Into Wonderland

[Kitty]

Yesterday had been a long day. After finally completing a long mission, she and Tamaki had finally made it back to base. She had wanted to go to sleep immediately, but her medic of a partner had insisted on taking some time to treat all of her injuries--no matter how insignificant. Usually she was quietly appreciative of his constantly looking out for her health and wellbeing; he was an excellent ally. This time, however, it meant that she would not get to crawl under her covers until very early in the morning. Needless to say, she had plans of sleeping in.

Her eyes shot open and focused in on her clock. Some sort of ruckus in the hallways had awoken her at 6:30 AM. Cursing her sensitive ears, she let out a soft groan. She attempted to close her eyes and slip back into a state of dreaming, but for some reason, something seemed to be calling her outside. Just barely curious enough to investigate, she slowly stood up and made her way to her window. A soft smile slipped across her lips as she noticed that the winter's first snow had blanketed the ground and was still gently falling from the sky.

Back when she had lived in the desert, "snow" was a difficult concept to grasp. Just the thought of flakes of a cold ice-like substance falling from the sky seemed sickening. The first time she actually experienced snow, she did not care for it. It made her flinch when it touched the bare skin of her face and neck and made her clothing dampen with time. There was nothing to really admire about it. She failed to see the romanticized concept of snowfall that other girls around base (specifically Rina and Kat) seemed to have.

Then, she had met Jack Frost himself, able to control the snow around him as easily as she could control her sword. His poise and ability to command this white powder was rather impressive. He had taken her hand and shown her the benefits of a frozen-over world. It was nothing that should cause her pulse to quicken. His ability to show her the benefits of a white landscape coated in ice was not a beauty--it was a practicality.

With a begrudging sigh, she did have to admit (if only to herself) that it was something more than the cold of the snow that had brought a pale blush to her cheeks.

Figuring the rest of base was still asleep, she quietly opened the glass door that led out to the balcony. The cold ran through her like a knife. Reaching into her closet, she pulled out her heaviest wool coat. Her simple white nightdress would do nothing to protect her teeth from chattering. She slid the coat over her already frozen figure and slid a pair of boots on to protect her feet from the cold of the untouched layer of snow that rested beyond the door. Stepping forward, she closed the door behind her. She knew that whoever paid the heating bills at base would not appreciate it if she were to allow all of the warmth to escape through the open passageway.

The gardens below her were even more silent than usual, more intriguing. Although most of the flowers had died out with the cold, the snow was making the grounds beautiful once more. She found herself wrapping her fingers around the iced-over rail that overlooked the area, somehow hoping to get a better look. Narrowing her eyes against the light that so easily bounced off of the white snow, she could swear that there was something moving about the landscape below her.

With one swift movement, she swung herself over the railing and landed in the soft white heaps below her. Catlike ears twitching atop her head, she realized that there was a soft rustling in the bushes right near where she was standing. She took a few steps, careful to tread lightly as to not be detected. Leaning forward ever so slightly, she saw a pair of frantic crimson eyes heading in her direction. She took a step back to see a small white cat darting toward her.

Cats caught her interest; she felt a fond kinship with them. However, this cat was particularly interesting. The main reason: it was clad in a blood red suit coat and a pair of black trousers. In it's hurry, the feline ran right into her leg. Katanai took a step backward, slightly startled. Her eyes grew slightly wider as she watched the creature stand on it's hind legs and dust the flakes of snow off of itself.

"I do beg your pardon, miss but you see I am quite late."

"Late?" (Katanai knew she had a connection to cats, but never thought she'd see one bring her into an advanced conversation.)

"Yes, late." (The cat pulled out a pocket watch and let out a small frazzled exclamation before snapping it shut.) "Quite late to a rather important date!"

"Well, you do look on your way to something important." (He was dressed in his finest clothes, after all.)

"No time, no time!"

And with that, the cat was back on all fours, running swiftly past her. "How curious..." Katanai mused aloud, her gaze following the cat as it ran. Her own curiosity getting the best of her, she followed the trail of paw marks he had left in the snow behind him. Her steps quickened with time, eventually breaking out into a sprint. Eventually, she caught up to the quicker than expected feline--just in time to see the cat dart into a hole in the ground.

Carefully kneeling down next to the hole, Katanai noted that she had never seen this hole before. The snowy surface made her nightgown cold and damp. She began to shiver, but she was too intrigued by her discovery to mind the cold all that much. However, she knew that she would soon have to retire to her room to dry off, warm up, and change her clothes before her "personal doctor" would notice her and chaste her for being "risky" and "foolish" or something of the sort. With a small sigh, she leaned forward to look into the hole...

Upon leaning forward, the wind around her suddenly picked up. Between being chilled, tired, and surprised by the sudden lash of breeze, she somehow managed to lose her balance. The hole was also much deeper than she had anticipated. She felt like she was falling for quite some time before she finally felt her body hit the ground with a great "thud." For the first time in quite a while, she had not landed on her feet. This was enough to send her into a moment of unconsciousness.

...

A groan escaped her as she pulled herself to her knees. How had she been careless enough to take such a fall? She must have been delirious with post-mission exhaustion. What strange visions she had just had! To think--a small white cat in dress clothes with a pocket watch--and it could talk! She must have really been more tired than she expected. Her head was still aching from the fall. With a sigh, she went to feel if her head had a bump or had begun to bleed due to her fall...

As she stroked the top of her head, she realized something rather vital was missing--her ears. What sort of strange dream was this? Carefully moving her hand, she felt a velvet ribbon in place of where her ears should be. After a moment of slight panic, she took a moment to examine her surroundings.

"I don't believe I'm at the base any more," she murmured to herself. Instead of a frozen world painted white with snow, she was in a breath-taking eden of some sorts. There was a babbling brook running it's course practically right next to her. Curiosity getting the best of her once more, she stood up and made her way over to the running water. With one deep breath, she looked into the reflection. The woman staring back at her was someone she couldn't say she could really recognize.

The woman moved along with her. She had the same facial features and hair. However, all of her cat-like features were gone. A small smile slid across her lips. It was as if she was a normal person. Her nightdress and coat had been replaced with a feminine blue dress with puffed sleeves and a simple white apron, her winter boots turned to white knees socks and a pair of black Mary Janes. A black velvet ribbon was threaded through her hair to complete this innocent look. It was as if she was living in a fairy tale of some sorts.

For a moment, she lost herself in her revised reflection but then, she realized something: she had no idea of who she was, where she was, or what she was supposed to be doing. Her swords were nowhere to be found and she was utterly alone. Well, there was no real sense in panic. The only thing that she could do was take a walk and see if there was any way to find her way back to base. She definitely had some sleep to catch up on. Yesterday had been a long day, but today seemed like it would be even longer.

[Rina]

He was transferring tea between two cups, cerulean eyes watching on in unanimated interest as the hot liquid trickled from one teacup to another. His constant transferring of the tea from a cup in one hand to the one in the other was a monotonous motion, but he found that he was beginning to subconsciously perform the action when he had free time on his hands.

Placing the china down on the table with a quiet clink, he placed his elbows on the table and laced his fingers together. Propping his chin on his fingers, he stared down at the vacant dining table, littered only with a purposeful cluster of teapots, teacups, spoons, and bowls of milk and sugar cubes. What was the point of having a table a mile long if you hadn’t any visitors?

