Not-Hardly Underland (Tag: Marmadue)

[Alice Kingsleigh]

Was this… it? Had she done it?

Part of her wanted to open her eyes and take a sneak peek. This was her first time consciously attempting to conjure magic on her own, after all. The mere thought of it was exciting to Alice. But at the same time, she didn’t want to break her concentration just yet. The light veil coating her hand died down for a moment, though it managed to recover its glow after a few seconds of silence. Hell, even thinking about it seemed to have an effect. She certainly had a long way to go before being able to multitask while using magic.

Alice’s thoughts flew back to her imaginary depiction, once again latching onto the warmth that trickled light down the canal. As the girl managed to get a better grip and understanding of this ‘feeling’, the hue emanating from her palm grew brighter… and brighter, to the point where it’d light up the room akin to a gas lamp. Wisps of light would then reach out from the source, dancing and entangling with one another. The comforting heat followed suit; Alice pictured the illuminated village, beautiful doves taking flight over the area. Glimmering trails remained as they soared, and these remnants soon began to take solid shapes: towers and cathedrals and walls, so white it was almost painful to look at them.

The birds would continue their journey up… up until they reached a point where their figures became indistinguishable from each other. From a ground perspective, it almost seemed as if a dove lit sun smiled down at the village.

Alice opened her eyes. The glow around her palm remained, but it had given birth to something else: a single orb of light, no bigger than her hand, hovered eye level with the princess.

She smiled, big and wide, eyes sparkling like a child’s on Christmas morning.

"It’s beautiful," The woman turned to look at Marmadue. Clearly, she was pleased with this outcome. The sphere dissipated as she ceased her focus, but Alice was invigorated past the point of minding that.

[Marmadue]

Marmadue waited with baited breath – something he had to occasionally stop consciously and restart his breathing. It was so difficult to try to stop anticipating Alice's results so hard, but he just had to understand that this was more important for her than it was to him – no matter how he might have been feeling about it. At one point the light even seemed to die down, the Yuke drawing in a longer stream of air. Was that it? Would it continue? Could the girl continue? Had he disturbed her too much already…?

It was only a short moment of darkness, the soft glow starting to grow once more, covering Alice's hand. And then, it grew. Building up strength, the faint glow growing brighter and brighter as it swallowed more of the girl's hand. Marmadue had long since stopped breathing, leaning forward like he didn't want to miss the smallest of details. Tendrils and rays of light pushed their way out, the light playfully dancing on the girl's palm… And formed into a little floating orb, with a bit more effort and time. A wonderful performance. While this wasn't Alice's first time with magic, it did seem like it was her first time really calling something forth with intention. That, that was always special.

The Yuke's gaze had fixated on the ball of glowing magic, only noticing with slight delay that Alice had opened her eyes as well. Turning to look at her, he could see that pride and excitement, almost glowing as brightly as the light she had created. Well, once it started to fade, that radiating happiness was what dominated the room. Though, Marmadue was feeling so proud that perhaps he was the one beaming the most…

He gave a few enthusiastic nods to the girl and stood up.
"A magnificent display, miss. Indeed. That was a fine show of control and magic."

[Alice Kingsleigh]

Alice grinned up at Marmadue, clasping her hands together in delight. If only the White Queen could see her now! Mirana had always shown a keen interest in the arcane arts. The captain could still vividly remember the time the queen had brewed some Pishsalver to help her shrink after an incident involving far too much Upelkuchen. While this wasn’t exactly her field of expertise, the older woman surely would appreciate the younger’s interest in magic.

The princess hoped Mirana and the others were still back at Underland, safe from the darkness… at least for the time being.

"Was that alright, then?" she asked, awaiting any kind of feedback from the present expert. She well knew she’d have to work hard before being able to use her light in more complex ways. After all, generating and maintaining a single sphere had taken most if not all her focus. Alice could feel a faint pulsing sensation emerge at her temples as she pondered. While bearable, those mental muscles were clearly suffering from an atrophy of sorts.

