Not-Hardly Underland (Tag: Marmadue)

[Alice Kingsleigh]

A sharp and stabbing pain brought her back to consciousness.

Alice woke up in a daze, her vision blurred and keeping her disoriented for the first couple of minutes. Numbness had taken control of her senses; there were sounds, yes, bright lights and a variety of smells, but she just couldn’t seem to place any of them. Some of these cues had a certain air of familiarity. Others? Not so much. For some reason, however, all of them felt a tad too foreign to her. And so she blinked. Not once, not twice. She blinked several times, attempting to take a clearer hold of the situation.

It was then that she realized that she was laying on her back. She wasn’t standing on The Wonder’s deck, barking orders as raindrops vigorously rolled down her face. Her hand wasn’t holding the Vorpal Sword by its hilt, swinging and slicing through the invading swarm of shadows. The young woman’s hands immediately jerked around, digits taking in their surroundings as best as they could in such state of confusion. It was cold, hard, rough to the touch. Was she resting on the ground? Out on a street?

But how? Had they been marooned on an abandoned port of a sort?

No, that wasn’t it. She wasn’t hearing any of the known sounds of the sea. As she attempted to raise her upper body and adopt a sitting position, Alice winced. Her body ached in all kinds of ways: her back was sore, her neck felt strained and her limbs had that awful pulsing sensation. She could even feel a throbbing headache jumping on that bandwagon of pain.

Her eyes were suddenly able to focus on the area. It resembled a town, she thought, as large concrete buildings gradually filled her view. But it was also a rather odd one, employing strands of what she took for steel to close off whole sections and large green containers that emitted… ah, the most curious smells. It all made her feel so small and yet, for some reason she didn’t feel as frightened as she probably should have.

Alice concluded that the dark pool she’d accidentally fallen into was probably responsible for taking her to such a strange place. It hadn’t looked like one of McTwisp’s trademark rabbit holes, sure, but it sure seemed to have worked like one… just with a slightly different destination. Did that mean some of her crew could have made it into this town as well? There were just so many questions and so little she could tell from her current vantage point: the innards of an empty alley.

Holding the wall with her right hand, Captain Kingsleigh finally managed to rise from the ground. She dismissed the pain receptors screaming throughout her body; she’d worry about that later, once she learned more about the place. As she began to walk toward the end of the area and into what she hoped was a busier street, a sharp glimmer of silver caught her attention out of the corner of her eye. The young woman turned, bewildered at the sight. She couldn’t help letting out a small chuckle as she rubbed her eyes to confirm what they told her: the Vorpal Sword and the White Champion’s Shield, pristine bright and resting against the opposite wall of the alley. Had they found their way to her once again, even through the darkness that had taken her ship? Or maybe someone had consciously sent them to help her?

Alice rushed to retrieve her weaponry, though her grip relaxed as she finally stepped into Market Street.

It was night time, judging from the broken moon shining down on her as she roamed. This town was definitely similar to London’s very own centers; there were restaurants, shops, apartment complexes… everything a group of people needed to live comfortably. Still, she could tell it had seen better days. Some of the buildings were cracked, a handful were broken down to certain degree while others barely managed to stand as they were. The young woman had never visited the warzones back home, but something told her that, in a way, this looked a bit like them.

”Now Alice,” she began, her voice raspy and hoarsed. She proceeded clear her throat while squinting her eyes. ”Think. What would Phelps, Brandon and the others do in such an unusual place?”

A pub was the first thing that came to mind, but the captain didn’t know if there was such an establishment in this strange town.

Wait, was that…

”Uilleam!” Alice exclaimed, her eyes following the bird-like figure. A relieved smile spread across her face as she rushedly ran after it. Uilleam, the Dodo, had been a true friend to her during her visits to Underland… though his penchant for pyromania could often trouble the rest of the lot. Maybe he could explain where she was and how and why she had gotten there in the first place.

Calling his name once again, Alice closed in on her feathery friend… but wait, since when did the Dodo bird wear armor? Why were his feathers red with white stripes now? Had the Red Queen escaped and done something to him? Dozens of questions popped up in her mind and she was about to let them loose upon finding herself face to face with the bird…

It wasn’t Uilleam.

”Oh… pardon me, sir. I… I believe I mistook you for someone else.” She spoke, attempting to apologize for her mistake. Captain Kingsley glanced around as she nervously bit her bottom lip. That led her back to square one. Still, information was something she needed, and this bird-like creature seemed to be (or at least she hoped was) as kind as its Dodo cousin. ”I’m terribly sorry to bother you, but I’m afraid I’ve lost my way. Am I, by any chance, back at Underland?”