Then again, he wasn’t necessarily a “people person”. Although he did try to behave tastefully in public, he wasn’t fond of people. Being the “gentlemanly” head of one of the four kingdoms in Wonderland seemed to be reminiscent of a large neon sign to which people flocked endlessly to him, either with personal problems or in pure admiration. In a way, it was troublesome, but at the same time, if it signified he was superior, he had no difficulty with accepting it.

With a lion-like yawn escaping his lips, he reclined back in his seat, crossing his right leg comfortably over his left before tipping his renowned top hat forward to veil his eyes from the sun. Having tea parties out in the garden had its pros, but the sun was the most disliked aspect of such an arrangement. He wasn’t fond of the heat of the sun nor its blinding rays. The fact that it inflicted sunburns just further unsweetened the deal for him.

Closing his eyes, he tipped his head back against the neck rest of his chair. He had heard a rumor spreading around Wonderland about an upcoming arrival of a female, but wasn’t too concerned. It would mean a competition between the four kingdoms for her citizenship if she didn’t have plans on returning back to where she came, but he knew that when push came to shove, he was the most likely to win her over. After all, he had quite the knack of taking on a charming façade when he needed to.

With a content smirk playing on his lips, he slipped into the realm of unconsciousness.

“Have you heard?”

Or not.

“About the girl? Oh yes.”

“I wonder which kingdom she’ll choose.”

“Why the Hatter’s of course!”

“He’s a bit…mad, don’t you think?”

With a groan, his eyes fluttered open, squinting at the sun’s glare. “You know,” he drawled monotonously, standing up from his perch and stretching his tired limbs out, “I could cut all of you out of the ground,” he stated, turning his direction toward the sea of flowers behind him.

Their murmuring was silenced and a few wary eyes stared back at the man. A red flower, flaunting a pair of slanted eyes and plump cheeks pursed its lips together and raised its petals, challenging him. “Hatter,” the flower droned, sticking a rounded nose in the air, “You really aren’t pleasurable.”

“It’s a shame, really,” a yellow flower piped up, shooting the Hatter a dissatisfied glance.

“There’s always something wrong with the pretty ones,” the blue flower bellowed, raising a leaf to her forehead in an overdramatic gesture.

The Hatter stared on in disinterest as the hoard of flowers scolded and chided him. The first few times he actually listened to them for a while, but considering the fact that they happened to censure him on a regular basis, he simply gave up listening. Instead, he waved them off in a halfhearted gesture of surrender before making his way back over to his one-man tea party. Slipping into the seat, he picked up a teacup and took a noisy, prolonged sip, hopping to drown out the flowers’ rambling behind him.

“I wonder if she’ll come soon,” the flowers gossiped, quickly losing interest in the Hatter. It wasn’t anything new, once he stopped paying attention, they’d simply pick up a new topic.

“Is she pretty?” another asked.

“From what I hear she is.”

“I bet the kingdoms will be scrambling to snatch her up,” another chuckled.

“It’s always the pretty ones that receive the most attention, why don’t we get any ugly wanderers around here?”

“Feeling a little insecure, Blue?”

“Hmph!”

The Hatter took another sip of his tea, but this time, he did so quietly. He was beginning to grow curious about the new arrival and the flowers were a valuable source of information.

[Kitty]

Surely her appearance had changed quite a deal, but in many ways, she was the same Katanai she remembered being. For one thing, she was still able to tread softly around this new land. She kept her ears open for any passersby that may be able to tell her where she happened to be, but it was more difficult without her sensitive feline-esque ears. Perhaps being a freak of nature had it's benefits, but she somehow didn't find herself complaining about her unexpected change. More than anything, she wished to stumble upon that white cat. She wouldn't seek it out, however--that would be a waste of precious time. There were many things she needed to do before it would become dark out and she would lose her sense of direction.

Thankfully, the sun in the sky let her know that she had plenty of time to accomplish something or other. She just continued to walk, looking around as she did so. The landscape was impressive. She had never seen a world that looked quite this beautiful. There were mushrooms as tall as she was splayed about, mingled with flowering trees that filled the air with the sweet scents of nectar and honey. Somehow, getting home did not seem as much a priority as finding out what the secrets were behind all the beauty.

Before long, she found herself at a large iron gate that was parted ever so slightly open. With a small shrug, she carefully pulled it open just enough that she could slip through. Through this gate, there was even more beauty. A stone path seemed to lead her somewhere past a garden of colorful shrubs and flowers.

"That's her! Oh, it's GOT to be her!"

Up ahead, she could hear small voices chattering. She stepped along the path and seemed to feel dozens of pairs of eyes staring at her. It was as if she was being watched the entire time as she made her way. No matter how closely she examined the area, all she could see was a neatly kept garden.

"I heard from the bees that the Caterpillar is already keeping his eyes out for her!" Katanai could swear that a particularly tall purple flower let out a chuckle after saying this.

"Oh, you and those bees," teased a nearby tiger lily.

So she had been right. There were only flowers surrounding her... However, they were quite talkative compared to the flowers she was used to. Although all of this seemed rather ridiculous, this place didn't seem to make sense as a whole. Swallowing her pride, she looked down at the garden.

"Could you tell me where I am?" she inquired quietly, as to not be overheard by anyone. No matter how much she wanted to find out what was happening around her, she was concerned that talking to plants was still considered a bit less than sane.

"Please speak up, dear. It's hard to hear you if you talk so quietly from all the way up there," cooed a little red pansy.

"Oh, of course," Katanai said just slightly louder, still retaining her typical soft-spoken nature. "Could you tell me where I am?" she repeated.

"This is the Hatter's kingdom," the pansy replied, "His tea table is just ahead if you were looking to speak to him."

"Hatter...?"

"Oh, the poor dear truly has no idea what she's gotten into," remarked the tall purple flower. "She better talk to the Hatter."

"Maybe all the trouble can be stopped if she just chooses to stay here," chimed a yellow flower with puffy cheeks.

"Just head straight down the path and you'll see yourself," said the pansy.

With a nod, she continued walking down the stone pathway. She noticed that the flowers were all whispering to one another as she made her way, but she was unable to make out what exactly was being said. It seemed as if these flowers all had a better idea of who she was than she did herself. Looking off into the garden as she walked, she noticed that this wasn't anything like the garden at base. The flowers were not necessarily planted methodically. There were no distinct groupings among the flowers, either. More than anything, it was like a small village that grew out of the ground.

After a few moments, she noticed that the path was leading to an area where there were less flowers. Instead, there was a long wooden table, set as if there would soon be a crowd of people sitting down to afternoon tea. The cups were all fine china, but no two were the same. For some reason, she found it to be rather quaint. There was more than one teapot, which made sense considering how long this table was. There were bowls of sugar, cups of milk, and jars of honey. None of them seemed to be touched by insects of any sort.

She spent a minute drinking in the surroundings with her eyes. Everything was quaint and eccentric. There were more flowering trees trimming the perimeter, providing a scant bit of shade. There were a few bushes of roses that were as white as freshly fallen snow, neatly trimmed into the spades. Eventually, her eyes fell upon a gentleman reclined back at a set place in the center of the table.

