trying to make the pieces fit ((Buffyverse plot))

[slayers_desire]

There was a small gathering of people in the room, doing things that might seem normal. Drinking coffee. Reading a book. Checking sites on the computer. Talking with their neighbor.

But this wasn't a normal day. And despite appearances, these people were all preparing to help save their world.

Most of the 'Scoobies' were here... Xander, Connor, Wes, Lorne, Spike and even Willow had come down for the event. There were others there too... Victor Allen, Clark Kent and Edward Elric.

They were all here to figure out how to create a new Seed. They already had a few clues to go on... but there were still a lot to discuss.

The most recent revelation came after Illyria had deceived the group, and put Clark and April right into the heart of the White Room. Where their memories were taken from them. They had fought free... and now April was more determined than ever to find a way to save her world.

((posting order: April, Clark, Victor, Ed))

Comments

[victormakesart]

She knows that it would be cheating the game if she created doors in the hedges. That might invalidate the terms.

But she follows the signs, quickly, a whirlwind, as a school of fish fly over their heads. A slow-swimming frog through the air, belly pale as the brightest part of the moon. Crows that leave trails behind them like comets, like smoke.

Oh, if she could just create like this. If she could just own a world and populate it with beautiful things.

[fmalchemist160]

Ed stares up at some of the fish and things flying over their heads. "Okay," he says, slowly, "now I feel like we're in the series 5 Christmas special of Doctor Who. What with the flying fish and all..."

[slayers_desire]

Oh doors do get created at her thoughts. But they are never real doors. If they are ever opened, they either open into dead ends. Or into another creation of her mind.

And once, Miss Edith pops her head out, with just the invisible smile.

"My dreams never look like this..." April doesn't dream like regular people either.

[kalel_ofkrypton]

Clark attempts to see the way out with his x-ray vision, but a strange fog of some sort keeps him from seeing anything more than what's immediately around them. "Looks like we have to do this the hard way."

[victormakesart]

"I usually only have nightmares. This is how I feel when I'm awake," she murmurs.

"I'm behind on my television," she admits to Ed, looking over her shoulder, hand up on top of her hat. "Haven't gotten there yet."

Then, without thinking, she says, "Have you seen Boondock Saints, though? That movie... basically the best thing ever made."

Then two devilishly handsome Irishmen with tattoos stalk up and point a gun to her head.

This is clearly not the first time she's had a gun on her, but instead of looking scared she looks annoyed. "Do I look like a mobster or a pimp?"

"Sorry, ma'am," says Murphy, cursing with a word that would be remiss to repeat and hitting his twin hard. "Stupid."

Connor has the decency to look very hurt, and says, voice high and apologetic and a bit whiny in his embarrassment, "I didn't do it on purpose."

"Wait 'til I tell Ma you almost shot a little girl."

"You almost shot a little girl, too," Connor points out, and they continue bickering as they slink through the maze, going the opposite way than Victor's group, and the last thing they can hear from them is their cursing, liberal and loud.

"Cutest Tweedledee and Tweedledum ever."

[fmalchemist160]

Ed grins. "I might just have to help you get caught up, then, at least on Doctor Who."

He snorts a bit. "I've only been living on Earth for six months, and my roommate's a sci-fi and fantasy nut, so that's mostly what we've been watching. So... no." And then he just starts laughing at the whole encounter with Connor and Murphy.

[slayers_desire]

April is just confused. She is not one for pop culture, or television shows. But at least, it seems Victor and Ed are having fun with this test.

[kalel_ofkrypton]

Clark walks beside April, only understanding about half of what they're talking about. "After all this, I wonder who the Red Queen will turn out to be."

[victormakesart]

The Doctor runs by in his red chucks and sniffs Clark, and says, "Kryptonian, I knew it" as he dashes around a corner. "Brilliant!"

Victor tries not to die laughing. After all, she has to live to complete her quest.

"Okay, guys, I'm being serious, I'm gonna try to not think of fun stuff now."

[fmalchemist160]

Ed has to resist the urge to run after the Doctor, and fight back gleeful laughter at the same time. After the Doctor vanishes, he manages to calm himself down. "Okay. Right. Queen of Hearts."

[slayers_desire]

April knew that the danger was by having too much fun, and living in their imagination, they could spend an eternity in this place. And they just couldn't...

Not with the thoughts of her father, and the others, who were left behind fighting an army of Zombires.

"Just try your best Victor."

[kalel_ofkrypton]

"Use your powers for good," Clark suggests with a small smile. He knows she doesn't often get to be more than an ordinary human being (not that there's much ordinary about her), so he doesn't blame her for wanting to enjoy it while she can.

[victormakesart]

She repeats Red Queen Red Queen Red Queen over and over again in her head to keep herself from getting sidetracked. After all, maybe they'll have a little bit of time to play later.

