video/action; unlocked

[ofmisfortune]

[ The feed begins with a young man's blissfully slumbering face - his long and mussed blond locks settling as though he's just tossed over, or perhaps even fallen there, in what appears to be a soft bed of grass and barky roots.

It's but a moment before he shifts with an airy sigh, locket slipping from his loose hand to the earth below. It allows a glimpse of-- something above. A coiled tail that bobs as it drifts up and down in place, and is ended with the cutest little pink bow. Its pale blue blue body appears plush, with visible stitching along its seams, and even across the close lids of its eyes. A soft whirring of a clockwork motor sounds as the silver key in its back rotates, and... did you just hear a giggle, as well? No. No, that's simply your imagination.

To those that know them, it's none other than Vincent and his Chain, the Dormouse. To those that don't recognize either of these sights, perhaps they'll be able to identify the towering exterior of the Caer Glaem castle instead.

Vincent hardly belongs here, but after seeking out the Kow in a fit of frustration - (all that damned mooing would get to anyone who had their sleep disrupted for the third night in a row) - he'd had the superb fortune of simultaneously being teleported to the enemy's doorstep and thrown into unconsciousness by his trickster of a chain, while preparing to use his locket.

He'd intended to seek some advice on how to be rid of the ghostly beast, in case his gun failed him, but now... well. Maybe you would be so kind as to assist this poor fool, somehow.  ]

Comments

ACTION!

[incused]

[ He has given up on wandering aimlessly, for days on end, having been thoroughly chastised on the subject. Still, he has a morbid attraction to the east river, so he has spent the morning out on horseback, trotting along its banks. Finally he turns his steed and returns to the castle. On his way back, he sees....

A man asleep (or unconscious or dead), with a dreadful creature looming over him. Its cuteness is lost on him, because he senses it as being part of the Abyss, having himself only recently come from there. A chain. He spurs his horse and approaches at a gallop, sword drawn. ]

DIE, foul creature!

[ofmisfortune]

[ The creature in question continues to listlessly bob in place - until its ears twitch at the sound of the approaching hoofbeat and unsheathed metal. Tail drawing up into a tight coil, Dormouse apparently decides that it's time to board ship now, withdrawing from whence it came... right back to Vincent!

With its influence gone, the commotion is enough to pull the man from his slumber-- although, apparently not so much that one could consider him coherent. Even when blinking his eyes open, he doesn't seem to process the fact that a horse quickly approaches.

No, instead, he breathes a sleepy groan as he squints against the sunlight, and rolls to turn away. ]

[incused]

[ Kevin makes a pass and comes around, reining in his horse. He'd wondered, initially, whether the Chain meant to devour the man on the ground before him; but now it's clear that... ]

You're a contractor.

[ He hasn't dismounted, nor has he sheathed his weapon. He'd considered riding the man down, but even he won't attack someone barely conscious, sprawled on the ground. Therefore: ]

Get up.

[ofmisfortune]

[ What nerve, to make demands of him. Vincent's quite tempted to ignore that he's heard it at all, in favor of pretending that he's fallen back asleep - except that voice is distinctly familiar.

Stirring, he pushes himself up just enough to cast a bleary glance over his shoulder. The sight that awaits him surely has his mismatched eyes widening in surprise. ]

Hatter--?

[ Except it... isn't. Not quite. Rather, he appears to look the part of the man he used to be, all those years ago. Face relaxing into a smirk, he carelessly tilts his head whilst looking him over. ]

Or, should I say, Big Brother Of Misfortune?

[incused]

[ Somebody else who seems to recognize him. The word "Hatter" makes no sense to him as an epithet, but the other... ]

...what?

[ "Big brother of misfortune," what on earth? And yet it's painfully accurate, the misfortune part anyway. His horse, perhaps sensing his consternation, whickers and begins to step away; Kevin has to pull on the reins again to quiet it. Then he looks again at the man on the ground, still lying there and smiling up insolently at him. The mismatched eyes are striking... ]

You!

[ ...and then he remembers. The child in the Abyss, now grown up, evidently. Everyone from his world seems plucked from a different time. ].

[ofmisfortune]

[ Well, he isn't held at sword point right away, so Vincent properly pushes himself up to sit and take a moment to stretch, craning his back, aaarching his shoulders. Why, he even manages a polite yawn behind splayed fingers - one that drawls into his next words: ]

Time between worlds is a funny thing, isn't it?

[ Relaxing to lean back onto his hands for a moment, he simply-- smiles. The way he looks at Kevin, it seems that he might be implying much more than how it behaves between this one and their own; he'd never say as much, however. ]

[incused]

[ He doesn't answer for a long moment. He has been trying very hard to forget, distracting his thoughts in any way he can, but the sight of the man's mismatched eyes brings back his memories (still very fresh) in all their vivid agony.

His sword arm drops, and then he lets the sword fall, clanking on the paving stones. Then he dismounts, slowly. ]

If you're a contractor....

[ He's murmuring, almost to himself. ]

...then your Chain wants feeding.

video;

[retraced]

[As if finding Elliot and Alice inside of this magical jewelry wasn't enough of a shock, now he has a sleeping little brother, too. He doesn't even see the castle in the background as he picks his own locket up and yells loudly into it to make sure Vincent can hear him through his slumber.]

Vincent! Hey - wake up!

[ofmisfortune]

Mmn...

[ Yeah, Vincent recognizes that voice-- and it seems that his first instinct is to slink over closer to the source and nuzzle his cheek into the grass whilst reaching out a seeking hand. ]

... brother...