When she noticed that his face was covered by a rather large hat, she figured that she must have discovered this "Hatter." He seemed to be asleep, but the flowers around him spoke even louder than the ones near the entrance.

"I told you she was pretty," one remarked, shaking it's leaves with a certain smugness, causing a small blue flower to puff up with indignation.

[Rina]

“I told you she was pretty,” he heard a flower chirp from behind him. With a questionable hum, he pushed his top hat further back his head to avoid obstructing his gaze before turning his head.

Cerulean eyes landed upon a pale girl, petite in size with flowing silver tresses and bright crimson eyes framed by sweeping lashes. Her blue dress swayed behind her as she curiously stepped into his garden, eyes fluttering around to take in the vivid shrubbery enveloping his property. A mischievous smirk played on his lips as he appraised the girl before him.

She was pretty, but not in the aspect that other women around the kingdom were. Actually, he considered his citizens quite average, if not boring. They all sported predictable appearances, flaunting either brunette or flaxen tresses paired with blue, topaz, or the occasional hazel eyes. But the girl before him held a rare appearance, almost unfathomable in Wonderland—despite the other odd occurrences and occupancies. In fact, her appearance almost dwarfed any other “strange” aspect that took place in Wonderland.

After all, it wasn’t every day you’d see a woman with white hair. The pigmentation of her locks almost made the Hatter smile upon seeing them. He had always taken quite the liking to the color white, established by his bushes of white roses. The color signified that they were pure, untainted by any flaw—much like him if he did say so himself.

The other aspect of her that seemed to catch his attention was the shade of her eyes. They stood out remarkably against her cascading silver tresses, deep pools of scarlet dripping with the occasional roseate highlight if the sun happened to kiss them in the right spot. They held an almost innocent quality, yet they were guarded and lethal at the same time.

Her arrival caused the right corner of his lips to curl upward, tugging his mouth into a lopsided smirk. Normally, he wouldn’t be so interested in a new wanderer stumbling upon his property, but something about her was different; something intrigued him. It was almost as if she was a mouse scurrying into a cat’s territory, and he wanted to play.

“Oh, poor dear,” the yellow flower crooned sympathetically.

“She hasn’t a clue what she’s gotten herself into,” the red one added solemnly, shaking her petals.

The Hatter ignored the choir of flowers behind him, pushing off of his chair to rise to his feet. With a few leisure steps forward with his hands casually slumped in the pockets of his lack trousers, he advanced toward the woman.

“He’s moving in for the kill!” a flower whispered feverishly behind him.

He strode toward the woman, a gentle smirk still playing on his lips as his feet came to a halt just a few feet before her. Bending at the waist, he gently scooped up her hand, delivering a swift kiss to her knuckles before straightening himself. “It isn’t every day that a flower as pretty as yourself wanders into my garden,” he remarked.

A few flowers moaned at his melodramatic welcome while others—few and scattered—giggled. There was a mixed reaction to the Hatter’s feigned courtesy, but it didn’t matter to him how the flowers viewed him. His sole purpose was to rope as many wanderers into his kingdom as possible and his “gentlemanly” façade helped immensely. He was just doing his job.

“You’ve wandered into the Spade Kingdom, my dear,” he announced with a smirk, “And I, am the Hatter.”

[Kitty]

Feeling uneasy as she heard the flowers whisper wards of sympathy and warning, she watched as the gentleman stood up from the table. The combination of his finely tailored clothing and his lopsided smirk made him seem like royalty--someone definitely used to getting what he wanted. She felt like she could drown in the blue of his eyes, stricken with how vibrant they were. The way his eyes held onto her, scrutinizing every inch of her, made Katanai feel as if she was being sized up.

She stayed in place as he approached her, holding her ground. Sure, she was entirely lost, but that didn't mean that she would so easily surrender her dignity. She was set at ease ever so slightly when he bowed to her, proving himself slightly respectful. Then, he gently snatched her hand. Her eyes went slightly wider and her cheeks went pink as he placed a kiss on her knuckles. Her lips parted slightly to take in a swift breath. Taken aback, her eyes narrowed slightly. She swiped her hand back from his grasp, clasping her hands together and holding them in front of herself.

True, he was very handsome. His flaxen hair reflected the sunlight and his demeanor was charming. She suspected that many women had thrown themselves at him over the years, trading their dignity for a chance at courtship. She also had a feeling that he had a great deal of fun picking off the hearts of these foolish women as if they were flowers in his garden.

“It isn’t every day that a flower as pretty as yourself wanders into my garden,”

A small "tch" escaped her as she heard the flowers swoon or sigh in disapproval. Katanai knew better than to think he was being sincerely complimentary. Even without her cat-like features, she was definitely not a "pretty flower." This simply proved her earlier suspicion that this nobleman seemed to amuse himself by preying on the hearts of naive young women. Deciding to ignore the remark, she softly inquired, "Would you be able to tell me where I am?"

“You’ve wandered into the Spade Kingdom, my dear. And I, am the Hatter."

So this was the person the flowers seemed to think could help her sort out what she needed to do. She looked him over once more, seeking for some sort of clue that he could be of use to her. His form was slender--potentially muscular, but such was hard to tell past his refined clothing. He did not appear to be armed. Gently biting the inside of her cheek in contemplation, she decided to pick his brain for any information he could have--even if it was just more details on what this "spade kingdom" was. She had nothing to lose and no clue as to where to begin.

"I'm afraid I come from somewhere much different from here," she admitted, formulating her words carefully. "Could you give me any information on the area?"

Her gaze shifted behind the Hatter to his tea table. Perhaps she was crossing more lines than she intended. It did seem as if he was set up for a rather large party of some sorts. Although she was beginning to feel a certain contempt for this Hatter, it would be rude of her to simply take his attention away from any company he would be having. Perhaps her sudden arrival had distracted him from preparations...Though, when she had approached, he seemed very disinterested.

"I apologize...were you expecting company?"

[Rina]

The Hatter registered a small disapproving “tsk,” from the woman as he brushed his lips against her knuckle before she swiped her hand from his clutches. Normally, girls would swoon at such a close encounter with royalty such as himself, but this woman seemed harder to sway than he first imagined. It was definitely troublesome, but perhaps it would give more of an interesting aspect to the game.

“I’m afraid I come from somewhere much different than here,” she spoke. Her voice was smooth and quiet, yet guarded with a sense of caution and dignity. It was the first time he heard a female’s voice as unwavering as hers.

For a second or so, he pondered where she had wandered from. It seemed as if new arrivals rarely originated from Wonderland itself, but instead some unheard place. He was almost curious as to if they all came from the same area, but decided that the matter was trivial, and not really worth his effort. He was about to open him mouth when she spoke up once more.

“Can you give me any information on the area?” she asked.

Deciding that it’d be a lengthy tale, he mentally purposed that it’d be best told over a cup of tea. Without asking consent whether or not the woman wished to sit down with him, he reached an arm around her, lightly laying his hand on the small of her back to beckon her to the table. He knew his gesture would go a long way considering she seemed to shy away from his contact, so he didn’t bother keep his hand on her. Instead, he waited for her to proceed on her own before following up behind her.