"I must say… you’re a magnificent tutor, mister Marmadue," Alice concluded. She’d truly been lucky to meet him that day. Not many people would offer help and open their home to a stranger, much less pay any mind to said stranger’s magic troubles. The princess’s smile widened as she reached for the Yuke’s hands, holding them gently in an amiable gesture. They were surprisingly softer than she expected. "I cannot thank you enough. I only managed to do this with your help… and I’d probably still be lost in this place if you hadn’t aided me earlier. You’ve been a true friend to me today."

Alice gave Marmadue’s hands a light squeeze before she let go, once again taking a seat on the wooden stool.

"I’d like to return the favor, if possible. Is there any way I can be of assistance? Anything I can do to help you or anyone else you know? I’m sure my crew will be glad to join as well once I find them… and I sense our stay in Twilight Town won’t be as short as I initially expected."

[Marmadue]

"Quite, quite," Marmadue gave a few enthusiastic nods to the girl, asking if her performance was alright. More than alright, for sure! Alice indeed was the one deserving the praise here, but she soon flipped that on its head by giving the Yuke the compliments!
"Ah," was the first – and the only – thing he really could say to that. It had been quite unexpected, and, well… It wasn't like he had ever gotten compliments for his tutoring! After all, it wasn't something he had really done before. His hand rose to rub his neck, his gaze averted as he ruffled his feathers and preened them back. Oh dear. The insides of his helmet suddenly felt a lot warmer than just a moment ago…

Catching movement from the corner of his eye, Marmadue allowed his hand to fall back down as he turned to look at Alice once more, only to have his hands grabbed by the girl. He first glanced down at the small hands giving his a gentle squeeze, before looking up at her face. She was just so… Genuine with her thanks and compliments. So overwhelming, but he did his best to try to recover.
"I, ah, only did what ah, anyone would have done, miss. My… Instructions… I ah, am glad that they were of help. I ah, lack previous attempts under my belt and everyone is ah, quite different and requires different tactics and it really is up to the person training their magic to ah, provide the results," oh no he had started to ramble again, hadn't he. The words just kept coming out without thought! It took some effort to shut that mouth of his and take a deep breath in an attempt to quell the onslaught of words of words. Marmadue cleared his throat.

"Ah… That is to say, your offering is most kind," the Yuke tried to step over previous topic and get right to Alice's wish to return the favor,
"Not necessary, of course. I wouldn't ah, wish to only provide aid for boons and was not looking forward to such. Most importantly, ah, you should focus on getting your bearings and nurture your mind and body before worrying about anything else, miss."

[Alice Kingsleigh]

"You must be naturally talented, then," Alice added, smiling at Marmadue. Yukes certainly were curious creatures. She found it hard to believe that this was his first time teaching someone about magic. Perhaps it had something to do with his own world’s bureaucracy and social rules? If so, she could definitely empathize; it had taken much courage and boldness to get her expedition approved back in England. To think society was still reluctant to let women make their own career and life choices… it was the 19th century, for crying out loud!

Regardless, Captain Kingsleigh hoped her encouragement would stick and lead her feathered friend to do so more often. While she hadn’t seen enough of Twilight Town to make an accurate assessment, if the Heartless were around people would need to be ready for them. Some defensive magic could possibly make a difference in a crisis and… oh, she could see it now! Marmadue’s Wondrous… no, Marvelous Magical Academy! She’d definitely enroll, that’s for sure. Alice reached down for her cup and took a dainty sip, quite visibly entertained...

Ah… she had spaced out again, hadn’t she?

