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🐇 curiouser and curiouser ☕
The land beyond the eye that people cannot see.
Just as you go about your day, a white rabbit passes your line of sight out of nowhere. Normally, you would think nothing of it. However, you don't know why (or perhaps you do), but you suddenly feel an inexplicable drive compelling you to follow behind. You are curious. And against all odds, you listen to your curiosity. So you drop whatever it is you're doing to chase after that curious creature.
The strange white rabbit sprints off — over the hill, through the woods, and finally into its burrow. You find the hole it dug is surprisingly big enough to fit yourself through. As you peer into it, only the darkness greets you and nothing more. By now your gut would've told you give up and leave. And yet, all of sudden, you slip and you fall.
And you fall down, down, down the rabbit hole.
This is just an open RP post with a sandbox-like setting. While there's some scenarios premade for your roleplaying needs, you can mess around with it as much or as little as you want. Feel free to use it for voicetesting, create cross-canon shenanigans, or develop a ship even further. You can carry the story over to your musebox if you'd like too. And you can re-use this post as many times as you'd like (until it hits the comment limit.) So bring your blorbos, your originals, your AUs, your friends and your friends' friends along for the fun!
- Comment with your character's name and series in the subject.
- Follow it up with a starter, and state your preferences too.
- Label any warnings when necessary.
- Reply to other characters!
- Most importantly, just don't worry and have fun!
It's possible you're miles away from where you've entered, and nothing seems to break your fall. Like dropping into a deep well, it's clear to see that the deeper you go, the further away you are from the light above. You don't know when you'll reach the end. And with how much longer you've been falling, you wonder if there is even an end at all. Maybe you'll arrive at the other side of the world if this keeps up.
And then you feel yourself slowing down, as if you weigh like a feather being dropped; almost floating. It gives you time to look around. And along the way you find some oddities affixed to each side — wooden cupboards and large bookshelves, framed photographs accompanying vibrant paintings, vintage tables and chairs with empty jars and porcelain platters. For what reason they were placed there, you don't know. Nothing makes sense. And you probably want this all done and over with already.
Suddenly, after a resounding thump, you find yourself on a thick pile of leaves unscathed and unbelievably alive. Perhaps fortune is on your side to be granted a safe landing. Once you've regained your bearings, you see the path ahead leads to a long passage. It's impossible to climb back up, and there's no other way forward after looking at your surroundings. So with little options left, you press on.
You arrive at a hall that stretches as far as your eye could see. Lit only by a row of hanging lights, numerous doors are visible around you and come in all colors, shapes, and sizes. Literally, they're in different sizes — some have doorknobs that are impossibly tall for you to reach, and some are far too tiny for the average human to fit through. And all of them, you notice, are locked after trying to pry them open.
Just as you start mulling over this strange conundrum, you find a three-legged glass table in the middle of the hall. On the surface are three items with the following effects:
- 🍷 — A vial of liquid with a peculiar label tied onto its neck. The label reads "DRINK ME" in rather beautiful printed words. If you choose to drink it, you'll shrink down until you're around fifteen inches in height. The taste of it is an assorted mix of sweet, sour and savory flavors.
- 🍰 — A slice of cake with brightly colored frosting that spells out "EAT ME". Taking one bite leaves no effect, but eating it whole will turn you giant and grow until you reach the ceiling. It tastes of vanilla and sweet berries.
- 🗝️ — A keyring with a set of keys of various sizes. Each one will only open its matching door. However, where they will lead you may be up to you. Perhaps you might end up someplace you would least expect.
Whichever you decide to do first, you can only hope they would aid you and your later companion in your quest for a way out. Time is at your side at least.
Somehow one way or another, and after going through a series of odd events, you ended up under the employ of the peculiar white rabbit you once chased after. But no matter how much you try to convince the rabbit otherwise, it seems adamant you're its housekeeper and is far too preoccupied about going off to work and worry of its tardiness. It has given you a set of household chores that must be met before sundown and quickly left before you could say any more.