“I apologize…were you expecting company?”

The Hatter simply shook his head at her comment, making his way to sit at the head of the wooden table. Nodding at one of the chairs beside him to gesture for her to take a seat, he murmured a brief, “I receive little visitors,” before slouching into his usual sitting arrangement.

His hands worked swiftly, habitually grabbing at a pot of tea before pouring it delicately into two tea cups stationed below. Normally, he’d pour tea into two cups for just the fun of it—to monotonously pour tea back and forth between the two—but this time, the second cup had a purpose. In a way, it pleased him. Glancing up at her, he guessed that she took her tea black, so he placed it before her without adding any sugar or milk. If he happened to guess wrong—which he rarely did—she was free to take from the cups around her. Dropping a sugar cube into his cup, he stirred briefly before bringing the cup to his lips. After a delicate sip, he placed the tea down before him.

“This is Wonderland,” he announced, nodding his head toward the scenery around them. “The country’s split into the four cardinal directions, north, east, south, and west. Currently, you are in the Western portion of Wonderland, my kingdom.” He paused briefly, tipping his top hat to her before returning it to its rightful place atop his head.

“If you head east,” he continued, gesturing to the said direction, “that section is ruled by the Queen of Hearts.”

“We’d might as well just leave her out of the informational brochure!” a flower bellowed indignantly from behind the Hatter. “Rotten woman,” it muttered crossly.

The Hatter tossed his head, allowing a short chuckle to escape his lips. “Everyone seems to take such a great disliking toward her,” he said to the flower, momentarily forgetting the woman seated before him. “I happen to be quite fond of her,” he remarked. After all, it was an unspoken law that you had to accept your own siblings—although all of Wonderland seemed to be oblivious to their relation; but then again, they were polar opposites in both cardinal directions and personalities.

He briefly cleared his throat, remembering the woman’s presence. “Just north of here lies the Caterpillar’s kingdom, and opposite of that, in the south lies the Cheshire’s territory,” he informed.

“Oh, Ches!” a flower crooned, waving a leaf to her head. “What a fine man, he is!”

“He’s a bit insane,” another commented before adding, “I like the Catepillar.”

The Hatter ignored the choir of flowers behind him to partake in a sip of his tea before continuing. “We’re in a constant struggle for power,” he said, tipping his head back to rest it on the neck of the chair, “So as you can imagine, your arrival is already brewing up a storm.” He briefly stared up at the sky, watching a lone black cloud ebb across the blue backdrop before turning his eyes toward the woman. “Tell me,” he drawled, a lopsided smirk overtaking his mouth once more, “How well do you handle being fought over?"

[Kitty]

The feeling of his hand on her back caused her to freeze up. Her body was ready to snap into attack mode. Close contact with others inevitably led to pain--or at least discomfort. She knew that if her ears were still that of a cat, they would be pinned straight back in agitation. Turning her head with intentions of giving him a slight glare, she found herself delving straight into cerulean pools. With eyes like his, she had to try her best not to simply drown or get lost. There were undoubtedly many secrets hidden beneath the frosty blues of his gaze; that's the part she found most intriguing. His voice, although only a soft mutter, broke her out of the strange trance she was put into.

“I receive little visitors,”

A small frown slid over her features. With such a large table set and no guests to fill it, he surely must be lonely. No matter how his mannerisms suggested otherwise, he was simply a gentleman constantly accepting company that never came. She almost felt sorry for him. He nodded in the direction of one of the chairs. That combined with the hand on her back, she realized that he was attempting to direct her to one of the many vacant chairs. Obliging his unspoken request, she stepped over to the chair, smoothed the skirt of her dress, and gently slid into the seat.

After she was seated, he poured a cup of tea for her, handing it over as he added sugar to a cup of his own. Inhaling deeply, she noticed that the tea had a fruity yet strong aroma. The cup was very warm to the touch. Deciding that she was thirsty and too impatient to wait for the tea to cool down naturally, she gently picked up one of the bowls of milk and added just enough to her tea to cool it enough to drink.

The cup in her hands was rather lovely fine china--the kind that would make anyone who was not used to it uncomfortable with fear of breaking it. The white porcelain was neatly polished and there were silver designs carefully painted on. The silver would catch the sun whenever she lifted the cup to take a sip. After a moment of carefully savoring the taste of her tea, the Hatter spoke.

“This is Wonderland,”

Wonderland...Somehow, it seemed like a fitting name for this eccentric place. There was something inherently innocent about the beauty of the land. Her eyes wandered around for a moment, drinking in the beauty of the garden of enchanted flowers, the whimsy of the carefully trimmed rose bushes, even the petals the danced off of the nearby flowering trees. She didn't blame the Hatter for having his tea table set up here; it was naturally serene.

“The country’s split into the four cardinal directions, north, east, south, and west. Currently, you are in the Western portion of Wonderland, my kingdom.”

So this Hatter was more than a wealthy nobleman. He was practically a king. She had to admit that she was not entirely surprised. There was something so unmistakably regal about him. Growing up in a wealthy family, she knew how noblemen and women acted. From the clothing to his demeanor, he certainly did seem kingly. All that was missing was a scepter and throne.

“If you head east, that section is ruled by the Queen of Hearts.”

At the mention of this ruler, the flowers broke out into a chorus of disapproval. They seemed to think rather lowly of this queen.

“Everyone seems to take such a great disliking toward her. I happen to be quite fond of her,”

Eyebrow quirking slightly upward, she listened as he spoke to no one in particular. He seemed to hold a special place within himself for this supposedly stern ruler to the east. The flowers saw her a tyrant. Either the Hatter was a harsh ruler underneath his flirtatious and cool facade or there was some sort of deep kinship held between the two. As he turned his attention back to her, she decided to set aside such topics of thought and continue to learn about this new world around her.

“Just north of here lies the Caterpillar’s kingdom, and opposite of that, in the south lies the Cheshire’s territory,”

Digesting all the information, she took another sip of tea. The flowers chatted amongst themselves about which kingdom's ruler they thought to be best. Apparently, the ruling figures were practically celebrities in this new world--at least, among the flowers. She couldn't help but give a soft smile and a glance in the direction of the garden as they cooed about which ruler they found to be most attractive or best to live under.

"The Caterpillar! He's so strange!" lamented a nearby daffodil.

"Ah, yes, but imagine what a lovely garden he keeps, what with all the bread and butterflies, bees, and all other insects," said a petunia with a dreamy sigh.

"But the Cheshire's smile is brighter than even the sunlight," marveled another.

“We’re in a constant struggle for power. So as you can imagine, your arrival is already brewing up a storm.”

Crimson gaze flickering up from the chatty flowers to the lax blonde, she tilted her head thoughtfully to the side. She was on the verge of questioning the validity of this statement, but she kept her mouth closed. It seemed logical enough. If there was an even plane when it came to the balance of power between the four nations, even one additional citizen could make somewhat of a difference. She was about to chime in with the fact that she did not necessarily want to move into any of these strange kingdoms, but was cut off when he decided to end the silence himself, his lips curling into another haughty smirk.

“Tell me, How well do you handle being fought over?"

It took self control for her to resist the temptation to roll her eyes. She decided to remain polite since he had just provided her with such a great deal of information. No matter how lonely he might be underneath it all, he still seemed to enjoy toying with people.