[Marmadue]

Marmadue was deep in thought as he gently tapped one of those strange pencil things against a paper held onto a clipboard, his motions just happening without conscious thought. It wasn't good. It wasn't good at all. Almost hopeless, even. But giving up hope, after all this time… Felt like such a waste. Even if logic dictated that they were doomed, emotion wanted to – or, perhaps it was emotion that decided that they were doomed, but logic still managed to come up with a reason to not fall into depression… Ah, it just wasn't good!

The Yuke frowned as he walked through the streets, looking down at his notes. He was doing his part the best he could, preparing for the arrival of the horrific beast that tried to destroy the world they now inhabited. He wouldn't be able to fight. He was no fighter, he couldn't help. A healer could help in a fight perhaps, yes… But could he actually help, himself? Marmadue knew his limits. He had no battle experience. A story shared by many in Twilight Town, people just like him without grand adventures and battles. But skill could be found. Magic could be found. A skilled mage was a great boon – and when it came to magic, Yukes knew the best!

Well, at least the people of his world would have said so…

Unfortunately, magic did not seem to come so naturally to many people, unlike to a creature like him. There was no one he had found with great inborn potential. Not that such a thing had to be there for someone to be able to weave magic, it definitely would have helped them at the moment. All the Yuke could do was to figure out the skills of those who were willing to show them to him, offering their help. But to start from scratch… They wouldn't be ready. They had no time.

"Uilleam!"

A yell from behind caused Marmadue to stop, the word unfamiliar to him and completely meaningless. Of course he didn't assume it was something said to him exactly because of that, but he did glance over his shoulder just to see what it was that had was happening behind him. Nothing he could really consider anything out of the ordinary, so the Yuke was already ready to continue… Until the word was repeated, now closer. In fact, almost right behind him. Blinking, he turned around and looked down at the young woman looking at him with such a curious expression…

But he didn't recognize her. In fact, it seemed like she didn't, either. Perhaps it was some other Yuke she was looking for – though that thought caused Marmadue's heart to skip a beat. Perhaps she had seen…?
"Oh, er, ah," it took him a moment to find his voice, his train of thought. What was it that she had said? Underland?
"I cannot say I have ever heard of such a place, miss," the helmet cocked to the side, his gaze inspecting the young lady. Twilight Town was no Underland. She didn't seem too surprised or scared, though. Perhaps she wasn't even new? Was there an Underland in Twilight Town she had been looking for? A certain part of the town, perhaps? He had heard of underground tunnels…

"Though ah, I haven't really been looking around all that much, or asked for names… Could you maybe ah, describe it for me?" Marmadue started to scratch the back of his helmet.

[Alice Kingsleigh]

“Oh…” Her heart dropped at the creature’s words, disappointment evident across her face. Alice hated to admit it now, but she’d been holding on to the possibility of this town being just another side of Underland. That would’ve made things so much easier: she could’ve headed straight for Marmoreal and asked the White Queen and the Hatter for help in finding her crew. But here, in this dark and strange place? She had no friends of her own.

The captain’s hopes, however, resurfaced as the bird-like entity expressed doubts about his own knowledge of the town. She lowered her blade, resting its tip against the concrete ground below. Did that mean there was still a chance of her being at an unknown part of Underland?

“It's the most unusual of places! It has lush forests and vast wastelands, castles and villages, and all sorts of wonderful creatures. There's even a rabbit in a waistcoat and a smiling cat… and some roses who just love to gossip.”

Thinking of Underland while she described it brought a smile back to Alice’s face. She had fond memories of the place as well as of those who had come to grow into her dearest friends. She would’ve wholeheartedly accepted the Hatter’s offer stayed there if it weren’t for her mother and her responsabilities back at her own land. Now, she couldn’t help but wonder if leaving had been the right choice after all.

Wait.

If her new acquaintance wasn’t really that familiar with their current surroundings, did that mean he was also from another place? Another land, perhaps? The woman hadn’t really been anywhere else besides England, Orient and Underland, except for…

Hollow Bastion.

Memories of her time as Maleficent’s captive flashed before her eyes. Of course! How had the possibility slipped her mind? Though her world didn’t fall to darkness that time, some of her fellow Princesses of Heart hadn’t been as lucky. She recalled bits and pieces of their tales, the hints to sorrow and fright that made their voices quiver as they spoke. The Heartless had been responsible for such tragedies. It wouldn’t be too farfetched to theorize her own world suffered that same fate now.

“Does… that mean you’re like me? A visitor? A stranger in this most strange land?”

[Marmadue]

Marmadue looked down as the girl seemed so disappointed at his lack of knowledge. It was difficult to not feel disappointed at himself, too! However, there was still a chance. He might have seen what she was looking for, just unable to recognize the name. It seemed like the girl understood that possibility as well, her expression once more turning more hopeful before she started to describe what it was she was looking for.

