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|| down the rabbit hole || delia. 18. cuppa?

[battylittlehattress]

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[battylittlehattress]

arabellahearts‌:

Arabella jolted and started to move, thinking it was her that was being told to leave. “Sorry, I’ll…” And then it was the opposite, being asked to stay, and she looked endlessly confused. “Do you want me to-” She froze at the next words, feeling a flash of heat rush through her body, it was as if she’d been stabbed. She knew those words. Of course she knew those words. They were practically haunting. “Do you… know me?” 

“Know you? Of course I know you! I attended little Arielle’s christening last Mayvember!” Delia chirped, grinning an eerie grin, the few tears that had formed a moment ago dripping down her cheeks, and splashing the bench. She was seemingly unaware of them at all, carrying on as though talking to an old friend. “Don’t you recall? I saved your borogove from being savaged to death in Tulgey Wood. Would you like some tea?” Delia asked, plopping back down onto the bench and pulling her thermos and damp mugs from her bag again, head in a tizzy.

[battylittlehattress]

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[battylittlehattress]

arabellahearts‌:

Arabella’s eyes widened over the mug, shocked by her statement. “You’re not Stella Star?” She gave the girl a suspicious once over, not quite sure she understood what was happening. The mystery girl was chucking her tea, and Arabella felt awfully awkward all of a sudden. “Oh,” She nodded, looking down at her unfinished tea and back to the girl. She copied, tipping out the tea on the concrete. “Sure. Here you go.” Bella held hte mug out.

“Go, go, go,” Delia repeated quietly, a shaky hand reaching out to take the cup, taking care not to brush fingers with the girl. “Don’t go off now,” she murmured to herself, feeling herself spiraling. “Off, off, off,” her eyes began filling with tears now, and her skin to crawl. “Off with my head,” she muttered, and then it was like a switch had been hit. “This was lovely, we’ll have to do this again soon, Higgins! Tell the Mrs. I said hi. How’s little Arielle?” She asked, shoving her cups and thermos into her over the shoulder bag, body moving towards leaving where her mind was stuck in another world.

[battylittlehattress]

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[battylittlehattress]

arabellahearts‌:

“Maybe you should ask them, that would be a bonkers mix up if you weren’t actually meant to be here.” She took a long sip of her tea, letting it warm her from the inside. “Crazy! But I don’t want it for as long as that, I liked it but it was a bit much. I love jumper season though, that’s my favourite.” 

“Yeah, I’ll--I’ll have to do that,” Delia paused and then sighed a big sigh. She couldn’t go on like this. “Actually, I,” she looked away again, running her thumb along the rim of her mug nervously. “I’ve lied. My name’s not Stella. And I know who my parents are. But I don’t think I want to get into it,” she stammered in a rushed and quiet voice, before dumping her tea and screwing her thermos shut. “I shouldn’t be here,” she whispered, feeling the voices lingering around in her head.

[battylittlehattress]

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[battylittlehattress]

arabellahearts‌:

“Yeah, I guess it gets normal.” She paused a moment, a flash thought rushing into her head. “Wait, if your parents gave you away, how do you know why you’re here?” Arabella ooohed, pulling her arms close around her. “I love winter weather. That storm was crazy earlier this year, did you see that? I kind of liked it, so many snowmen.”

At Arabella’s question, Delia’s breath caught in her throat. She settled for a shrug, and sipped her tea, staring off at the flowers for a bit longer than socially acceptable while she thought up a reply. “They just sent for me, I’m not sure why. Maybe it’s a fluke,” she decided on, and cupped her mug in both hands. “Yeah, that was crazy weather,” she murmured, reminded of Ace’s furious attempts at reaching her.

[battylittlehattress]

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[battylittlehattress]

arabellahearts‌:

Arabella held the mug to her lips as she listened, taking a slow sip and taking in every ounce of the heat it could offer. “Stella Star.” Arabella repeated it again with a smile. Something about it felt both beautiful and familiar and absolutely etherial. “Oh, I’m sorry to hear that.” She couldn’t imagine being given up, or living with a family that wasn’t hers, or one that didn’t have the money her parents did. “Ooh, was it nice there? Is that like… normal world? Like people here come from Paris and stuff?”

