Jemima watched these shenanigans with amusement and curiosity. Knowing how a Cheshire cat behaves, and actually seeing it happen are two quite different things.

She smiled at Joe's straightforward question. She was beginning to like the no-nonsense-ness of the fellow already. However, knowing now where, in theory, they were, she suspected that nonsense might be the only way forwards.

Tricks and riddles and nothing being quite what you expect. Is that what their ragtag group had in store? How did Alice survive? She went with the flow. She asked questions. She... played along.

Jemima put on an air of charming innocence and tapped her chin, "I wonder, dear Cat, which path would you have us take, so that you could watch us play?"

Ok whatever the hell you are...you wanna play silly riddles, I'm going to let somebody more in tune with this jive take point....

Joe's features slowly settled into a neutral look, paying attention to the Cat looking thing with the occasional scan around them, trying to make sure nothing else weird popped up while they were occupied

Lilith shivers as the air washed over her. She crosses her arms and rubbed them when the final wisp leaves her.

She smiles knowingly at Jemima and nods to her slightly.

Best let one person take point,  she joins Joe in scanning the immediate vicinity for threats.

Julien didn't seem at all bothered when the soft paws touched his shoulder. He in fact reached up to take his own turn at patting the cat, if he would be allowed, though he opted for a chin scratch, given their positioning.

"I've met people like that before," he said dryly, waggling his brows in a lewd manner that left no doubt as to what he was referring to.

He wondered privately, though, if they should do the exact opposite of whatever the cat's answer to Jemima's question was. He seemed pretty shady to Julien. And slippery too.

Raising their chin the feline was more than happy to accept attention from the man as he mulled over the situation before them.

“Well.... you see, while I normally enjoy Red's games she does tend to go through player quickly.” they moved their head to get rubs on their ears, purring deeply “So it all depends, if you want the people on charge, if you need more time, if you want power or if you want some assistance. All of these are possible, though I cannot even guarantee half of those. You're hardly the first here and not everyone is a patient as me anymore. Shame really”

The loud purring continued and echoed though the clearing. There was nothing around them other than the dead trees and the distance sights of forests and the castle. The red spire looking oddly clear through the golden haze of their current location.
This message was last edited by the player at 23:41, Mon 06 Apr 2020.

Geez, so this is kinda like the book it seems...gah..how did that story go?? Best to let the cat thing talk for the moment...

Returning Lilith's acknowledging nod with an almost imperceptible one of her own, Jemima tried to resist rolling her eyes at Julien's comment and wagging brows.

The word Red made her wince slightly. If they HAD to face the Queen, they could do with time, power AND assistance... but which first? And how to make sure it didn't get muddled, misinterpreted, or messed with? As little as possible at any rate.

Jemima pondered, crossing her arms and tapping her chin.

"The offer of time comes with the implication that we might have a limit. Not a pleasant thought. Coupled with this, the offer of power implies that we might be in need of it before long. Hmm, not that you aren't being of wonderful assistance to us already, but being naturally a knowledge seeker myself, I'd vote for that last. Dear cat, is there a direction we might go to achieve all three or must we choose?"
This message was last edited by the player at 08:42, Sat 11 Apr 2020.

Julien had to agree with Jemima. Knowledge was power. However, he didn't know if it was the most pressing need. He turned his green gaze to her.

"I can't argue with you, really. The best way to navigate a situation is by knowing how to do so. However, it might be that time is what we really need. If there is a time limit - which, mind you, we can't assume - then perhaps we need more time to gain knowledge and, if the chance happens to arise, power." A pause, then dryly; "Mind you, if we knew how long we had, if there is indeed a time limit, that would help too. Knowledge."

He gave a wry grin. "I'm starting to talk like you, Pussy Cat. Perhaps we should swap places?" he remarked to feline on his shoulder.

Ok..so main bad person in the book was red...queen of hearts and her playing card soldiers....so if this is like the book then maybe the mad hatter and the hare and the white rabbit could be useful? Or were they just plot devices to spew out riddles...dammit...

The cat's grin widened, if that were possible, the corners far beyond where its skull should have been able to stretch.

“To achieve all three you could split yourself into three pieces...”

They walked along the back of Julien's shoulders into the air, stepping as though on solid ground. Their back legs stopped while their middle and front tore off, still moving, then their middle hung and separated from the front. The head and front paws looked down from their invisible walkway.

“....though that may be easier for myself than it would be for you.” They said as the rest of them slowly caught up with the front. “ Not everyone has my mastery of multitasking”

They turned to Julien,

“Swap places? If you were I and I were you then you would wish to be me and we would be in the same situation where I wished to be you and then you would be I”

They chuckled to themselves,

“and that would just be silly”

They groomed himself for a moment, long purple tongue licking reaching out and smoothing the hair on their front leg.

“I'm simply hoping you last longer than the last ones that were brought here. I do so enjoy new company...”

Hrm..known facts thus far - looks like this place is on a time limit of sorts. How did Jemima phrase it...time,power and knowledge? Split into three..so... perhaps one direction is the quickest to the exit, or safe point? One way for getting power and the other getting knowledge of what the hell this crazy shit is all bout?

Still being mindful of the cat shaped thing, Joe wandered over to the broken signpost and had a look at the different pieces.