"Getting my mind and body and nurturing my bearings…" the princess looked down as she quietly mumbled to herself, trying to make sense of the conversation. Ah, yes! Of course! They were discussing ways she could help. But that sounded rather… odd, didn’t it? She quickly glanced at her free hand, slightly moving her digits just to make sure they were… well, there. And even if she could get her mind and body (had she lost them in some way?), that sounded more like helping herself rather than others. Hardly the kind of task she was looking for. Alice raised an eyebrow, taking another sip from her cup. "There will be time for me to “nurture” my bearings, but there must be something I can do to help out around here. For instance, hm… you mentioned you didn’t have access to certain areas of the town, right? My crew and I… we’re explorers. We could go look at those places, and possibly find paths-"

A long, soft yawn interrupted her speech. The day’s events had clearly taken a toll on her, but Alice was far too headstrong to admit it herself. "Pardon me – paths connecting to them."

[Marmadue]

Marmadue backed up to sit on the stool, craning his neck forward. Alice seemed to be lost in her thoughts, a rather amused expression on her face as she sipped on her water. There was something he mumbled, something he couldn't quite catch. The Yuke tilted his head. Well, he supposed she had just had a rather good experience with her magic, so whatever was going on in her head must have been a lot to take in all at once. Full of good feelings, hopefully – at the very least she didn't look to be upset…

Though his brow furrowed when the girl spoke.
"That's not quite ah," he started when her words were quite scrambled and not exactly what he had said, but he left it at there. It didn't matter. Alice still was quite insistent on wanting to help, not something she could be faulted for. And honestly, they needed all the help they could get! But right now, it was obvious that she was tired – she couldn't even keep in a yawn. After everything that had already happened to her, Marmadue didn't really have the heart to tell her all the troubles the town was in, not yet. That could still wait a moment, couldn't it?

"Hm. Yes. I suppose that would be a possibility," the Yuke played along for now, stroking the bottom of his helmet with a finger. A real possibility, even. Something that would be of great help, if they succeeded – but he wasn't going to just send the girl off on her own right now! With the Heartless and everything, she might not have been as ready as she should have… Marmadue straightened his back and looked at Alice.
"Ah. Considering that you just cast your first magics… How are you feeling?"

[Alice Kingsleigh]

"It’s decided then," Alice declared, eyes shining with a gleam of eagerness. She wondered if maps were a thing in this land. If so, it’d be almost imperative to get one of Twilight Town… two, if possible: one to be kept as reference of days past, and the other to modify based on the current state of the world. Otherwise, some ink and paper would have to do. That had to be a common tool everywhere, right?

But she’d imposed enough on Marmadue’s kindness and hospitality for the day. If she needed supplies to carry on her duties, the princess would have to seek them elsewhere… after finding the rest of the Wonder’s crew, of course. She hadn’t forgotten.

"Well," the captain started, her voice trailing off as she evaluated her condition herself. It was curious how the body could numb itself and block pain for so long. The trick was usually one of the mind; as long as one didn’t think about it, some types of discomfort could be ignored for a while. But Alice was now thinking about and looking for signs of pain. The soreness on her back, the throbbing sensation on her limbs… ah, and that neck strain. She well knew these hadn’t been inflicted by her casting, but they were there nonetheless.

"I do feel some physical discomfort, but I’d blame my… rather unpleasant arrival for that. Nothing too serious though… I think."

Her use of magic had only built on top of existing nuisances, but the effects felt quite minor in comparison. Again, their presence wasn’t entirely unexpected. It was just like the time she was learning how to ride a horse. They certainly were beautiful creatures, yet sitting on their backs without proper knowledge of stance and technique proved to be a most uncomfortable experience. That been said, the pain remained. Alice brought a hand up to her face, thumb and middle finger each massaging a pulsing temple.

"Although now that you mention it… I believe I’m starting to feel a slight migraine. Is that normal? I assume that’s the case but…. well, you are the expert on magical affairs."

[Marmadue]

Marmadue looked at the girl as she prepared to answer his question, nothing seemingly jumping immediately to her mind as she took a moment to do so. She did mention some physical discomfort, but figured it had some other reasons for its existence – after all, she had just gotten to Twilight Town and Marmadue could still remember his own experience. It wasn't the most pleasant thing in the world, if one wanted to put it that way. He did give her a nod, acknowledging it. That was something he could help her with, assuming that he could get her to rest.