Delia shrugged, not really caring much for her nonexistent parents that didn’t give actually her up. “I was really young,” she added, playing the part. “Yeah, it’s in Californication,” she explained, as though she was some big expert. “Very snowy and cold, but I liked it,” Dee sighed, taking a sip of her coffee, feeling her anxieties fade away, and be replaced with the nervousness of keeping up the lie.

[battylittlehattress]

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[battylittlehattress]

arabellahearts‌:

“Ooh, orange tea.” She hummed, never having had that flavour. She didn’t even know it existed. “Stella! That’s such a cute name I love it. Stella Star. That’s just magical.” Arabella nodded her head, and offered a thank you as she picked up the mug. “Thank you, you’re so kind.” It was cold and Bella was feeling it in her bones, the warmth of the tea was much needed. “So were your parents into the cosmos?”

Delia nodded, her mind wavering slightly, wondering if the princess wasn’t as bad as her mother was. She shook herself slightly; she couldn’t make herself vulnerable in front of someone with as much power in Wonderland as Arabella had. After all, she’d just offered her ‘pull’ to help Delia out with whoever gave her the bruise, and they were strangers. It was too risky to trust her. “The cosmos? Oh, must’ve been,” she nodded, running her thumb along the rim of her mug. “My parents gave me up when I was little. I grew up in Slam Francesca,” she lied, taking a sip of her tea, hoping she’d gotten the name right.

[battylittlehattress]

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[battylittlehattress]

arabellahearts‌:

Arabella turned her head and looked forward, wondering if she was just being overdramatic and overthinking this. Most likely. “Okay,” She parroted with a smile, looking at her tea. “What kind is that?” She was considering asking if she could have the other cup, but If it was something with milk then she didn’t want to bother with the calories. “Hm?” Arabella sat back, looking confused at the mistaken name. “Oh, my name’s Arabella.” She tried to make sense of it, and that was the closest thing she could think of. “What’s yours?”

Delia’s gaze slowly moved back to the princess, almost blurting out ‘yes, yes! I know what your name is!’, but held back. “It’s--” she paused, realizing she couldn’t say her real name, as it might give away who she was, and who was related to her. “It’s orange tea, and the name is--Stella. Stella Star,” she replied, rather happy with the name, before she realized how close to ‘Bella Heart’ it was. “Would you--would you like some?” She asked, motioning to Higgins’ tea, and giving him an apologetic look before turning back to the brunette.

[battylittlehattress]

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[battylittlehattress]

arabellahearts‌:

Her head swayed from side to side slightly, a near shake of her head in uncertainty. “If you’re certain…” She trailed off, feeling like there was something weird about this girl or this situation but she couldn’t put a finger on it. It could have just been her own self consciousness filtering onto her. “No, no, you don’t have to do that.” She brushed the compliment off, not sure she quite deserved it when she hadn’t done anything to help the girl.

Delia nodded a little vigorously, overdoing it a bit in trying to assure the princess that she was alright. What was she meant to do? Actually, one of your guards has been taking advantage of the situation your mother has put my family in, thank you very much for that. “Okay,” Delia chirped, giving another nod, and brought her teacup to her mouth, pressing the china against her lips to stop her fingers from trembling. “Oh, I agree, Higgins,” she said suddenly, listening to an imaginary man that hung around the confines or her mind and sometimes joined her for tea. “Orange tea is the best for this sort of weather,” she added, before pressing her lips together, glancing out the corner of her eyes at Arabella, trying to will Higgins out of her mind so she wouldn’t have to explain the outburst. 

[battylittlehattress]

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[battylittlehattress]

arabellahearts‌:

Bella looked and felt concerned, brows knitting together clsoely and hands wringing together. “Kickboxing?” She questioned, not quite sure what she meant. and not sure whether it was something that could cause a bruise like that. “Are you sure?” The brunette leaned in and spoke softly. “You can tell me you know, I have pull.” She insisted with a nod, then sighed. “Okay, not so much in the school but you know what I mean.” Arabella pressed her fingers down on the bench, sighing. “I just want to make sure you’re okay.”