Half a mo....maybe....

Joe suddenly kneels down and starts moving the bits of the signpost about

"QUNHRT....HTTRE...VLLG....SHKFST.....Queen Heart...Hatter...who could the other two possibly be? Village...and...Shakfeast...no..that doesn't sound right....vowels are not in there...hmmm"

Frowning lightly, even as she enjoyed the cat's logic about swapping with Julien, Jemima pondered.

"While each of us alone is incapable of splitting into three, we could certainly, as a group, split up, while remaining whole, as it were."

She watched Joe thoughtfully, appreciating his logical approach. The first two fragments of words did indeed make sense now, though the second two were still a mystery to her also. Shake fist? That didn't sound helpful, or right. Could it be an N instead of an H? Not shark, but Snark, the hunted bird? That wasn't helpful either. She shook her head.

"Though we've only just met, I'm hoping there's some reason we arrived together and I for one would be loathe to split up, but what does everyone else think?"

Joe looked up to Jemima and gave a dry chuckle.
"Thinking about every movie I've ever seen, splitting up is the quickest way to get yourself dead quick. The more eyes to watch out the better I think!"

Julien wandered over to where Joe crouched, trying to decipher the signpost.

"There aren't enough of us to split up," he agreed. "We have to pick a direction."

He stared at the SHKFST part and couldn't for the life of him figure out what it was. He didn't know enough about Alice in Wonderland. Plus, despite his intelligence, he'd never been exactly great at word games.

"Shake fist?" he offered. "Shark fest? I don't think I want to go a shark fest..." He snorted.

Joe rubbed a hand over his face after softly verbalising aloud a few different vowel combinations that could work with the last bit of the signpost.

"I dont remember the book very well, we had to read it in school and I got dragged to the movie so I'm not that aware of places in there...do any of you have any idea what it could be?

Julien looked up.

"Movies and books might not be a good frame of reference, anyway. Even the most beloved tales get... changed over time. Even... censored, if you like. In the book, first, then in the movie even more..."

He brushed his slender fingers across one of the signs.

"Standing here does us no good, though. None at all. So... I mean, at this point, we could spin a goddamn bottle and follow it. Luck is as good a reason as any to pick a direction."

He looked around to the others. "Plus, I don't know about you, but I'm actually getting bored standing here."

"Fuck it. If I remember right the Hatter was the one that Alice had to meet to progress so I guess that would be the first one to go to."

Joe looked up at the Cat "See you around I'm sure."

With that, Joe started off towards the path that appeared to correlate with the shards of the sign pointing to the Hatter...if that indeed what it was...

Turning to Joe the cat tilted his head,

“So I give you four options and you make a fifth? You are quite mad Sir if you think that's how the game is played...” they purred “But that may have been one of the original four.... in which case you are quite clever”

The cat stretched its long body, claws kneading the air.

“Funny how those two seem to cross each others paths.”

With one outstretched paw the cat pointed to one of the directions down the crossroads, towards the path winding through the sparse  forest. The path wound through the few dead trees with no discernible traits as it made its way to the edge of sight.

“Say hello to the Hatter for me, its been a while since he's seen me. Not that he would know”

With that the feline winked and was gone, the shine of their eyes lingering for but a moment before the humans were left at the crossroads.


_______


The Game Map has been Updated
This message was last edited by the player at 12:12, Wed 20 May 2020.

"Quite mad," Julien echoed, striking out after Joe on his long legs. "They're the one who's quite mad."

He was just happy to be moving, in whatever direction. It didn't really matter. Besides, he liked hats.

He made sure his own was sitting at just the right rakish angle as they walked.

If Jemima had been more on the ball she might have pointed out that the cat hadn't specified the directions of the choices they'd been given... but then she's sure she would only have been met with a convoluted answer and her hangover wasn't helping her brainpower at all. If there was no coffee to be had, she needed the next best thing. Also the Hatter, from memory, was an ally, at least of Alice's.

"Better the devil you know. And with any luck, there'll be tea..." she murmured as she headed in the direction that the fluffy riddler had indicated.
This message was last edited by the player at 12:00, Wed 20 May 2020.

Lilith shook herself from the careful watch she appointed herself as the other conversed with the cat.

" oh the Hatter?!" "wait i know where we're going! He's did help Alice, well in roundabout sense of the word anyways."

She walked quickly to catch up with the others, she was a little excited at thought of meeting more literary charaters.

Julien grinned as Lilith caught up to them.

"I'm partial to hats meself," he said, tapping the brim of his own tophat. "And you? Do you have a favourite sort?"

The dust danced in the air around the feet of the displaced humans as they walked down the path together. Joe strode forward with conviction, determined to get somewhere other than this barren dead forest. The others filed behind him with varying enthusiasm in their steps while the cracked stone pavement wove around the remains of trees and shrubs. The land seemed so open and broken but around them was the signs of what it once was, a rusted broken fence around what may have been a flowerbed, the broken remains of a fountain which the path lead around as if displaying a macabre accident one wishes they could look away from. For a time they seemed to be approaching something, a tall forest rising up on the horizon. But as quickly as the world rose to their sights their path was changed again, Joe took another step and disappeared into thin air before the others behind him. As if the strings of words were pulling at their feet, the others stepped forward as well.

---

End of Chapter