And so for the time being, you're stuck in its home. Whether it would be scrubbing the floors, doing the laundry, or clearing the dining table, at least you're not doing this alone. Let's just hope you and your fellow co-worker get compensated for all this hard work.
Of course, that doesn't mean you can't snoop around and have a little fun. Having the house to your own leaves you with enough freedom to explore the place. ...Or turn it upside down if you wish. Raid its snack bar, open the drawers, see what secrets you may find inside. The rabbit won't be around for a while after all.
At this point, you're hungry and thirsty and needed a break from the madness that was thrown upon you in your wanderings. That's when you stumble upon a tea party set out in front of someone's house. While the table itself is fairly large, you spot only three people — The Hatter, The March Hare, and the Dormouse — crowded together on one corner. You're not certain if there are any more guests expected to arrive.
"What say you, we toast to a new friendship!" The Hatter says all so suddenly once you approach. "Come now, grab a cup and take your fill!" And he haphazardly shoves a warm cup towards you before shifting his attention to his friend, the Hare. While that declaration came out of nowhere, it does look like they've let you into the their little tea party with how quickly they took you in.
You take another look at the table and see there are multiple teapots already prepared with piping hot tea. Alongside is an assortment of snacks (sandwiches, cakes, berries, biscuits and more) on tiered tea towers and charcuterie boards. The sight of all these sweet and savory treats really gets your mouth watering. And if you choose to take one small sip of the tea you were given, you feel as if you're starting to lose yourself.
...Perhaps literally. Because the second you blink, you feel your head is cleared up completely. Feelings of immense bliss and laughter fills your heart. You cannot recall how you got here, who those people are, and even your own self. What you do know is that there's a party going on, as feelings of immense bliss and laughter fills your heart than your stomach. And the best you can do is savor every moment you have here until you're dragged out of that place. Hopefully this strange sensation is only temporary.
Choosing to follow after the white rabbit relentlessly leads you to a beautiful garden ornamented with red (painted over) rose bushes. And after meandering about for a bit, you find a procession already taking place. People whose bodies are shaped as playing cards line up to give way to the rulers of this castle, the King and Queen of Hearts. And it's immediately you learn that the Queen has the unfortunate habit of sending people off to their execution for speaking even slightly out of turn in her presence. Even the most miniscule and minute offense will set her off.
Whether you were coerced into this out of fear, or you just wanted to keep your head between your shoulders, the Queen of Hearts demands you and your partner (or potential opponent) to join her in a game of croquet. The rules are simple really: grab a mallet, hit the ball through a series of wickets, throw off your opponent's balls if possible, and win.
But maybe that's easier said than done. You're uncertain if you could win this game when live animals are used for it — flamingos for mallets, and hedgehogs to play as the ball. Is this really allowed? It would seem so to the people here at least. The only thing you can be sure is that your life's very likely on the line, and the both of you are going to have to win this to get yourselves out of there.
If you're not feeling any of these prompts, or have some other ideas in mind, then go wild!
You can mix and match scenarios or come up with your own. Swap roles where you play the villain and your partner would be the hero or the other way around. You can even expand the setting with new locations, or AU it up and rebuild it into your own version of the setting if you'd like. There's no limits to what your imagination can create. It's free real estate here, and the world is your oyster!
ahead of the game
And they're playing croquet. For the Queen. Potentially The Queen of Hearts, one of the Great Seven and basically Deuce's patron saint (or the equivalent of it, you know).
He's already stressed enough but this guy he's playing with keeps saying really triggering things. Lose your head — he's threatened with this every day of his life, usually more than once!! ]
Can you please stop talking like that?
[ He tries to keep cool about it, turning to pick up his own flamingo (a blue one, naturally). ]
no subject
Does James really think the Queen of Hearts would kill them? Maybe, but he also sort of assumes maybe they'd just wake up if that was the case, the way Alice had eventually woken up right where she'd been left. A peaceful nap in the English countryside.