“Yes, I’m sure. Thank you,” she managed to get out, clearing her throat. Delia didn’t like to lie, despite having to do it so often, and with those she loved. “I’m okay, I appreciate it, your--” she almost called her ‘your highness’. “You’re a good person.” That was a lie that made her want to spit, leaving a bad taste in her mouth. Sure, she didn’t know the princess, but she’d heard stories. And how good could the spawn of such an evil queen be anywhere near being good?

[battylittlehattress]

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[battylittlehattress]

arabellahearts‌:

The look of concern only grew on Arabella’s features when the girl talked. She’d hoped it would be something simple, ‘Oh yes, I just fell into a door’. It happened all the time back home, people were constantly falling into things. Thankfully she was never that clumsy. Instead she was only more worried, because this girl was clearly not okay. “You’re shaking!” Arabella rushed over, chucking the skates on the floor and sat sideways beside the girl on the bench, watching her closely. “What’s wrong, did someone…do this.. to you?” She hated the idea of it, but she didn’t know what else would have this girl trembling.

When Arabella came beside her, Delia felt a rush of wooziness settle over her, and wanted to shrink down to the size of a bean and run away. Instead, she made a decision; she had to start lying her ass off if she wanted to stay safe. “Oh, I’m sorry,” she managed an unconvincing smile, picking up her ice. “I started a kickboxing class today,” she said coolly. Delia didn’t actually know what the sport was, but had seen it advertised on one of the posts in town. “Got a box right in the eye,” Dee shrugged and gave a small laugh, rolling her eyes as if to say ‘these things happen’. 

[akanesource]

adelaidekane  New new 🌟 I did my own make up for this one! Would you guys want a YOUTUBE tutorial?! 📷: @jarradseng .

[battylittlehattress]

surrounded and up against a wall || open

[battylittlehattress]

arabellahearts‌:

Arabella smiled as she walked back through the gates of the school, actually feeling semi good about herself. She wore a pair of leggings that made her feel small, a baggy jumper that kept her cosy, and a leopard print faux fur jacket that she’d bought last week after falling in love with it. In her hand she held her ice skates (blades covered), something she’d properly started practicing after she decided that camping was not for her that summer. The hobby kept her busy and she loved it. Her eyes wandered and she smiled at the girl on the bench, but paused when she saw the shiner. “Oh my gosh!” She exclaimed, stepping towards the other brunette. “Are you okay? What happened, do you need a doctor?”

“Yeah, I’m--” Delia started, however upon seeing who the kind voice belonged to, felt her heart jump into her throat. “I’m, I’m alright, thank you. J-just been to the...” She swallowed hard, her throat feeling dryer than a dodo bird after a storm. “Nurse,” she managed to get out, and coughed. Her head started to buzz, and she could feel verses bubbling up inside her, clawing their way out of her belly and up to the surface. The Queen, the Queen, she’ll have my spleen, she’s sent her daughter to take my skin; as the borogove flies, she’ll speak her lies, and next you know, I’ll have no eyes. Dee blinked hard, feeling the pain in her eye spread like fire for a moment, before she realized she had to play it cool and get a grip. “T-thank you for asking,” she got out, taking a sip of her tea, hands shaking.

[battylittlehattress]

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Delia left the nurses office feeling more bruised than when she’d first gone in. Ace had come again last night, and was rougher than he’d ever been before; apparently he didn’t appreciate her temper that had flared when he was putting down her family. She walked down the path with an ice pack pressed against her sore eye, wondering if this madness would ever end. If she could just get her parents out of Wonderland, maybe she’d never have to deal with Ace again. She hated that he could just waltz in demand ‘payment’ whenever he pleased, but she knew that not obliging meant putting her family in danger. He never forced himself on her, and often reminded her that they could cut off their arrangement if she wanted to; at the expense of her parents of course. She made her way to the flower garden, always finding it a peaceful place (besides the hideous red roses that is). Plopping down at a bench, she set the ice pack down and unscrewed the lid of her thermos and poured two cups of tea. Placing one beside her, and holding one between her chilled hands, she imagined that she had a friend beside her, someone to chat with and talk about all of the nightmares.