"That's highly unlikely," she mused, taking another sip of her tea. Surely you must jest. I'm not some sort of 'prize' to be won," she added flatly. Demon or not, she was nothing worth fighting over. She didn't even have her sword with her.

[Rina]

“Hush, girls,” a flower behind him murmured, tossing her petals. “The poor Hatter hasn’t anyone who’s sticking up for him and his kingdom!” she crooned, gesturing to the man who currently sipping on tea.

“Then why don’t you?” another retorted cunningly.

“Well that’s because—“

The Hatter attempted to drown out the voices by directing his attention to the woman before him. Strangely enough, he misjudged how she took her tea, as she was sipping it with milk for the time being. Either he was losing his touch, or she was unpredictable. Certainly couldn’t be that he was losing it. She was just highly predictable, and it’d take some observation to be sure he wouldn’t be mistaken again.

“That’s highly unlikely,” she mused aloud.

He simply stared on, planting his elbows on the table and creating a cradle for his chin by lacing his fingers together. Propping his chin on his fingers, he stared into deep hues of crimson that were redder than any rose his sister had ever cultivated, waiting for her to go on. Somewhere in the midst of anticipating her words, his mind begun to wonder elsewhere, taking him somewhere that caught him highly off guard.

He was suddenly wrapped up in a thought almost too naive and outrageous to even be lost in. Yet, he couldn’t help but wonder—after all, he didn’t know how genetics worked. His parents were rarely seen together, perhaps for the fact that his father overtook the Hatter’s kingdom while his mother played Queen of Hearts. Did both he and his sister look anything like their parents? Was there a sort of mixing of the two appearances or did they simply receive from one and not the other?

Suddenly, the woman’s appearance became more intriguing as he begun to wonder what her daughter would look like. Would she receive the same silver tresses as her mother had or the same scarlet eyes? Would the daughter receive her mother’s looks or a mix of the mother and father? He wished for the daughter to inherit her mother’s traits, as she would be most beautiful off that way. But if the offspring had to be mixed, what male would produce the best attribution? Someone with light hair, there was no doubt about it. As for the eyes…perhaps blue would be best? Somehow, would the two colors of the parent’s eyes bleed into one and create an amethyst shade? He decided that would be best.

He was so lost in his pondering that he almost missed her voice ring out once more. “Surely you must just. I’m not some sort of ‘prize’ to be won,” she stated flatly.

But the Hatter didn’t care for her sentence, not yet. He was still wrapped in another world. Perhaps that’s why he was credited for being known as mad. He considered it otherwise. It was simply a one-track mind, was all. Nothing sane or insane about it. Surely everyone had their niches when it came to thinking; he just went slightly more in depth.

“Oh, that Hatter,” a flower sighed.

“Getting one of his fits again; you can tell by his eyes,” another added.

“Surely you must be courted already,” he expressed daringly, much to the flowers’ disapproval behind him. “What does he look like?” he wondered aloud. He was hoping her partner was someone of light hair and sapphire eyes, for he decided it would be the best combination. A smile danced upon his lips as he awaited her response.

“Oh dear, you must ignore him. Hatter has a bit of a side-tracked mind, wouldn’t you say, Hatter?”

It wasn’t until the flower chided him that he realized he had stepped too far into unwelcoming territory. It seemed like he constantly needed someone beside him to wrangle him in and keep him from getting too far gone into foolish subjects. The flowers often scolded him by saying that he didn’t have the inner voice that regulated his speech to only things polite and coherent to the conversation already at hand, but for most of his life, he went around thinking that whoever happened to have this voice was mad themselves, not the other way around.

Clearing his throat, he allowed a solemn, “Sorry,” to push past his lips. He wasn’t under any circumstances trying to be rude or risqué, his thoughts just had a habit of wandering off to places often unheard of before spilling off of his tongue and drenching the person before him. Improper, perhaps; intentionally, no.

He picked up his teacup, taking refuge in the brown hues trying to find where the proper conversation had last left off. Once he recovered it, he placed his tea down thoughtfully. “We wouldn’t consider you a ‘prize’,” he said carefully, careful to avoid glancing into her crimson hues and relapsing into promiscuous thoughts. “Instead, we search for which kingdom you’re better off placed in, considering you don’t have intentions of returning back to your world.”

“But you cannot decide to go back hastily,” he informed, aware that most wanderers were eager to leave Wonderland and return to where they originated from. “There’s a twenty-four hour waiting restriction.” He paused, muttering a quiet, “Which is considerably foolish on whoever constructed these rule’s part,” before taking another sip of his tea. “You’re welcome to stay here when it gets dark,” he offered, unsure whether or not the woman would take it.

[Kitty]

Although she had made her reply to his outlandish comment, she received no indication that he was listening to her at all. Eyebrow quirking upward, she watched as he slumped in his seat, resting his elbows on the table and cradling his chin with laced fingers. It was remarkable to watch him slowly slip away from the world before him and venture somewhere else. Katanai listened as the flowers groaned about how he was going into "another one of his fits."

What did that mean exactly? She certainly had no idea. His eyes were locked on her. It felt as if he was trying to peer into her very soul. Although it was uncomfortable to be scrutinized so closely by this Hatter, she felt that there was some sort of calculated urgency in those crystalline pools. Instead of asking him to respond to her, she decided to wait for him to speak. She wanted to know where exactly his mind had wandered off to. Was he having some sort of epiphany?

“Surely you must be courted already,”

Her mouth parted slightly, breath caught in her throat for a mere second. Was that truly what was on his mind this entire time as he searched her soul for answers? The very thought was almost enough to upset her. Questioning matters of the heart was also a rather bold move for someone who had just met her. Perhaps she had misheard him. Finally feeling like she could dare to speak, she looked at him with wide, almost alarmed eyes.

"Courted? I should say not." As she muttered her retort, her cheeks began to tingle with the warmth of an oncoming blush.

“What does he look like?”

Cheeks deepening to an even darker hue of red, her eyes narrowed in a much more guarded way. Was this simply another way for him to toy with her? He was more calculated with his games than she expected him to be. A disgruntled breath escaped her.

“Oh dear, you must ignore him. Hatter has a bit of a side-tracked mind, wouldn’t you say, Hatter?” said a flower in a particularly comforting voice. Other flowers around her nodded or made small clucks in agreement. Katanai gave her attention back to the chattering garden. For some reason, they calmed her. Perhaps it was her affinity for flowers showing through.

"Sidetracked?" questioned a bud that looked as if it had just begun to bloom. "Why, he's downright mad!"

A flower who appeared to be a mother plant to this newly blossomed flower gently placed her leaves over the young one's puckered lips. "Hush, dear," she cooed, offering Katanai an apologetic glance.

The Hatter cleared his throat, muttering a soft apology. Although she had calmed down, she could still feel her heart's beat pounding against her chest. Following his lead, she picked up her teacup, taking thoughtful sips until there was nothing left to drink. Quietly placing the cup back on the plate it had sat upon, she looked up at the nobleman. He seemed to be avoiding her gaze. Perhaps he was embarrassed by his own ways as well.