Although, admittedly, Deuce isn't the only one concerned, and the general vibes at the croquet field are fairly rancid. There's an air of fear, that the threat is not only real but something that has been witnessed before.
But, either way, he's still right. They have to play, and having Deuce freak out just means a bad show, and if a bad show means losing their head, then its in his best interest to calm this poor boy down. The Queen is starting to look antsy that it isn't her turn yet. ]
Have you played before?
no subject
Yes. We always play this at the Unbirthday Party.
[ Spoken matter-of-factly like James here is supposed to just follow along. Deuce pauses though after he picks up his hedgehog. ]
Not with her though. She's — I mean, she's a legendary figure. She's not supposed to be here!
[ He jerks forward, realizing he probably shouldn't say it that loud, so he repeats in a frantic whisper instead: ] She's not supposed to be here.
no subject
When he pauses, again, James looks over at the Queen of Hearts. She does look a little suspiciously like Queen Victoria if someone also really hated her. It's a thought that would make him laugh, but Deuce is so urgent about his thing that he gets James's attention again.
He quirks an eyebrow, a teasing smile playing on his lips: ] I think we're a little past "supposed to," don't you? And she's given you a royal decree, so if you'll get on with it.
[ It honestly looks like she's gonna throw a hedgehog at their heads if Deuce doesn't hurry up and take his turn ]
no subject
[ Deuce mumbles as he plops his little hedgehog ball down. The Queen of Hearts is long past her time. She's naught but myth now. He'll never get used to looking up and just seeing her there (although the way she's behaving doesn't sound at all like the stories all depicted her as...?? She's a magnanimous queen who ruled over her kingdom of weirdos with grace and poise ... and a lot of beheadings.)
Being pushed by his partner here though gets him to scurry into action, casting another brief glance at the Queen that truly does strike some fear in his heart. ]
Alright, I get it! Don't get so excited.
[ He strikes a confident figure as he's swinging the flamingo, but the result isn't as good. It goes through a pair of arches but on the next attempt, the hedgehog appears to give up and flops off to the side. Ah well... The Queen can't take his head for being bad at it. ]
no subject
What did you mean, that you'll "never be past it"?
[ If that was personal maybe he shouldn't have mumbled it where nosy people (James) could hear it. ]
no subject
How could we? She's one of the Seven, the Queen of Hearts! And she's from a long, long time ago! Oh no, do you think we've been brought back in time?
[ He shifts a little, watching her. When she does spare a glance their way, he straightens up like a soldier at attention but still speaks quietly. ]
They said she was a really strict ruler, although I don't remember reading anything about her acting like... this...
no subject
[ Down a rabbit hole and not like, I don't know, off a giant cliff. To be clear.
He watches, too, though, for whatever it is he's meant to be seeing about her. This idea that she's from a long time ago, as opposed to some different world. Starting with how they got here seems like the most logical step.
Unfortunately his hedgehog is trying to wander off to eat some grass, so he puts a foot out to to block its path. ]
Stay. Or she'll probably cook you in a soup.
no subject
Well, I did. But I didn't exactly expect it to end up like this.
[ At worst he thought maybe it was just School Shenanigans and at best he was just dreaming. But that is definitely the flesh and blood Queen of Hearts from the legend. She looks exactly like the statue they've got up of her on campus!
It seems at least that the Queen is done preening momentarily and looks ready to make her swing. Deuce just shakes his head though. ]
The more likely punishment is that both of you will lose your heads. Maybe me too just for being nearby.
no subject
[ But he does fit in, as they've previously established. James does not. He's at least of the right era but that's pretty much where the similarities end, with his brown three piece suit. He'd had a hat, too, but it got left behind at the tea party.
The hedgehog cowers and goes back into being ballshaped from their combined threats, and the Queen's flamingo gives a big squawk like a war cry. The hedgehog goes wildly off field but comes back around and rolls right through the first two wickets and everyone claps. ]
We're obviously not trying hard enough to cheat, here.