…But it was no good. It sounded nothing like Twilight Town. At least, not the Twilight Town the Yuke knew. There was a forest, but he wouldn't call it particularly lush. Wastelands and castles, however? Now those definitely didn't ring a bell. Twilight Town was but a mere town, perhaps filled with wonderful creatures, but it did not seem to be this Underland she was looking for. At the very least, Marmadue had seen a rabbit wearing clothes, but talking roses…?

Perhaps it was a good thing his face was covered by a helmet, his frown not apparent. He had been hoping that the girl's story wasn't going to be the same one so many of them had, but it seemed to be the case. She did not know where she was, hoping to find a way back to her home… Something none of them had really been able to do yet. Marmadue held his clipboard against his chest, his gaze on the girl as he finally shook his head. He did not recognize her description. It seemed like he had to be the one to break her the bad news.

"I ah… Certainly am a stranger myself, yes," he spoke softly, the girl seeming to have caught onto the fact that the Yuke also did not seem to belong to the world,
"A visitor… I am unsure if I would call myself exactly ah, a visitor. I did not choose to come here. I suppose… Neither did you, miss?" Marmadue cocked his head to the side slightly. Would it ever become easier? Finding new people wandering the streets, their homes potentially destroyed? Telling them of that possibility?

[Alice Kingsleigh]

At first, Alice was relieved to hear that she wasn’t the only one sharing her current predicament. Despite finding new lands and places so interesting (each in their own way), there was always a time when she ended up feeling complete and utter fright. Underland had treated her well, offered her countless adventures and experiences she simply wouldn’t have had back at London. But in the end, it wasn’t home. Home was her life back with her mother, in that small house full of treasured memories close to her heart. Knowing there was at least another capable of empathizing with that sentiment… it was comforting to say the least.

Still, realizing that her bird friend’s home had suffered the same fate as hers… it put things into perspective. How many others were dealing with that truth? How many worlds had the Heartless taken this time… and how? Alice had trouble understanding how. Her memories were a bit foggy, but she distinctly recalled how that boy, Sora, told her he was going to restore the fallen worlds and prevent others from following that path. She believed he’d been successful in his endeavor but… perhaps she’d been wrong to assume as much.

“Alice,” the Princess replied, offering her acquaintance a small yet clumsy attempt of a bow. She lowered her shield hand enough for it to hold her sword’s hilt as well. This creature was selflessly trying to help her and she had taken so long to even introduce herself. Mother would probably be disappointed in her sudden lack of manners. “My name is Alice… and no, I’m afraid this jaunt wasn’t exactly voluntary.”

She took a second glance at the area, once again noting the damage it seemed to have sustained. Captain Kingsleigh was now aware that the general set-up differed quite a bit from the average English and Chinese settings. This probably wasn’t the town’s usual state. It looked like it had endured its fair share of conflict and disaster, barely holding together as it awaited the next blow. Once again, she thought of warzones and passing tales she’d heard of them back home. Was this also work of the darkness?

“What happened here?” Alice asked, turning back to the bird. “Did… the Heartless do this to this place?”

[Marmadue]

The girl bowed, introducing herself. That caused Marmadue to stir slightly, realizing that he had failed to do the same earlier! Perhaps the situation had been surprising enough for both of them to forget that important first step – after all, the girl had assumed him to be someone he wasn't, someone she knew. And when it seemed like she indeed was new and whisked away from her world into Twilight Town like he had been… Well, she probably had a lot more on her mind than names.
"Ah, yes. Apologies, miss. I am called Marmadue," the Yuke replied, seeming to mimic her way of introduction and giving her a slight bow – careful to not go so low he would accidentally poke a hole into her head with the tip of his helmet, of course.

Alice took a look around. Very much an expected reaction, when one was at a new place. Twilight Town wasn't much to look at, being in very poor shape. If there was a building that hadn't taken some kind of damage, he had yet to see it.
"You… Know about the Heartless?" Marmadue asked, tilting his head slightly. He definitely hadn't, until… Until it had happened, when they made themselves very apparent. Even then, it took him someone else to actually tell him what those strange shadowy creatures were. Many refugees seemed to be the same. But some had history with them.
"I ah… I was not here to see what happened. I only came here, ah, after all this," the Yuke glanced around him, having a hard time imagining what it was that could reduce a world to this state.

"…They say it is the Heartless however, yes. Perhaps that is an answer that can be accepted," his chest rose slightly as he took in a deeper breath than usual, exhaling with a sigh. He couldn't really answer the girl's question and he was quite uncertain if anyone wanted to recall the events that led to this… Not to mention there was something in the future that might have made everything even worse…

But before Marmadue mentioned that, he perked up. Ah, that was right. Alice, she had mistaken him for someone else. Could it be…?
"…Ah, miss. If you pardon my inquiries, but… Have you perhaps ah, met someone like me before?"