“We wouldn’t consider you a ‘prize’,”

She wanted to protest and remind him that he was the one who had placed her in the context of being a trophy to be won, but he continued to speak.

“Instead, we search for which kingdom you’re better off placed in, considering you don’t have intentions of returning back to your world.”

Thoughtfully biting the inside of her cheek, she formulated a reply. "I have duties to fulfill in an organization back where I am from. I am not quite...as I appear to be." All she could think of was the other assassins wasting their time trying to find where she had fallen to. For all she knew, they had already begun to fill the hole she had fallen into, realized that it was more of a void than a hole, and covered it with a new fountain. It was not as if she minded this "Wonderland." It was more a sense of duty that made her think of the land she once knew so well.

“But you cannot decide to go back hastily. There’s a twenty-four hour waiting restriction. (There was a short pause.) Which is considerably foolish on whoever constructed these rule’s part,”

"Quite foolish," she murmured in agreement, smoothing the skirt of her dress as her mind turned over her situation. Well, if he mentioned a waiting restriction and the idea of "getting back," there must be a way for her to return. However, she would have to find a way to wait out twenty-four hours. It was morning when she had discovered this strange new kingdom, so it would undoubtedly be morning when se would be able to leave.

Until then, her main concern would be finding lodging for the night. Without any equipment and wearing nothing but a remarkably feminine dress, she certainly did not seem prepared to camp the night outdoors. Not only that, but she was entirely unfamiliar with her surroundings. With her luck, this peaceful world would prove to provide many dangers when the sun would set.

“You’re welcome to stay here when it gets dark,”

Her eyes focused back onto the Hatter. Although he did seem something beyond eccentric, he had been good to her thus far. He had provided her with a great wealth of information. Although she did not trust him entirely, she figured that she would be able to out-maneuver him were he to attack her at any given point in the night. She may not have her sword, but there was bound to be something she could use as a makeshift weapon lying about his sleeping quarters--even if it would be a spoon from tea. Not only that, but she was still small and nimble, able to dodge quickly and move quietly.

"Thank you for your kindness," she said with a small bow of her head. "If it would not be any trouble--"

"Oh, how splendid!" a daffodil cut her off with giddy exclamation. "She's chosen Spades already! Surely there won't be any quarrel now!"

"You dolt," scolded another, "She hasn't chosen to stay forever. Just for the night."

"A lot can happen in one night," replied the eager daffodil. "Perhaps she'll wish to stay after all."

[Rina]

“Courted? I should say not,” he heard her say somewhere in the midst of her madness.

For a moment, he was disappointed. He had encountered millions of beautiful woman—why, they practically threw themselves at him—but the woman before him was more ravishing than even the fairest of the land. Why hasn’t she been courted already? Was she considered simply average from where she originated? No, that couldn’t be.

The flowers argued amongst themselves, snapping him out of his lapse of sanity. The woman before him seemed to feel uncomfortable, sipping from her tea until her cup was emptied. He had half a mind to refill it for her, but he decided that she was able-bodied enough to serve herself. After all, he didn’t know how kindly she took to him or the tea.

“I have duties to fulfill in an organization back where I am from. I am not quite…as I appear to be.”

At her statement, the flowers leaned forward with curiosity, mumbling amongst themselves. Her wording was arranged carefully, which made the Hatter curious himself. Was she some sort of criminal from where she came from? No, that couldn’t be the case. She was a petite thing, hardly seeming like she’d have the intensity to harm a fly. But then again, she seemed to originate from a land far stranger than Wonderland itself. Perhaps she wasn’t quiet as what she appeared to be.

“May I trouble you so much as to ask what that organization is?” he treaded cautiously, reaching for another sip to his tea. As he brought the tea to his lips, he allowed a sidelong glance at the woman before him. He wasn’t expecting a reply, but he figured he may as well ask.

“Oh that Hatter’s so nosy,” a flower piped up.

“I’m a bit curious myself,” another murmured, leaning forward intently.

“Oh, the two of you!” the initial flower replied.

“Quiet foolish,” he heard the woman mutter in agreement. Was her land so spectacular that she wanted to return so suddenly? Normally, wanderers showed a bit of interest and admiration in Wonderland before they began to feel homesick. But then again, the woman before him was far from “normal” as he had learned. Perhaps she was in the right place, after all.

“Thank you for your kindness,” she said formally with the bow of her head. “If it would not be any trouble—“

Suddenly, she was cut off by the flowers crooning behind him. One seemed rather enthusiastic with the news of the wanderer’s stay, somehow confident that she’d chose to remain within the Spade kingdom, while the other beside it was more doubtful. For once, he wasn’t nearly as confident as he had always been with the arrival of wanderers. This particular woman was a much tougher to sway than any visitor he had encountered in the past. Quite frankly, he wasn’t sure if anyone would be able to persuade her to stay.

But no, what was he thinking? He was the Hatter; the most elegant and poised man in all of Wonderland, if not the most handsome. How would it be possible for him to lose a potential citizen? No, he’d work his charm and have her forget all about her duties she had in her rightful world. He was going to win this one if it was the last thing he’d do.

“Your name,” he chirped, eyes dancing over to hers, “I seemed to not have caught it,” he stated. For the longest time, he was referring to her as simply “the woman”. If he had the chance to become more intimate with her name, then possibly he’d be able to sway her. After all, he only had less than twenty four hours to win her and he needed all the help he could get.

[Kitty]

“May I trouble you so much as to ask what that organization is?”

Thinking it over, she gently reached out and grabbed the teapot. She always did have a fondness for enjoying a cup of tea amongst the flowers of a garden. Although this particular garden was strange and enchanted, it still had a certain tranquility about it. Pouring herself a fresh cup of tea, she was struck with the rich fruity aroma once more. She did rather enjoy this blend of tea. Since their conversation had lasted long enough to allow the tea to cool to a more drinkable temperature, she decided to not add any milk this time around. It was always important to drink a tea with no additives--that way, one can taste how it is supposed to be tasted.

After setting the teapot back down, she decided that his question was reasonable enough for an answer. She had managed to make herself sound even more secretive than she meant to let on initially. The gossip-loving flowers all seemed to be focused on her. They were interested in this traveler's story.

"That information is classified," she stated cooly. It was true. Kain would have her executed if he were to catch wind of her disclosing any information about the Sasayaita Namida. However, this place seemed so far removed from Sasa and all the other things of her world. There was a possibility that she would be taken more seriously with the titles of "assassin" and "spy" attached to her. Then again, there was also the chance that she would no longer be offered so much information. Rather than offering any more spoken information, she offered him a cunning smirk--one that she often used while in combat. There was a small chance he would be intuitive enough to see what she meant.

The flowers all seemed happy that she was staying the night. They seemed to hold high hopes that she would be staying in this strange world. Somehow, she didn't find that option very plausible. Wonderland was a beautiful place, but she did not belong there. She took another sip of her tea, enjoying the strong taste that resulted in not putting milk in with this cup.

“Your name,”

She turned her attention back to him, daring to delve into his eyes with her own crimson orbs.

“I seemed to not have caught it,”

"Ah," she mused, giving a slight nod. "It's Katanai," she replied. She felt there was no need to give him her full name. Just a sample of who she was would be sufficient.

"Ooh, that's a pretty name," marveled a small violet.