"Hm," the Yuke leaned back once Alice bought up some aching in her head. Honestly, this was kind of the first time he had ever instructed anyone like her, so…
"Ah, expert might be a bit ah… Of an exaggeration," he rubbed the back of his helmet. A title he didn't really deserve, considering there were people out there who dedicated their entire lives to magic and its study – and had done that for much, much longer than Marmadue had even existed! His hand returned to his lap.
"But, ah, it would make sense. Using a part of you not used for such a task is a strain it is not used to. Reacting to it would sound like, ah, a completely normal occurrence."

Stroking the bottom of his helmet, Marmadue stayed silent for a moment.
"Perhaps allowing your mind a moment of quiet could help. I ah, might be able to help you with your other aches to take those off your mind, but the rest is up to you, miss. If you would like, I could arrange some more peaceful quarters for you. For ah, meditating?"

[Alice Kingsleigh]

Alice let out a sigh of relief upon hearing Marmadue’s thoughts on her conditions. He seemed to speak from a theoretical point of view versus an empirical one, but the logic behind his hypothesis was a sound one. The woman wondered if Yukes too experienced such learning curves in magical affairs. She didn’t even know if other humans suffered from similar physical strain. The throbbing pain in her head led her to leave that specific topic for another time… or at least until she could properly focus again. Fortunately, her aches seemed to be nothing to worry about, and nothing a good night’s rest wouldn’t take care of.

The princess attempted to block out the pain a second time that day. There were still matters to attend to, after all, and it didn’t feel right to sleep before they were taken care of. She thought of Phelps, Brandon, Langdon and the 22 others that accompanied her aboard The Wonder. As captain, she couldn’t give herself such luxuries until she knew they were all safe and sound.

Then again, she wouldn’t be able to do much for them in her current state… would she?

Defeated by her own internal logic, Alice nodded at Marmadue’s offer.

"Thank you, I would appreciate it very much… as long as it’s not too much trouble, of course." Said quarters would probably be used for deep sleep instead of meditating, but the idea didn’t faze her. The woman had learned a great deal about centering one’s self back at the Shaolin Monastery in China, though the monks didn’t seem too impressed with her efforts. She still wondered why.

Alice’s eyes wandered off to her weaponry, still resting against the wall to her right. While handy, both sword and shield were somewhat impractical without a proper sheath and a set of straps. Her current attire probably wouldn’t be any good for defending herself against the Heartless either. She needed to be prepared. They wouldn’t catch her off guard again.

"One more question, if I may," she began, looking back at Marmadue or at his general direction if he wasn’t in the room anymore. "Is there a smith nearby? Or an armorer? I may require their services eventually."

[Marmadue]

"Ah, of course not," Marmadue shook his head, definitely not troubled by offering Alice a place to relax! Considering the look of the house he had more or less made his own, there were plenty of extra bedding to go around, way too much for just a single person. Even if that person was rather tall. The Yuke pushed himself up on his feet, ready to lead the girl. There was one more thing she was wondering about, causing him to stop after a few steps. A… Smith. Or an armorer. Despite how Marmadue might have looked, what with wearing a helmet and all… He honestly couldn't answer that question, his mouth at first opening but closing once he realized that. Hm.

"…I must say that I am ah, currently unable to answer your inquiry, I am afraid. I… Haven't required their services, myself," the Yuke looked at Alice, but things weren't quite that bleak just yet. Considering their… Well, alright, rather bleak situation, an armorer was quite important to have around. Or so he supposed. Maxwell might have known about that… He was in charge of getting whoever he could get outfitted. Or… Whatever it was that he needed to do to prepare. He assumed something like that…
"I ah, can ask around, of course. There should be someone…"