The girl did not come from his world. That much he could say. Where else might she have seen a Yuke…?

[Alice Kingsleigh]

[Not entirely satisfied with this post but I was already overdue. My apologies!]

Alice opened her mouth to answer, but another flash of Maleficent and her wicked persona ultimately led her to hesitate. Marmadue had treated her with nothing but kindness and respect so far. However, the young woman’s past experiences made her a bit skeptical about blindly trusting a stranger with the whole truth. She had just arrived at this place. There was no way for her to know what kind of people lived there, much less what were their general intentions. While she disliked the idea of her holding some level of “importance” above others, she knew that it’d be best to keep her status as a Princess of Heart quiet. At least for the time being.

“Yes, I… first encountered them a long time ago, back when I was just a little girl.” She brought a hand to her hair, digits playing with the braid draping over her shoulder. For a brief moment, her thoughts went back to Underland. Fortunately, she had failed to see any Heartless roaming about the last time she visited. She took that as a good sign, one pointing at Underland’s survival. Nonetheless, things could change in just a matter of days… and the captain could only hope the land didn’t share her own world’s fate.

“Not long ago, they came to my world. My crew and I attempted to repel their advances but… in the end, my people weren’t prepared for an invasion of the like. One of the “impossible” kind, that is.”

Alice nodded at Marmadue’s explanation, her own gaze following his as he proceeded to look around the area. Part of her was glad that he hadn’t been forced to endure the town’s decay following his own world’s destruction. She hadn’t quite finished processing the implications of having lost her home to the Heartless, but she was fully aware that facing reality wasn’t the easiest thing to do. This was something Cinderella had shared with her back at Hollow Bastion. The younger woman hoped the blonde had been spared of reliving such horrors this time around.

Yet before she could inquire any further about this strange town, Marmadue changed the subject.

“Hmm… you could say I have, yes,” she began, addressing Marmadue’s question. Her friend, the Dodo, did somewhat look like her newest acquaintance. They had similar mannerisms and appearances, despite the former not being much of a talker. Still, they weren’t exactly two peas in a pod. “Uilleam resembles you quite a bit… yet at the same time he doesn’t. You both have beaks and feathers and are oddly clothed, but you also have a horn, a helmet and… non feathered wings. I don’t believe he has any of those things.”

Alice pondered for a few moments, attempting to single out any more similarities between the two. In the end, however, they didn't seem to be as alike as she initially believed them to be.

[Marmadue]

"Ah," Marmadue looked down as the girl told him of when she had first seen those dreadful creatures known as the Heartless. He couldn't have imagined how it would have been, had he seen them when he was young. He was a grown Yuke, yet he was still so powerless and terrified. To have been just a little girl… It sounded horrible. A thing they probably shouldn't really talk about, a thing that was better left to be in the past. Some things shouldn't be revisited. Perhaps he shouldn't have even asked.

Though then again, perhaps it helped a little, to talk about things that had happened. Perhaps the one good thing about having seen the Heartless before was that Alice seemed to know about what they did or could do. She seemed quite… Calm. Even though it seemed that the worst had happened, she was not panicking. She was not looking all too worried. Perhaps she was a person who could put on a strong front and not show her feelings to others, perhaps she was actually suffering more than she lot on. Though, if she had already seen them when she was young and then again later when they finally seemed to… Do that horrible thing…

Did that mean her world had managed to push them away the first time around? Had they found a way? Was it possible? Could they do it, too? Or had the world been destroyed the first time around and then… Rebuilt?

But there were other things he had to know about first. Perhaps it was selfish when he could have asked about potentially saving, oh, entire worlds, but he just had to know. This was the closest he had ever been to finding another Yuke! He couldn't let that chance to slip through his fingers! He was hopeful, waiting with bated breath. Marmadue even leaned closer in his excitement, listening to the girl's words – though when she brought up that he was oddly clothed, the Yuke was clearly shocked enough to flinch back, his hands both pressing his clipboard against his chest as if that was where he had been wounded. Or perhaps it was just a defensive maneuver…

However, even though Alice managed to find similarities, she also started to find differences. Not all Yukes had horns, that was fine. This Uilleam might have actually been a female, something many non-Yukes often did do, having trouble telling their genders apart. But… No helmet? A Yuke without a helmet? That sounded… Very strange!
"No… No helmet?" He just had to ask if he had heard her right the first time around. Clearly the idea was so crazy to him, he was more likely to question his own hearing rather than the statement.