"I hope that this one stays," one said very honestly.

A small smile slid over her lips as she heard the flowers begin their chatter once again. Lacing her fingers together, she placed them in her lap. She continued to hold the Hatter in her gaze. It was then that it occurred to her that the only name she knew him by was "Hatter." This couldn't possibly be his actual name, could it? "Is there another name I should call you by?" she dared ask, continuing to match his gaze.

[Rina]

The Hatter watched on with a slight feeling of achievement. At the moment, she had poured herself a new cup of tea and as he had guessed prior, left it black. He only wished that she wouldn’t have performed the act of contaminating her drink in the first place—it gave him a false sense of faulty calculations on his part and he hated being wrong. But yes, the Hatter was initially correct: she liked her tea how it was.

It was an admiring trait, really—to leave one’s tea black. Even the tea-obsessed Hatter himself couldn’t commit such an act. He was fond of sweet things, so the only aspect of his tea making that fluctuated was the amount of sugar he dipped inside. He had tried untainted tea once when he was younger—starting off as head of the Spade Kingdom—but it didn’t sit well with him, it was too strong. But the woman before him had a façade that indicated the hint of some sort of strength presumably unknown to strangers or acquaintances—something that made her unwavering and able to drink the bitter liquid with no means to subdue it. Although he wouldn’t swallow his pride and admit it, he admired such a human.

“That information is classified,” she answered reservedly with a sly smile.

Her statement made him want to know what she meant even more, and from hearing the rustling in the bushes behind him, he could tell she disappointed the flowers—they always welcomed gossip. What organization could she possibly belong to in her world that was so secretive? Or perhaps she was embarrassed? No, she seemed rather resolute that her organization was important and the fact that she played a major role in it. With a slight shrug in response, he poured himself another cup of tea and added two more sugar cubes into the liquid before stirring. One way or another he’d find out.

“Ah,” she nodded. “It’s Katanai,”

“Katanai,” he repeated slowly and smoothly, getting a feel for the way her name rolled off his tongue.

“Ooh, that’s a pretty name,” a flower cooed.

“To fit a beautiful lady,” another added.

“It’s a fine name, indeed,” the Hatter stated with a small smile amidst the choir of flowers who seemed to be swept up in a sea of whispering glorified remarks. He had to guard his actions or she—no, Katanai—would interpret them wrongly (although some might consider them to be) and absolutely refuse to put her trust in him, which would only result in him losing a potential citizen.

The Hatter’s eyes wandered to Katanai briefly, and she held his gaze. He was almost mesmerized by the deep pools of crimson highlighted with flecks of roseate hues depending on the angle of the sun’s rays. He felt that if he were any closer, he’d surely be able to see his own reflection in them.

He leaned his elbows forward, bending his body as he did so. Once again lacing his fingers together, he propped his chin up. He wasn’t as close as he wished to be—he wasn’t nearly close enough to see his reflection—but perhaps he’d try later. Now wasn’t a time to perform foolish antics. He still had to win her over.

“Is there another name I should call you by?” He heard her say.

“My,” he began, prying himself away from her mesmerizing crimson pools to lean back in his chair. “To ask to be familiar with the intimacy of a royal’s first name is unheard,” he stated. Normally, such a question asked by someone other than royalty—a wanderer nonetheless—was to be ignored while the head was to lecture the inquirer on manners, but the Hatter found that troublesome. No one had dared ask him before.

He dropped his voice lower to avoid the flowers from overhearing him give away such “sacred” information. “But if you should know,” he drawled softly, rising to his feet. He leaned over the corner of his table and lowered his mouth to her ear. “Takashi,” he whispered.

[Kitty]

“It’s a fine name, indeed,”

She gave a small shrug. She didn't see anything about her name to be particularly eccentric or beautiful as the flowers seemed to be suggesting with their praises. She took another sip of her tea, looking about with a small bit of curiosity. Surely on her way home she would see a great deal of Wonderland. It couldn't be as simple as walking through a door and returning from whence she came. It would be much easier to simply sight-see as she was on her way out. The Hatter was providing her with a rather golden opportunity, providing her with lodging for the evening. Unfamiliar with the different plant and animal life of the area, she was unsure of how she would even go about picking a safe area for rest. If the flowers could talk, what could the trees do?

Turning her attention back to the nobleman, she saw that once more, he had slumped forward with his chin resting on his cradling fingers. What was he thinking about this time. She did not wish to be asked about her non-existant affairs of the heart again, but somehow, she felt like that wouldn't be a problem. Something told her that his ponderings varied each time he broke into thought. Some would consider him mad for this, but Katanai didn't think a word that harsh was quite so fitting. Perhaps he was more so over analytical.

“My,”

Tilting her head to the side, she gave him a slightly puzzled look. At least she had managed to snap him out of his trance of thought.

“To ask to be familiar with the intimacy of a royal’s first name is unheard,”

A slight blush painted her cheeks. Was it truly so improper of her to ask a different name for him? He had managed to misunderstand her and make her sound more arrogant in the process. It was not as if she had asked for his first name. A surname or a different title would have slaked her curiosity as well. Bowing her head, she said a soft "I apologize."

Daring to look up once more, she turned her attention back to the Hatter, who seemed more amused than offended. Perhaps he saw her as more gutsy than rude. Truly, she was only stuck in a bought of ignorance. This kingdom was entirely different than anything she had experienced, after all.

But if you should know,”

His voice had dropped low enough so not even the flowers could hear him. If she still had her cat-like features, she could have easily heard his utterance. However, with this new appearance came new things to get used to. To hear his low whisper, she had to strain her ears. She even found herself unconsciously leaning forward ever so slightly to hear him. Not wanting to let him know that he had caught her interest in conversation, she picked up her tea and drew a sip from it. The entire time, she held him in her gaze.

Eyes trained on him as he stood from his seat, she thought that perhaps he was about to walk away from the tea table. If so, she would be rather offended. It may have been improper of her to ask for a name from a ruler in this land, but it had to be equally as rude to get up and leave. However, this was not the case. She watched carefully as he approached her, leaning down to nearly touch his lips to her strained ear.

“Takashi,”

She felt a light flutter in her chest. It wasn't necessarily his name that struck her, but the familiarity that flooded in with it. It was as if her mind was telling her that she was on the verge of entirely forgetting something or someone that held great significance to her. The blush remained in her cheeks as she nearly muttered aloud the name that had come to her mind so naturally, she had hardly noticed.

Tamaki. Her usual mission partner. For some reason, he was often on her mind. However, in this strange place, she had nearly forgotten to think of him. It was strange. Her gaze still held the hatter. Takashi. He looked a great deal like the man she knew so well back home. He had the same flaxen locks and mesmerizing eyes. Recognizing the resemblance the two men held to one another, her lips curled into a soft smile.

"What's that Hatter doing now? I can't bloody hear!" complained a small flower, cutting off Katanai's train of thoughts.

