding exterior. But this room was empty, except for the desk smack in the middle where a receptionist was filing her nails. How cliched. Snagging Catepillar's calling card from you, Hatter walked right up to her and slid the card in front of her. "Hello." he greeted with an easy smile.
The receptionist barely glanced at him, touching her headset with snobby indifference. "David's here." she said in a chalky accent.
Your eyes flew from her bored face to Hatter's frozen one. "David?" you repeated. He slowly closed his eyes causing you to giggle. "David...you dont really..look like a David...a Davey maybe." you mused fighting a smile. Hatter was about to speak when the receptionist beat him to it.
"Go on in." she urged, in her uncaring way.
"Gladly." Hatter mumbled arching around the desk. His shoulders were tensed-up, hands pratically balled into fists. He pushed through the wooden doors and paused. As you appeared at his side, you realized why. Concealed behind glass was a person falling through the air, or so it would seem. She was floating but the scenery behind her was a never-ending loop of clouds. She was giddy, looking around madly without seeing - she didnt notie you or Hatter, she didnt even seem aware that she was in a glass box. "..She's new.." Hatter muttered.
"Why is she.....?" you asked blankly.
Hatter licked his lips as he faced you. "~~~~~~~....this place is...for addicts you might say." he began. You blinked. "Some emotions react badly with people. It can transform them, literally, but mostly the emotionconsumes their mind.They became hooked on and in time, that feeling becomes permantent. In this case, she cant get over the rush of flying." he gestured at her meekly. "So she's holed up here until some kind of cure can be made...if such a thing even exists." he finished with a shrug.
"I doubt it does." said a whimsical though withered voice. Down the hall stood an old gentlemen. He wore glasses and an apron of all things, partly hidden by a black jacket complete with tan slacks.
"Caterpillar." Hatter greeted, bowing his head.
As he approached, you couldnt help whispering in Hatter's ear. "Why is he called Caterpillar?"
The look on Hatter's face had a hint of anger, but Caterpillar merely laughed. "It is not something easily explained." he smiled.
"Thank you for seeing us. Dodo has told you our mission I take it?" Hatter responded.
"Yes."
"So you can help us?"
"Yes. Though it's more important I warn you." Caterpillar said.
"Warn us?" Hatter repeated.
"The Stone of Wonderland cannot fall into Arthur's grasp. He would spread war, dominating both worlds and others yet to be discovered." Caterpillar warned.
"Oh we had no intention of handing it over to that old sod, he can keep March." Hatter responded.
"No."
"No?"
"March is the rightful ruler of Wonderland."
"He was bred in a lab!"
"He understands all emotion." Caterpillar said simply.
"But..." Hatter trailed off, holding his hands up in surrender. "I wont argue....Can you help us?"
Caterpillar plucked something out of his apron and placed it into your palm. It looked like a cross of a jellybean and a gummiworm. You glanced up at Caterpillar to see he was giving Hatter one too. "Eating these will take you inside the Hearts Casino." he announced.
"Thanks.....dont suppose you have any way to convince the Prince to give the ring to us?" Hatter asked.
"That is why she's here, is it not?" Caterpillar asked, his grey-blue eyes traveling from him to you.
"Well yeah but...." Hatter murmured.
"You no longer think seduction is key?" Caterpillar pressed.
Jaw dropping, you lightly smacked Hatter. "You brought me here to seduce him?!" you asked.
"No! No, I just..." Hatter began.
"God! I thought Dodo was joking!" you continued.
"Dodo rarely jokes." Caterpillar put in as Hatter just gapped at you uselessly.
"...You suck Davey." you decided, brushing past Caterpillar as you moved down the hall.
**
Hatter groaned softly as he watched you walk away from him.
"You must stay with her." Caterpillar said, earning his attention. "Without you, she is lost."
"...You always like this?" Hatter wondered.
"Like what?"
"Cryptic. Cliched."
A soft chuckle escaped Caterpillar's throat as he gazed at the flying addict. "No offense taken." he responded.
Hatter glanced in your direction, taking a few steps forward. When he turned to ask Caterpillar a question, Hatter was stunned to find he had vanished. "Oh that is the most cliched of all Caterpillar!" Hatter said looking at the ceiling for some reason. Supressing a sigh, he caught up to you. He found you staring at an enoromous man behind the glass, who was struggling to study his own reflection in a normal sized mirror. You had automatically glanced at Hatter as he approached. "Big ego." he explained with a nod at the giant. You bit back a smile. "So. Ready to go into the belly of the beast?" Hatter asked, holding up his gummibean of a pill.
"When we get the ring..." you began.
"We give it to Dodo." Hatter interrupted.
"But what about March?"
"March is with Arthur and Arthur's a threat remember?"
"But he's one man, couldnt we knock him out and rescue March?" you responded.
Hatter stared at you. "He has a Cheshire Cat..." he replied.
"So?"
"So?! Have you no idea what those cats are capable of?"
"Hatter..."
"No! Forget it. We give the ring to Dodo, he'll sort everything out..he always does."
"Fine! Daviiiddd." you replied.
"Give that a rest too would ya? I havent been David since I was 5." Hatter said readying his pill. "Count of three? One, two..." He swallowed his pill the same time you swallowed yours.
"We're here." Hatter announced causing your gaze to instantly dart from his face to the building. Surrounded in stone was giantic (interior) clockwork made of rusting gold. Beneath it, a set of glass doors were barely visible. "I havent been here since Dodo took me when I was a lad...and even then I was too mortified to enjoy it." Hatter continued starting towards the entrance.
"What do you mean 'mortified'?" you asked. "What is this place exactly?" Your eyes studying the clock hestiantly. The closer you got, the more you felt like you would be smushed by at it as it loomed overhead.