"Perhaps… Perhaps this ah, friend of yours is not a Yuke after all…"



((It's not like posts have to be some kind of masterpieces or anything, just write what comes to you!))

[Alice Kingsleigh]

Marmadue’s reaction to her answer did not escape Alice. Her expression softened, head slightly tilting to the side. Had she said something wrong? Blatant honesty was one of the woman’s many traits, but more often than not it seemed to unease her average acquaintance. Mother always said people weren’t used to such displays of bluntness; that was something the captain had yet to fully comprehend… but she acknowledged it, at least. She hurriedly offered an apologetic smile, lowering her gaze as she tucked a loose strand of hair behind her ear.

“I really am sorry, mister Marmadue. Whether or not Uilleam is one of these “Yukes”… I’m afraid I do not know.” Yuke. What a strange title that was! The princess couldn’t help but wonder. Were they some kind of nobility group among sentient birds? Or perhaps they were military-based organization instead? Their fondness for armored garments was evident and appeared to hold certain social importance among their members. Such affairs, of course, would possibly seem absurd to those strangers to magic and its curiosities. Alice couldn’t possibly be farther from that label (and quite fortunately, if she had any say in the matter).

“Is a helmet-less Yuke truly an odd sight, though?” She asked, her hand twirling and playing with her grounded sword as a spinning top. Her desire to learn more about Marmadue and these “Yukes” had taken control of her speech for a moment. She simply needed to hear more! Alice suddenly though of her Dodo friend once again. She struggled to find any more similarities between him and her new acquaintance. Unless… “Hm… now that I think of it… Uilleam has worn helmets before. While serving as part of the White Queen’s army, of course. He did seem awfully fond of them, now that I think of it.”

“Regardless, if you came to this world… I wouldn’t say it´d be too far-fetched to believe more of these “Yukes” did so as well. Or maybe they happened to arrive elsewhere!” Alice smiled at Marmadue, this time a tad more brightly than before. She was trying to give him some hope the same way Belle, Cinderella and the others had done for her so many years ago. It wasn’t much, yes, and probably only a temporary way to take his mind off the worst case scenario… but it was something. The captain wasn’t a helpless little girl anymore. If she could help someone, be it with her blade or through her words, she’d do it.

“Ah! I apologize for changing the subject so abruptly but I just have to ask. Have you seen anyone like me today? Looking like me, that is.” Kingsley tugged at her shirt’s collar, half-glancing at the nearby passersby as she spoke. While momentarily side tracked, she hadn’t forgotten about her crew. Deep down the princess knew her inner light had saved her from the darkness, but she couldn’t possibly be the sole survivor of the attack on the Wonder… could she?

No. She refused to believe that. Others had made it off the ship and off their world. She had to hold on to such thoughts.

“Or, if it isn’t too much trouble, could you show me where the nearest shelter is? I’d be very much obliged.”

[Marmadue]

Marmadue closed his eyes in thought. This Uilleam indeed was turning out to be quite the mystery – at the very least it did not sound like they were calling themselves Yukes where Alice lived, if she found the term so strange. Then again, if it was a whole different world? Perhaps the Yukes there would be different as well. Creatures like Alice seemed to be all over Twilight Town, even if they all came from different worlds. It wasn't such a stretch to think that perhaps there were creatures like Yukes in other worlds – but they weren't quite like the Yukes he knew.

But if that was the case, he was back to square one…

"Ah," the Yuke opened his eyes when the girl ended up asking her own question about Yukes, indeed confirming that perhaps the creatures Alice had seen were quite far from what he knew! Everyone should have known that Yukes didn't remove their helmets just like that! Perhaps this might have been some kind of a strange outcast, but really! It was something Marmadue would have never even thought of, just walking around without his helmet for everyone to see!
"It ah, it would be, yes. We are to not bare ourselves on just anybody!"

What a horrifying thought, that. Who would have even done that? He certainly hoped Uilleam wasn't a Yuke now! Even if, apparently this Uilleam had worn helmets before. Ah… This was just getting more confusing! Marmadue wasn't even able to come to a solid conclusion without actually meeting this creature! A hand was brought up to the side of the Yuke's neck as he rubbed it, being careful not to skewer himself with the pencil.