[ Embarrassing, isn't it? Also pretty hard to tell if he's screwing with Gil's head, or if this is an actual thing that's happening. It really could go either way. ]

1/2

[retraced]

[VINCENT THAT'S CREEPY]

2/2

[retraced]

I'm not there! I'm...over here!

[Inside of a magical necklace, what a time to be alive.]

Wake up already!

[ofmisfortune]

[ Brother that's not very descriptive, and he's really too tired for this-- that's totally what he means to say, but it just comes out as something more like a graceful, ]

Hmnyh?

[ Cracking open mismatched eyes to search for his precious, he blearily raises a hand to brush along the side of his face-- and only then does it seem to register that something's amiss.

That this sure as hell isn't where he's supposed to be, but more importantly, that he's hearing the very guy that he's been trying to avoid. Shit.

Time to look AS SURPRISED AS POSSIBLE, while picking up the locket! ]

It really is you... Ah, I'll be heartbroken if I'm still dreaming.

[retraced]

[And Gilbert falls for that face of course, just as he'd fallen for his face at home when he'd smiled so happily with his gun drawn. Gil slumps where he's sitting, holding the locket out at arm's length with his shoulders hunched forward, weighted down with depression and familial burden.]

You're not dreaming, but you fell asleep outside somewhere. [He sighs himself into a sad little frown.]

So you've been in the other castle where Elliot is all this time.

[WHY DIDN'T YOU CALL, BRO.]

[ofmisfortune]

[ Ah, Vincent recognizes that look well, merely acknowledging it with another smooth smile of his.

When Gilbert mentions slumber, Vincent glances upward, catching sight of Dormouse above. ]

It seems that you're right about that.

[ But where had he fallen asleep, precisely? He glances around himself - though, the thought cuts short with a yawn. ]

Mm, with Elliot, yes. What a shame; you'd surely thought that you would be free from my hindrance here.

video;

[nobleminded]

[It's bad enough that you're passed out in a random place again. But showing it to everyone who has one of these magic lockets and obviously being at what looks like the other castle? Yeah, it's obviously a matter he should address in the name of their family.]

GET A HOLD OF YOURSELF, VINCENT!

[ofmisfortune]

Oh. You're going to scold me, too?

[ This response returns to Elliot some time later, accompanied by an image of Vincent curling a hand before his mouth, yawning wide. ]

[nobleminded]

Someone has to! Where are you, anyway?! Don't tell me you tried to go after that thing making all the noise with a Chain you can barely control!

[ofmisfortune]

[ ... nailed it ... ]

I hate to ruin your sense of achievement, but you're hardly the first. [ Gilbert. ]

[nobleminded]

GOOD! Obviously you need as many people as possible telling you! What the hell were you thinking?!

[ofmisfortune]

Mm, well-- [ He presses an index to his chin. ] I was thinking of how I value my rest, truly. I hadn't expected Dormouse to misbehave right then, of course.

[ action ]

[dappergent]

[ squish

Oscar paused, staring straight ahead, a tiny ??? appearing above his head as he once again leaned forward, putting weight on his foot as he tested the ground in front of hi, feeling a peculiar kind of give as he did so.

What could it be?

Who knew.

What should he do?

Well... that was kind of obvious. Taking a step back, Oscar gently took out a handkerchief and started them to a high sheen before pushing them up to rest on the bridge of his nose. Peering down at the ground in front of him, he jumped, throwing his picnic basket high into the air! ]

Oh, Vincent!

[ urk, why does this always happen to him? he knelt, and then grabbed the nearest item at hand to poke the dead—er, sleeping man on the ground in front of him. Thank you branch, you are just what the dead duke needed! ]

Are you awake?

[ he certainly hoped so otherwise he may have just legitimately poked a corpse, even if the dormouse was now visable above Vincent's head. (It's honestly amazing that Oscar didn't fall under his spell himself! ]

[ofmisfortune]

[ The Dormouse merely flicked it ears with a little bounce, as though amused by this turn of events! Perhaps it decided to spare him for the show.

Vincent, on the other hand, had given something of a squeak when he'd been stepped on, but perhaps Oscar hadn't heard it! Now that he's nearer, he'll see that the man's blearily blinking awake, though apparently still half-asleep as he reaches out to pat at the evasive poking, though missing entirely. ]

Mn... Now, brother?

[ Oh, and he blushes. ]

[dappergent]

[ there's a slight twitch in Oscar's face as he sees that blush and hear's that voice and before he can think his foot is moving and he's stomp, stomp, stomping all over that damn, beautiful face!

TAKE THAT YOU STUPID BROTHER OBSESSED FOOL. ]

[ofmisfortune]

[ After that first stomp, Vincent thankfully has enough sense to coil his arms up in defense! There's a grunt of pain and surprise with each one, and he finally rolls out of the line of fire, to cup his hands over his afflicted cheek.

Frankly, he's rather pissed about the damage done to his face, but he'll make a show of being positively wounded. ]

Wh-- Master Oscar? What's this about?

[dappergent]

[ Oscar glared and crossed his arms, huffing (to add insult to injury) ]

You know perfectly well what it's about!

Talking about Gilbert like that...

[ he sighed and then unfolded his arms, holding out a hand. ]

Come, I'll help you up. You must be starving to have traveled such a long distance in a week. [ or was it two? ] I can at least show you the way to the castle. [ not that it isn't, you know, looming large over his shoulder or anything. And he's just being nice, don't you dare read anything into that, Vincent otherwise he swears to god... ]