Marmadue's voice seemed to trail off as he started to walk, past the many bedrolls on the floor towards a lone door in the back. As he stepped through, his hand lit up to a soft glow, lighting up the storeroom with its many barrels and wooden boxes – some empty, some now used for their intended purpose. Wooden stairs led up to yet another door on the upper floor, creaking underneath the Yuke's weight, but still seeming to manage to stand. Marmadue ducked underneath the door frame, his motions almost like a reflex by now. But perhaps there was a slight indent on the wood above the door, where his head would have touched had he stood straight…

Only a single room fit underneath the roof, the walls slanted and both sides adorned with dormer windows. A bedroom of sorts, not very spacious, but exactly the kind of a cozy little thing a bedroom was supposed to be – or something. There was a small wooden desk and chair, something usually full of all kinds of little bits and baubles, but Marmadue didn't own such things anymore. A little wooden chest tucked in a corner, a mattress with some blankets, and… Well, a bed. A sturdy-looking wooden little bed, something that had been there ever since the Yuke got in. Probably because the thing didn't seem like it could be moved out of the door without taking it apart. While it had been just a frame back then, he had done what he could to get some bedding for it too, in case he ever needed yet another, more tucked away sleeping spot.

Unfortunately for Marmadue, it was much too small for him to be able to sleep in – unless he preferred to be tucked into a position too uncomfortable for him. The floor would have to do for him. But Alice shouldn't have had that problem.

[Alice Kingsleigh]

Alice nodded, whispering a small 'thank you' as she rose to her feet. Marmadue’s answer had been unfortunate, but not entirely unexpected. After all such crafts seemed far from being his forte, and most people didn’t pay much mind to that which they didn’t need. It looked like there were people fighting back against the Heartless though, and thinking they wore armor and wielded weapons to do so was hardly a far-fetched assumption. It was easy to put two and two together; those items had to have come from somewhere, and she doubted they’d all been in their possession before their respective arrivals.

There had to be a smith, and someone had to be acquainted with them.

In any case, her search would have to wait a little longer… at least until she was rested enough to roam around town without yawning. Alice followed close behind, eyes finding it difficult to avert her gaze from the Yuke’s glowing hand. Despite everything that had happened that day, she still found such minor uses of magic to be nothing short of magnificent… and useful. The woman made a mental note to try to replicate it on her own later.

The rest of the building appeared to be quite well-kept, considering the constant flux of guests it probably held. The futons laying on the floor looked clean and were mostly made, and the boxes and barrels she found spread throughout the place seemed to have an order of some kind. It was obvious that the Yuke put some effort into tidying up the place. The room upstairs looked especially neat -not a speck of dust anywhere- yet it didn’t lack that snug factor she personally adored. It was modest, sure, but it still looked quite nice in her opinion. Alice initially believed this to be Marmadue’s own room, but she quickly deemed the bed to be a tad too small for him. She wondered if there were beds big enough to comfortably fit someone as tall as him.

The thought led her to wonder if Yukes slept with their helmets on. Alice believed it to be terribly uncomfortable, but she assumed one could eventually get used to such things. She learned how to deal with night terrors as a child, after all. The princess doubted a helmet could even be half the nuisance those had been.

"It’s nice in here," she smiled, eyes glancing wearily at the bed. "Did you decorate it yourself, mister Marmadue?"

[Marmadue]

Marmadue looked over his shoulder as the girl spoke, his hand still illuminating their surroundings. With the eternal night and a rather dark sky, the insides of the room weren't very bright without an additional light source. At least what was outside could still make its way through, softly.
"Ah. Well, you know," he turned around, looking down at Alice. Couldn't say he was ever complimented for his decorating skills before… But perhaps those compliments weren't actually deserved in this case.
"I ah, do my best to find items of use that are still in ah, usable condition. There usually… Is ah, no choice in the aesthetic," the Yuke continued. Did he get the items? Yes. But that was about it. Beggars couldn't choose, after all.