This flower brought her mind back to focus on the Hatter, Takashi. He was an interesting fellow himself. Handsome and very aware of his surroundings, she wouldn't be surprised to hear that many women threw themselves at him. However, he was also a trifle bold and foolish. She could tell that he enjoyed using charm and beauty to enchant the hearts of the women that adored him so. It just added to his power, which was a very important thing in Wonderland, so she was told. He seemed to not truly care what others thought of him, but became troubled at the idea of not being adored or worshiped. Perhaps that's why he was so determined to show her courtesy and win her over. Well, she was relatively dead-set on getting back to base, so there was not really anything at the moment that could convince her to stay in this new world.

[Rina]

As he spoke his name, the girl’s straight façade suddenly faltered, allowing a small smile to grace her lips and pull them upward. Suddenly, her smile became contagious, tugging Takashi’s lips up as well. He bared a lopsided smirk, but not simply because he was happy she seemed content, but because he knew he had somehow inadvertently gotten somewhere that struck a chord with her. Did she simply like his name? Or maybe she knew someone who went by his name? Or perhaps she decided now was the time to fall for his good looks and charm?

Suddenly, the flowers chirped up, aggravated by the fact that they couldn’t hear him once he lowered his voice. Katanai seemed to be snapped out of whatever reminisce she was lapsed into, making some sort of mental resolution to herself as her face seemed to have lost whatever genuine interest it once had. She appeared guarded once again, much to the Hatter’s dismay.

“Perhaps I should give you a tour of where you’ll be quartered tonight,” he offered, ridding the silence. Glancing overhead, he noted that the sun was still shining brightly and the sky was as blue as ever, but he knew how moody Time was being lately and was sure darkness would soon be upon them. And once the sun set, all sorts of ravenous creatures rose from their slumber to wander the land and feed on any soul unfortunate to be out at such ungodly hours.

“Yes, take her indoors, Hatter,” a flower crooned, waving them off with her leaves.

“Those owls are brutal,” another chirped.

“Oh! Speaking of those owls, have you heard what happened to Petunia?” one tattered.

“I haven’t!”

“Well…”

Takashi took the flowers’ gossip as a cue for them to retire for the night. Sure the chatter had its advantages when it came to important matters, but more often than not, it was meaningless prattle that had nothing to do with him, so he didn’t bother concerning himself. The only interesting information he obtained all day was the news of Katanai, and even with that they talked his ear off with meaningless bits of knowledge that wouldn’t make a difference to him in one way or another.

He straightened himself, adjusting his top hat as he did so. Despite the fact that he was known for his notorious head accessory, he often got annoyed with it. It was top-heavy which required him to constantly fix its position, and on hot days, it made his head uncomfortably warm. “Troublesome thing,” he muttered to himself, pushing it further back on his head. Whoever decided the uniform for the Spade Kingdom was a complete loon.

“Well, I suppose we should get going,” he spoke once he was finally situated, nodding toward the cobblestone walkway that wound its way through his garden. “I trust you’ll be able to escort yourself,” he murmured knowing that she was more than likely to refuse his arm if he offered it.

“Oh, the Hatter’s acting a bit strange, isn’t he?”

“Yes, yes, he would’ve led her by her hand by now!”

“I told you he was mad!”

Perhaps he was acting a bit out of character, but he was a very sore loser, and Katanai—although simply one person—could have an immense impact on his position in the competition. He’d do whatever he had to do to get ahead and if that meant momentarily changing his ways until he was sure to secure a win, he’d do it.

Stuffing his hands into the pockets of his trousers, Takashi begun his trek along the walkway, ensuring that Katanai would be able to catch up to him by taking small, leisure steps. He kept his ears open for her footfalls to make sure she was in fact following him. In a way, it was a test to see how much she trusted him, even if it was a minute amount of trust bestowed upon him. If she was following, then surely he had made some sort of impact that would potentially help sway her decision later. But at the same time, it was a gamble leaving her behind to decide whether to follow or not. Perhaps he should’ve been more controlling and forced her to take his arm as an escort instead. But something told him she was too dignified to accept it.

He was truly at a loss with her and wasn’t sure if he was ever going to secure a win. For once, he wasn't confident in the capability of his charm

[Kitty]

“Perhaps I should give you a tour of where you’ll be quartered tonight,”

She finished off the little that remained of her second cup of tea. The bottom of the cup was always the strongest, occasionally with a few stray tealeaves that escaped the pot. Once she had finished, she gave him a single nod, rising from her chair. Behind her, she could hear the flowers’ warning drones about the dangers that came in with the night. So her suspicion had been correct.

It was sad to think that with the setting of the sun, this beautiful world turned into something threatening and perilous. Having enough dangers to balance with the beauty tainted the innocence that she initially thought to be inherent to Wonderland. It was now too close to what she knew to be reality. She was disappointed, to say the least. Some part of her had hoped that by some odd chance, this place truly was a land purely made of childish whimsy. Although every bit of logic in her mind told her otherwise, there were still the makings of a dreamer buried underneath her cool façade.

As she rose from her chair, she noticed the Hatter had begun fidgeting with his grand-scale top hate. She couldn’t possibly imagine wearing something like that at all times of the day. Before she arrived, he had been sitting on his own. Did he really just sit around with such annoying, luxurious headgear?

“Troublesome thing,”

A small smirk almost touched her lips. At least he was sane enough to realize what a burden he constantly was giving himself by having such a thing on his head. Then again, considering her former appearance, she wasn’t really one to comment.

“Well, I suppose we should get going,”

Giving a nod, she followed behind him. It was surprising that he had not simply grabbed her hand and pulled her along. He seemed to be the annoyingly touchy type. Of course, she was not complaining. She was more than capable of following him around to where he planned to have her stay for the evening. Following others was something she was quite used to.

Cat-like stealth was something she was sure she had not yet lost, even though she had gone through quite the physical change lately. Above all other things, she was a member of the Sasayaita Namida—one of the strongest, at that. An assassin and spy, she was used to prowling and working in the dead of the night. Following a more or less mad hatter around a sunlit garden was hardly a challenge.

“I trust you’ll be able to escort yourself,”

Once again, he threw off her expectations. The flowers seemed even more flabbergasted. This was apparently not Takashi’s usual method, to say the least. From the blabbering flowers, she seemed to be proved correct in her assumption that this nobleman was indeed a spider that wove webs of charm and beauty to lure in weak-hearted girls. Naturally, the Hatter was an old pro at getting these lost and wandering women to sign their names in blood and join his kingdom. The gentleman was correct to assume that she would not take his hand or arm as an escort—even if he asked her to.

However, if it was true that she had to wait out a twenty-four hour period before trying to find her way back home, it was important to not let this opportunity to have lodging for the night slip from under her. Taking quiet steps, she followed a few paces behind the Hatter, careful to watch out for any impending danger. Although he had only been informative (and slightly baffling) to her, she could not find a real reason to trust him. Being a naturally guarded person, Katanai knew better than to blindly place her trust in a stranger. Takashi, though seemingly harmless, also gave her the feeling that he knew something she did not—that he was more than he appeared to be.

No matter how dangerous a situation it would be if he indeed was plotting against her, she had to admit to herself that it struck her curiosity more than anything. Not having her usual weapons or supplies put her at a great disadvantage—especially since she was (presumably) about to step into his living quarters. Maybe it was the rush she got from this potentially dangerous situation that kept her steps silent and her senses on alert. It was true that curiosity killed the cat, but she hadn’t used up all nine of her lives just yet.