eachdraidh | 001 ♝ video ♝ open to both courts

[ While the small stack of books in front of her have certainly come from Caer Scima's library, Ariadne is in her room within the castle, seated on her bed. Asleep with its nose sticking out from her back, head resting on an open book, is a bandersnatch cub -- rather like a cat, it appears to have decided to 'help' her research. ]

If you could protect something -- say, a building -- from anything, what would you protect it from? I've thought of fire, high winds, earthquakes, mosquitoes, falling trees, and hail so far.

[ In the background, the door to her room appears to open slightly; with the wind, perhaps. ]

I'm an architecture student, back home, and there are a lot of possibilities here.

[ She looks like she's about to say more, but just then a glowing red imp leaps onto her head, screeching and yanking at her hair. The bandersnatch cub jerks awake and Ariadne screams, the locket flipped over so that all that's shown for a moment are the sheets on her bed. It's turned up again a moment later, falling onto the floor and on its side this time, followed by a loud thwack.

The imp falls to the ground, dazed; in the next moment, a thick, leather-bound book with a pawprint on its spine slams into it a second time before the bandersnatch cub races forward and grabs onto the imp's legs, shaking its little head and growling in a way that would be adorable if it weren't trying to maim something. ]

Oh, don't- [ before the locket is closed by the hand reaching for it, there's the sight of broken skin and blood -- sharp little imp teeth had found their mark. ]

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Not of my choice, but my nanny does. Her clientele is usually accumulated with sailors.

[ Oh, wait, that burned down, didn't it? ]

Huh.

[ Sailors. She hasn't ever met any, as far as she knows. ]

Well, I'm sure they have some interesting stories?

Sometimes. Most times I tried to avoid them; they were not very kind to Nanny.

Oh- well, that's awful of them.

[ :{ rude sailors ]

Edited (wrong s-word) 2014-06-07 04:33 (UTC)

Most Johns are rude; it was her pimp who was worse. He burned down her brothel, if memory serves right. I only hope now Nanny chooses something else where she doesn't have to put up with a flock of drunken sailors.

[ ... oh they're talking about a brothel.

Just. Give her a moment, Alice. ]

I hope so, too.

[ What does it say about her being unphased? Or even too worried about Nanny and her girls being hurt? Nanny is a strong sort, even the closest thing to a friend Alice has. ]

She will! She doesn't have to deal with sailors anymore or serve them alcohol.

[ Different times. Different worlds. Different lives -- it could mean so many things that Ariadne can't pick. ]

Good. I'm sure she'll be much happier.

[ She's just now realizing it was such a strange thing to talk about. She doesn't see how strange her mannerisms are - as eccentric as they are - until it's a bit late. Thank goodness this isn't in person; conversations with those she hardly knows stresses her too much.

Nanny was the only one who seemed to look after Alice and she thinks of her fondly. Although if Alice were to vanish off the face of the earth, Nanny would notice. ]

Oh, Ms. Ariadne, may I ask you something?

Ariadne's fine.

[ She has to correct her first -- everyone has their odd mannerisms, but she honestly isn't certain that she can handle being called 'Ms.' by someone only a little younger than her. ]

And of course.

[ Victorian mannerisms never die. She's been told a few times not to use these terms; it's going to be a hard habit to break. ]

What happens when we are brought here?

Nanny may worry about me.

[ She sighs. ]

Honestly? I don't know.

Oh, but- the first month, we were able to speak with the rulers. They would know, I think.

[ They may lie about it, of course, but it's a start. ]

I see. And no one has asked before?

[ She will not be broken up about not speaking with Nanny. The most she'll do is scold Alice and proceed to drown herself in alcohol again. This, however, is relevant information as she will pass it onto the others in her group.]

If they have, I don't know the answer.

[ She wishes she did. ]

I... well, I was more concerned with whether or not this place was real and the fact that the queen has wolves.

[ That sadly sounds about right and Alice isn't surprised to hear about wolves. Wolves? Really? Why not something more fearsome? ]

What is the queen like?

She's... [ so many things. ] Beautiful, but terrifying. Her eyes are all white, but it feels like she's looking right at you anyway. She likes to laugh, and talks about love being passionate and wild.

[ Tucking some hair behind an ear, she adds: ] She was kind to me, but I don't think she's very patient if you upset her.

[ Very reminiscent of the red queen when Alice first stepped into the looking glass. Kind. Yeah, right. Kindness is not without gains, she thinks.

"Well, she was the face of evil in the Heart of Darkness." ]

Then she sounds like another that isn't to be trusted, no matter how kindly.

I don't know that I can trust anyone who pulls me away from home to fight in a war.

[ But she does like Morla, despite herself. ]

The king -- he, um, he's a suit of armor.

[ That genuinely impresses and confuses her all at once. ]

Really?

Well, he might be in the suit of armor, but he never actually... moved.

Well, that almost makes the gathering worth it; I want to see for myself.

I don't know when the next one will be, but the first one was toward the end of the month after the feast when we got here.

001 ♝ video ♝ open to both courts

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