"The bed was here," he suddenly spoke up, nodding towards the old thing in the corner underneath the window,
"Not quite like it is now. It was quite… Bare, yes, when I first got here. But it should be more comfortable now," Marmadue gave the bed a few firm taps – and it didn't explode into a cloud of filling, so it was probably good to go. It had been quite the adventure getting so much bedding material that wasn't soiled beyond recognition!
"I haven't had anyone ah, really test it yet. Evaluate its properties for… Comfortableness."

[Alice Kingsleigh]

"Is that so…" Alice mused, taking a second look at the room. She wondered if most of the populace had been forced to do the same – scavenge and salvage whatever was left usable in a town struck by darkness. While she found it fortunate that some like Marmadue appeared to have reached a certain sense of stability amidst the chaos, she could tell so many others were struggling to find solid footing in this strange land. Even coming to terms with the reality of their situation was complicated at best. Realizing everything familiar had disappeared… the captain herself hadn’t taken a moment to fully let it sink in.

Nor would she for a while.

"Well, given the circumstances I would say you’ve done an excellent job with the place… aesthetic choice or not," Alice offered. She finally approached the bed, extending a hand to press down on it in a single, gentle motion. It didn’t seem to be uncomfortably hard; that itself made it more enticing than her sleeping accommodations in the Wonder. It had been a while since she’d last had the luxury to spend the night on a proper bed. This would be a most welcome change, though the captain made a mental note not to make a habit of it.

It would be wise to make the most of it.

Alice smirked, an idea, an urge, formulating in her mind. Mother would probably chastise her and say such childish conducts were beneath a young lady of her position… but what could possibly be wrong with a little glee here and there? After a few moments of thought, the girl propelled herself forward, laughing as she shifted her body before landing on her back. It definitely wasn’t uncomfortably hard.

"Ah... hm... I’m afraid I don’t have enough information to give a verdict now… but I must say first impressions are quite favorable so far." The princess stretched on the bed, a smile still spread across her face as she closed her eyes. Pleasant. Definitely pleasant.

[Marmadue]

"Ah. I couldn't take all the credit, miss," Marmadue stroked the back of his neck as the compliments continued,
"Excellent craftsmanship has allowed them to be here for me to find them in the first place, hrm, yes," he nodded, though his gaze was quick to start following Alice as she walked to the offered bed, taking a few steps away from it to give her room. She too gave the mattress a press, though it was difficult to say what she thought about it. She was silent, though a smirk tugged the corners of her mouth. And then, she hopped in.

The bed didn't break and the floor didn't give in. That was quite a relief. Excellent craftsmanship indeed. And plenty of beating ensured a giant cloud of dust didn't form in the air around them.

"Ah?" The Yuke tilted his head as Alice gave her thoughts on the bed. It wasn't bad. That was… Good. Yes. Good. Straightening his back, he looked at the girl. There was mirth in Marmadue's voice as he played along with their little bed inspection scene.
"Most wonderful of news, miss. I believe you would prefer to continue your inspection in solitude? I only have utmost confidence in your capabilities in this matter."

[Alice Kingsleigh]

"Oh?" Alice rose to a sitting position, her shoulders shaking with a soft chuckle. Curious indeed. People back home rarely paid much mind to her antics, much less considered joining in on them. Wonderland was different though, and perhaps this "Twilight Town" would follow suit as well. Perhaps this Yuke was a kindred spirit, after all. The mere thought of it warmed her heart.

The princess struggled to conceal her grin as she turned to face Marmadue. She dramatically extended her right arm to the side, and laughed once again.

"Why, I am beyond honored by your gentle words, and your whole-hearted trust in one such as I." In a heavily exaggerated motion, Alice moved her arm half an arc before her before placing her hand on her chest. She offered another clumsy bow – though this one seemed more playful than anything – before continuing. "I shall not disappoint you, Sire. I will evaluate this bed."

She giggled, finally dropping the act as she glanced up at him again. "Truly, thank you. I shall not forget the kindness and generosity you’ve showed me today."

"And again, if there is ever anything I can do for you in return, do let me know."