"It is a hositpal of sorts." Hatter said, holding the door open for you. "Though I think in your world, it might be called 'quarantine' instead." he added shaking a finger thoughtfully as he followed you in. The inside of the hositpal was a shocker - absolutely gorgeous. Polished wood floors, walls of gold and red, not what you were expectng after seeing that dull, strangely foreboding exterior. But this room was empty, except for the desk smack in the middle where a receptionist was filing her nails. How cliched. Snagging Catepillar's calling card from you, Hatter walked right up to her and slid the card in front of her. "Hello." he greeted with an easy smile.
The receptionist barely glanced at him, touching her headset with snobby indifference. "David's here." she said in a chalky accent.
Your eyes flew from her bored face to Hatter's frozen one. "David?" you repeated. He slowly closed his eyes causing you to giggle. "David...you dont really..look like a David...a Davey maybe." you mused fighting a smile. Hatter was about to speak when the receptionist beat him to it.
"Go on in." she urged, in her uncaring way.
"Gladly." Hatter mumbled arching around the desk. His shoulders were tensed-up, hands pratically balled into fists. He pushed through the wooden doors and paused. As you appeared at his side, you realized why. Concealed behind glass was a person falling through the air, or so it would seem. She was floating but the scenery behind her was a never-ending loop of clouds. She was giddy, looking around madly without seeing - she didnt notie you or Hatter, she didnt even seem aware that she was in a glass box. "..She's new.." Hatter muttered.
"Why is she.....?" you asked blankly.
Hatter licked his lips as he faced you. "~~~~~~~....this place is...for addicts you might say." he began. You blinked. "Some emotions react badly with people. It can transform them, literally, but mostly the emotionconsumes their mind.They became hooked on and in time, that feeling becomes permantent. In this case, she cant get over the rush of flying." he gestured at her meekly. "So she's holed up here until some kind of cure can be made...if such a thing even exists." he finished with a shrug.
"I doubt it does." said a whimsical though withered voice. Down the hall stood an old gentlemen. He wore glasses and an apron of all things, partly hidden by a black jacket complete with tan slacks.
"Caterpillar." Hatter greeted, bowing his head.
As he approached, you couldnt help whispering in Hatter's ear. "Why is he called Caterpillar?"
The look on Hatter's face had a hint of anger, but Caterpillar merely laughed. "It is not something easily explained." he smiled.
"Thank you for seeing us. Dodo has told you our mission I take it?" Hatter responded.
"Yes."
"So you can help us?"
"Yes. Though it's more important I warn you." Caterpillar said.
"Warn us?" Hatter repeated.
"The Stone of Wonderland cannot fall into Arthur's grasp. He would spread war, dominating both worlds and others yet to be discovered." Caterpillar warned.
"Oh we had no intention of handing it over to that old sod, he can keep March." Hatter responded.
"No."
"No?"
"March is the rightful ruler of Wonderland."
"He was bred in a lab!"
"He understands all emotion." Caterpillar said simply.
"But..." Hatter trailed off, holding his hands up in surrender. "I wont argue....Can you help us?"
Caterpillar plucked something out of his apron and placed it into your palm. It looked like a cross of a jellybean and a gummiworm. You glanced up at Caterpillar to see he was giving Hatter one too. "Eating these will take you inside the Hearts Casino." he announced.
"Thanks.....dont suppose you have any way to convince the Prince to give the ring to us?" Hatter asked.
"That is why she's here, is it not?" Caterpillar asked, his grey-blue eyes traveling from him to you.
"Well yeah but...." Hatter murmured.
"You no longer think seduction is key?" Caterpillar pressed.
Jaw dropping, you lightly smacked Hatter. "You brought me here to seduce him?!" you asked.
"No! No, I just..." Hatter began.
"God! I thought Dodo was joking!" you continued.
"Dodo rarely jokes." Caterpillar put in as Hatter just gapped at you uselessly.
"...You suck Davey." you decided, brushing past Caterpillar as you moved down the hall.
**
Hatter groaned softly as he watched you walk away from him.
"You must stay with her." Caterpillar said, earning his attention. "Without you, she is lost."
"...You always like this?" Hatter wondered.
"Like what?"
"Cryptic. Cliched."
A soft chuckle escaped Caterpillar's throat as he gazed at the flying addict. "No offense taken." he responded.
Hatter glanced in your direction, taking a few steps forward. When he turned to ask Caterpillar a question, Hatter was stunned to find he had vanished. "Oh that is the most cliched of all Caterpillar!" Hatter said looking at the ceiling for some reason. Supressing a sigh, he caught up to you. He found you staring at an enoromous man behind the glass, who was struggling to study his own reflection in a normal sized mirror. You had automatically glanced at Hatter as he approached. "Big ego." he explained with a nod at the giant. You bit back a smile. "So. Ready to go into the belly of the beast?" Hatter asked, holding up his gummibean of a pill.
"When we get the ring..." you began.
"We give it to Dodo." Hatter interrupted.
"But what about March?"
"March is with Arthur and Arthur's a threat remember?"
"But he's one man, couldnt we knock him out and rescue March?" you responded.
Hatter stared at you. "He has a Cheshire Cat..." he replied.
"So?"
"So?! Have you no idea what those cats are capable of?"
"Hatter..."
"No! Forget it. We give the ring to Dodo, he'll sort everything out..he always does."
"Fine! Daviiiddd." you replied.
"Give that a rest too would ya? I havent been David since I was 5." Hatter said readying his pill. "Count of three? One, two..." He swallowed his pill the same time you swallowed yours.