Red Queen Red Queen Red Queen Red Queen Red Queen Red Queen Red Queen Red Queen and finally, they come to a clearing, or something like it.

Panicked cards are painting roses red, slopping paint all over their fronts. A hedgehog goes soaring past April's head.

[fmalchemist160]

Ed tenses up a little as they come to the clearing. Then he tenses up even more as he finally lays eyes on the Red Queen, freezing before taking a step back.

She's a woman of average height, with short, black, straight hair worn to her chin and violet eyes. She's wearing a wine-red dress with a white collar, and a locket with a blue gem. There's a cloying, sickly-sweet scent coming off of her... the same scent that used to come off of Ed's father, Hohenheim. Ed always hated that scent; it lingered in the Elric family home long after Hohenheim ran off.

"Oh no," Ed breathes out. "No, no, no, no. That's impossible."

The Red Queen simply smiles at him.

"You're dead!" Ed yells. "Gluttony ate you! You can't be here, Dante! It's impossible!" He seems to have momentarily forgotten that they're not exactly in reality anymore, and that the Conduit was manifesting itself as a dead woman before.

[slayers_desire]

"The Red Queen is fashioned after someone Ed knows... because he is Alice." April is not sure who Dante is. But she senses his distress.

[kalel_ofkrypton]

Clark reaches over and puts his hand on Ed's shoulder. "Easy there, Ed. She's just a projection."

[victormakesart]

"Aw, geeze, Ed, I'm sorry," Victor says, chewing down on her lip.

She has no idea who that is, but apparently this person is not good news. Still... there's the game to think of.

She bows, removing her hat. "Your Red Queenliness, we're here to, I dunno, play croquet or something."

[fmalchemist160]

Dante rises from her seat and slowly starts to walk towards the group. She's mostly keeping her eyes on Ed. "Blue isn't your colour, Edward dear," she says. Her voice is mid-way between soprano and alto, velvety-smooth, and totally calm.

"Stop calling me that!" Ed snaps, taking another step back as she approaches them and bumping lightly into Clark. "Clark," he hisses, "she's an Alchemist. She's been alive for 400 years. She led the homunculi, and even created three of them, including Greed; she started wars just to create a Philosopher's Stone, which she wanted just so she could jump to a new body and extend her own life. She has the same mental shortcut that I do; even if she's just a projection, she is a major threat."

Dante stops and turns her attention to Victor for a moment. "Croquet..." she says, almost thoughtfully. "Yes, I suppose we do have a story to follow, don't we?"

[slayers_desire]

Victor had said earlier that Alice had to defeat the Red Queen and ended up replacing her, learning her true place in Wonderland. Is there potential here for you Ed to replace Dante? April sends out a mental conversation to her allies.

She is not sure how the story might evolve. But the caterpillar was often silent, but intelligent. Perhaps her powers will be useful, when they need to communicate silently.

[kalel_ofkrypton]

"She's a threat, but she's still a projection." Nothing here is real, he relays to Ed through April. And if Victor believes you can defeat her, you can.

[victormakesart]

No, I don't think so. That might be how her universe is sorted, but it's not the way the books went. At the end of Through the Looking Glass, Alice loses her temper and shakes the Red Queen, which puts the Red King into checkmate; then she wakes up. At the end of Alice's Adventures in Wonderland, she calls the Queen's warriors "nothing but a pack of cards" and then she wakes up. Both are final moments... she plays the game by the rules and she awakens, or she sees the illusion as reality and awakens.

And Victor wholeheartedly believes that Ed can defeat her, there's no question of it. She replaces her hat on her head, gently takes a flamingo by its legs. "A story, indeed. Though I'm afraid I'm not much of a sportsman."

[fmalchemist160]

Ed lets out a quiet little growl of a breath. She prefers not to fight herself. The last time I faced her she sicced Envy on me rather than take me on herself. The time before that, she sent me into the Gateway of Truth. That was an experience I'd prefer not to repeat. I could fight her; she's not as good at combat Alchemy as I am... but I'm pretty sure that's not how we're supposed to pass this test.

Dante smiles a little and picks up her own flamingo. "Not much of a sportsman? That shouldn't matter too much... Won't you join us, Edward, dear?"

Ed just glares at her.

[slayers_desire]

Alice did play the Queen in croquet April feels a little uncertain of herself now. She isn't sure how to help. Right now, this is Victor's time to shine. And she has cast Ed as the main character.

[kalel_ofkrypton]

At least she isn't alone. Clark isn't sure what to do either, although he guesses it might help Ed to know that there are some extra eyes watching the Queen.

[victormakesart]

"You can come play with us," she adds, shyly. "Make it an even five." Which means more people surrounding the queen, which means... something. Even if she doesn't know what yet.