[battylittlehattress]

don’t you remember when i was a bird? || open

[battylittlehattress]

chandershah:

“The Queen?” he asked, clearly still confused. “Like the Queen of England?” The Queen of England was the only queen that Chander knew about due to the relationship between England and India. And, as far as he knew, King Louis didn’t have a wife which made the Queen of England the only queen on his radar. “Oh, no. We can stop by the nurse though, I don’t mind taking you.”

Delia cocked her head, confused with his question. “England? No; the Queen of Hearts. Of Wonderland?” She offered, remembering that not everyone at the school was a Wonderlander. “I think I might have something in my bag, actually,” she commented, pulling her satchel in front of her with her good hand and rummaging around until she found a small piece of cloth. She often carried little strips of fabric around, as they were ever so useful; matching colors at local markets, if she needed to curl her hair in a pinch, and of course, to tie together and escape from a second floor tower if she were to ever be captured. She tied the lilac colored strip around her cut, using her good hand and her teeth. “There, all set,” she smiled, and looked up at the boy. “Were you coming to pay your respects to the flowers?” Delia asked curiously, tilting her head to the right.

[battylittlehattress]

don’t you remember when i was a bird? || open

[battylittlehattress]

chandershah:

Chander’s brows furrowed in confusion as he looked down at the roses. “All roses have thorns though and therefore, all are likely to prick you if you’re not careful. What makes you say that one in particular was angry?” he asked, genuinely curious. They didn’t have roses where he was from so there was always the possibility that he was missing something very obvious. “Do you need a plaster?”

Delia glanced back at the red roses again and scowled, feeling brave enough to do such a thing outside of Wonderland. “They’re the Queen’s flower, and I wasn’t complimenting them. My own fault,” she sighed, and wrapped her finger in the hem of her shirt. “Maybe,” she replied, looking down at the blood that was staining her shirt. She must’ve really not been paying attention when she’d pricked her finger. “Do you have one?” Dee asked, putting her finger back to her lips.

[battylittlehattress]

don’t you remember when i was a bird? || open

[battylittlehattress]

chandershah:

Chander had gone for a walk through the gardens to clear his mind. He had intended to listen to music in order to help him zone out but realized that he had left his headphones back in his room. Therefore, the young man resorted to listening to the sounds of the garden and the chattering of voices from those running around. He stopped only when he noticed a girl who pricked her finger. “Oh. Are you okay?”

Delia glanced up at the sudden voice, and then brought her attention her finger. She hadn’t even noticed that she’d harmed herself on the roses, and seeing the bulbs of rubies ooze out of her finger was dizzying. Dee took a faltering step back, before promptly sticking her finger in her mouth. “Mmyes, m’fine,” she garbled over her digit. After a moment she removed her finger from her mouth and shook her hand at her side. “I was just talking to the flowers,” she told him. “Must’ve touched an angry one by accident.”

[battylittlehattress]

don’t you remember when i was a bird? || open

Whenever things seemed to be going alright in Delia’s life, a darkness was almost sure to be coming, usually in the form of the Queen’s guard, Ace. He hadn’t been pleased that she had gone all the way to Florida, but she had messaged him ahead of time, so his rage wasn’t as bad as it could have been. After checking up on her again, he’d left her just as broken as the last time, and she found herself wandering around the gardens. “Aren’t you a lovely little violet,” she murmured to the light purple bloom, reaching down and gently lifting its leaves. She turned, as though hearing the plants muttering among themselves. “Oh, and aren’t you a dandy little lion,” she bent down, patting the fluffy, yellow flower. There were a few of them scattered around the grassy path in the garden, and while they were a common hindrance in most people’s yards, she always quite liked them. “Ooh, you are gorgeous,” she practically gasped as she saw the white roses. She flinched slightly as she glanced at their red companions, and turned her back. “Well that is just rude,” she sighed, eyes pricking with tears.