Marmadue lowered his hand as the girl continued, perhaps sensing his frustration or confusion or whatever it was that he was feeling at the time – he certainly didn't know! Words of hope, the usual response – and wish – they all had: even if the ones they were looking for weren't here, they might have been somewhere else. They had to be.
"…Ah. Yes. Quite. Statistically speaking, it does make sense for there to be ah, more survivors. Especially when we do not even have access to this entire town at the moment," the Yuke tilted his head slightly, perhaps musing out loud to himself rather than speaking to the girl…

Who of course was having very much the same worries. Oh dear, she was the one who had just appeared in a strange place all on her own! They weren't here to worry about Yukes or Marmadue! How thoughtless of him!
"Ah, dear me. I, I apologize, ah, yes, let me think," he spluttered, quite flustered now. People looking like Alice… Well, most of the people in Twilight Town looked like her. But when she pointed at her clothes… Well, that was a bit more difficult. Everyone seemed to be wearing such wide variety of clothes that they all just blended together…
"…Today… I ah, you would be the first new arrival I have met, miss," he continued after a moment of thinking. That much he did know. Could people from the same place arrive on different days? He did not know. But if Alice had arrived just now, it would have made sense for others she knew to have done the same! It would have been impossible for him to have met anyone else!

But they weren't out of options yet! Lowering his clipboard from his chest, it seemed like he had to take a little break from his previous mission.
"Yes, yes, they might have been taken somewhere else – or perhaps they will show up later, when they ah, wake up. Or are found by someone," the Yuke's gaze was directed downwards at the girl's face. Perhaps there was a bit more certainty in his voice this time around. This wasn't the first time he had done something like this! It wasn't the first time for many who lived in the town! Most knew what to do.
"Often ah, injured ones are brought to where I live," Marmadue started, indeed making him realize that if another world had just been destroyed, he really should be going to his new home so he would be easily found,
"But ah, I do not have much room, so there are bigger shelters where ah, less serious cases might be brought first…"

Options. They had those. It might have meant they had to check many places, but they might actually find what they were looking for there!

"…I could show you the way, miss."

[Alice Kingsleigh]

[Live thread, live!]

“Access to the entire town…” Alice echoed, her words barely audible yet melodious enough to be taken as inquisitive. Nonetheless she opted against pressing the matter any further. Her new friend seemed frustrated enough as it was. Perhaps it was, in fact, because of her. Many people, mostly nobles and aristocrats Mother and Margaret enjoyed mingling with, found her tendency to question a nuisance (and they were quite vocal about it). Again, another thing she failed to fully understand.

The girl wasn’t judged so harshly in Wonderland, though. She was still deemed “peculiar” and “strange” more often than not, but the people there didn’t call her out because of it. She wasn’t an outcast. Among the White Queen’s subjects, it was as if… as if she belonged. She was free to follow her heart’s content, free to explore and wander around the realm. And for the first time in many years, she had companions willing to tag along for the adventure… and a Jabberwocky slaying or two.

Friends.

That didn’t mean, of course, that captaining The Wonder was a dull task. Name similarities aside, the ship truly felt like her own little piece of that land. The crew was lively and quirky, comprised of other English misfits handpicked by Alice herself. Their travels were all strange, wonderous and dangerous. She could only imagine how Father had felt during his own voyages at sea. She believed it couldn’t have been far from her own truth. They were kindred spirits, Father and her.

This world, this town… it felt oddly similar to Underland under the Red Queen’s rule. The decay, the gloom, the hopelessness. It thickened the air, pressuring everyone down into a spiral of desperation. Then again, it also reminded her of home in an even stranger way. Perhaps that was why people, or at least Marmadue, felt at odds with her queries. Still, she would need to speak to more of the townsfolk in order to let herself make that sort of generalizations.

Once the Yuke offered to help her look for her crew, however, Alice’s reservations were swiftly back-burned.

“I would really appreciate that, yes. Thank you.”

She attempted a curtsy once again, though it was hard to tell if it was even half as gracious as the first. Regardless, the captain was pleased with her basic etiquette skills. She proceeded to reequip her weaponry and waited for the Yuke to lead the way to the first shelter on the list.

“May I ask you a question?” Alice glanced at the bird-like figure, deciding that asking before “asking” was the polite thing to do. Giving him enough time to process her request before shooting her real inquiry at him, though, was a completely different matter. “You mentioned that the injured arrivals were often brought to your care. Does this mean you’re a healer of some kind? The town doctor, perhaps?”

“Back home our family doctor visited quite often,” she went on, the memories resurfacing in her mind. Her recurring dreams and nightmares weren’t normal, he used to say. Doctor Alemi claimed they were taking a toll on both, her physical and mental health, and he’d prescribe medicine that always made her feel drowsy and weird. The episodes would fade in time, much to Mother’s relief, but she’d eventually come to realize these weren’t precisely imaginary creations of her own. “I was a sickly child, you see. Bedridden for days, sometimes even weeks. It probably sounds more lonely that it was, though. I had Dinah, you see…”

“But that can be a tale for another day. Back to my premise: you are a doctor, yes?”

[Marmadue]

"Ah, it is what anyone would do, miss," Marmadue nodded while brushing aside the thank yous, their course set. The clipboard was brought from his chest to his side, his previous mission overruled by this new one – after all, he had to make sure that no one injured had made their way to his humble abode while he was gone and was waiting for help! His free arm made the motion of asking the young woman to continue walking the way he had been just earlier, so he could walk beside her and lead the way. Though, as the most time crucial patients tended to be directed to where he lived, it only made sense to go there first, just in case. If someone was there, it would be good for him to actually be there to treat them!

"Ah, y–" the Yuke had grown silent for a moment, busy with thoughts as he walked, but Alice's question about, well, asking him a question snapped him out of it quickly. While he was about to answer – quite positively, one might have added, the girl already continued her line of questioning. His… Job. Now that might have been a bit more complicated than Alice might have expected, considering the state of Twilight Town… But her deductions had certainly been rather apt. It seemed like the girl had some kind of history with doctors she was quick to share with him.

Marmadue craned his head towards Alice.
"…It is, ah, a relief that you have overcome your debilitating condition, miss," was really the first thing anyone could say to that – or at least what the Yuke could say to that! But ah, there had been a question before she had gotten sidetracked, yes! His profession, his position. Nothing that was a secret, for sure.
"Ah. Yes – I mean, ah, no. I am not a, ah, doctor, per se. I haven't the training," though then again, training to be a doctor tended to be something people who couldn't just magically heal away injuries did. But Marmadue couldn't claim that there wasn't some important information and experience to be learned from that path.

"I ah, am a healer of sort, however. My magical aptitude is that of the healing kind, which makes me rather ideal when ah, we don't have that many options," the Yuke spoke as if that was a completely normal everyday thing, not even skipping a beat or really bothering to explain it much further on his own. He kept walking, his pace calm, but his legs of course quite long compared to most creatures shorter than him. His path continued along the market street, people mulling about around them, busy with their own things. Life continued even in such desolate ruins, stalls existed to trade goods and… Well, there certainly was a different kind of bustling, if one had been around long enough to tell the difference. They were preparing. Preparing for something big. Weapons, armor… Those were also something they had to create out of the little they had.

[Alice Kingsleigh]

“That’s very kind of you to say,” Alice glanced over at the Yuke, offering him a warm smile as they walked side by side. She would’ve gone on about how wrong Doctor Alemi’s initial diagnoses were, but Marmadue was quick to answer her initial query. It turned out his abilities, while comparable to a conventional doctor’s, came from a very different source: magical talents. Aside from the occasional rumors of witches and the passing band of gypsies, those were quite unheard of back in England. Magic itself wasn’t a “socially acceptable” topic of discussion either. Alice deemed that unfortunate. While her off-world travels hadn’t exactly shown magic in a fully positive light, she had come to see and experience many of its virtues.

Plus, one could say there was some of that magic inside her.

“That just reminded me of someone I met a while ago. A cheshire cat, Chessur. I think he was magical too. He could vanish and become invisible whenever he pleased… “evaporating skills” he called them, I think.” The young woman’s eyes lit up as she shared the tale, letting out a small chuckle at the thought of Chessur’s trademark grin. It was just as if she was reliving those moments, her long-awaited return to Underland. Her vivid memories could be a curse from time to time, but in this case they were quite welcomed in her book. “And this one time, after I got injured in a fight, he offered to “purify” my wounds. I naturally refused, of course. He intended to lick my arm, and I barely knew him! Well, I did know him in a way… but I didn’t remember it quite yet…”

Her voice trailed off after that, eyes narrowing in deep thought. She’d been able to recall many things since her last trip to Underland. Things that tormented her dreams as a child; things that had gradually faded through medication and the mere passage of time. Many, if not most of the pieces of the puzzle were set on the table once again. Still, there were moments when she wondered just how many of them remained locked away within her mind, a last effort to protect herself from whatever events they held. It all piqued her curiosity, that much was certain.

She subconsciously managed to follow Marmadue’s path, barely trailing behind her new friend. Fortunately, it didn’t take long for her to be pulled from her daydream by the crowd mingling in the area.

“I just realized I don’t know this town’s name,” she quipped, more to herself than to the Yuke. Alice couldn’t help chuckling at her own absent-mindedness. Taking another look at her surrounded, the captain was able to see a bit further. The place had been through a lot; that much was clear. But the people… they were still moving. They walked and they spoke, they built and they sold. Despite everything, they seemed to be carrying on with their lives.

They were truly alive.

That itself seemed admirable enough to her.

[Marmadue]

"Ah, yes," Marmadue nodded as if he understood exactly what the girl was talking about when she mentioned this… Cheshire cat creature. An unfamiliar critter to him of course, but his skillset of becoming invisible certainly sounded like magic – and that he was quite familiar with! Well, not that he personally had much experience with such vanishing magic, but for once it seemed like he was on the same wavelength with Alice. Most of the other things she talked about were, unfortunately, often quite strange to him.

But as Alice continued, the Yuke couldn't help but turn his gaze towards her, his long neck slightly craned. The tale of the cat continued… And while it certainly sounded much like what a cat would do when faced with injuries, he couldn't say he would have been too thrilled with the offer, either. And not just because he barely knew the creature! Perhaps that was the entirely wrong reason for the girl to have turned turn the Cheshire cat…
"…I ah, would have most likely preferred to stay unlicked as well, myself," Marmadue rubbed the back of his neck as he turned his gaze forward. Perhaps the creature's saliva might have held some kind of magical properties… But he was still going to pass.

Marmadue still kept an eye on the girl, seeing that she seemed a bit lost in her own thoughts and he certainly didn't want to lose her here! Luckily, they weren't too far from where they were supposed to go. The little shop he had taken as shelter had been blessed by being so close to Market Street, the heart of the town. Well. He didn't know if it was the heart of the town before everything, but now it certainly seemed to be, the place that was bustling with at least some kind of activity. Not all parts of the town were as lucky.

"Ah. Pardon me," the Yuke glanced at the girl who made a passing mention of not even knowing the name of the town! That was right. Even though she wasn't asking, it might have very well been a nudge in that direction! He had never stated it. Clearly, he should have done that earlier, but there had been so much else to talk about…
"It is called ah, Twilight Town," he continued, walking towards a small building beside the street. It was tall enough to house another floor on top, but from the outside, it certainly seemed like there couldn't have been more than a few rooms, at best. What appeared to have been a large window in front had been long broken, even before Marmadue had appeared, now boarded up. Even those boards couldn't hide the small amount of light that managed to trickle through into the dark outside.

Without hesitation, a large, feathered hand wrapped itself around the doorknob, opening the door without hesitation. If the boarded up window hadn't brought to mind a store, a counter and empty shelves certainly looked like something that would belong there. But no produce was anywhere to be found, the floor littered with bedrolls – empty ones.
"Ah," Marmadue hummed as he stepped inside. Few of the bedrolls were still unmade, but that wasn't an unfamiliar sight to him. After all, his healing was quite fast. No one really had to stay and rest, but some did. Many did not have a place to go. But what with it currently being the closest they had to a day, no one had stayed behind holed up in the tiny house.

"…It seems that no one has made it here, miss. Ah, at least, not yet."

A relief, perhaps. That meant no one had been injured. Or that no one injured had been found, at least.

Hopefully it didn't mean that no one had been found.

Perhaps it was still too early to tell.

[Alice Kingsleigh]

“Twilight Town… what an odd name for such a place,” Alice mused to herself as she lifted her head and looked up at the night sky above. It painted quite the ironic scene given the town’s contradicting name. Father would’ve probably deemed it beautifully sad, or heartbreakingly marvelous. She could scarcely see any stars accompanying the broken moon, and half of those present were probably just fragments of said satellite. The stars were fading, just as that kind woman in pink had told her so many years before. But she’d also reassured her that Sora would bring them all back, and that they’d come to shine so much brighter than before. The boy apparently did succeed in his endeavor back then, but now… well…

The circumstances seemed to be much direr, and Sora was nowhere to be found.

The captain continued to walk beside Marmadue for a few more moments before stopping in front of a small construct. The location itself was quite ideal for a doctor’s (or in this case healer’s) office. It wasn’t in the middle of the town’s principal areas of bustling, but still close enough to be found in case of an emergency. The building appeared to be a house or shop of some kind, visibly worn out on the outside. She assumed the passage of time was to blame for that, though she also had other less pleasant explanations in mind.

Alice proceeded to follow the Yuke inside, immediately taking note of the place’s size. It was definitely bigger on the inside; the first room on its own managed to comfortably fit at least eight of what seemed to be small futons across the floor, and there seemed to be a door leading to a second one on the back. She also took note of the store counter located near the entrance, which harbored the small, burning oil lamp that lit their surroundings.

She liked the place.

“Oh, well… that’s quite fortunate, isn’t it?” Kingsleigh replied with a smile, resting her weapons against one of the walls for the time being.

As her eyes found their way to one of the futons once more, she realized just how exhausting the day’s ordeal had been for her. Still, she couldn’t afford the luxury to rest just yet. She’d barely started looking for her crew! They were her charge, and it was her responsibility to gather the survivors before planning any other course of action.

“Are there any other shelters frequented by new arrivals here? Or areas where people are known to awaken, perhaps?”