I growl when I&#x27;m happy...

It's been rather quiet in Storybrooke lately...

captainhooktoyou

"Now I wonder what will happen don’t you?"

"Ever so slightly. But, curiosity tends to kill the cat, haven't you heard?"

#c: Hooke

Wondrous Memories | Alice and Chester

There was no one in any realm I trusted more than Ches. So of course, when he held me close I didn’t push away as I would have with any other stranger, nor did I fly into a rage when he asked what I had seen.

There was no one like him, anywhere. My trusted confident. I had to tell him.

Gently extracting myself from his arms, I told him everything. Everything. The fires, the pain, seeing him die before my eyes. A corrupted Wonderland, returning to my eyes every time I remembered something particularly vividly.

I sighed and wiped the tears from my eyes.

"I’m sorry I never mentioned this sooner, Ches."

Ches stood there as Alice began to explain the visions she had in her mind. His heart sank as she mentioned seeing him dying in front of her. He felt a lump in his own throat form, quickly swallowing it down. She needed someone to be strong for her. It wasn't a time for him to break down because of feelings for her. Feelings.... Is that what this what? He had kissed her after all.

The thought pulled him back to the current place and he blinked his eyes a few times, a frown pulling at his lips. "Alice.. That's terrible. And knowing that I'm actually alive and well doesn't help a bit?"

Those weren't the questions he was now interested in.. but it was coming up. He just needed to bring it up slowly, as much as it killed him not to know.

#para #p: Alice #WM

Soft Kitty, Warm Kitty... | Jefferson & Cheshire [Past Para]

madness-is-catching

Jefferson had no idea what had curled up in his hat, but he was fairly certain it hadn’t been there before lunch. Then the furry thing moved, pinning it’s grey ears back and hissing at him.

Jefferson jerked back, dropping the hat, expecting to hear a thud when the thing hit the floor, but none came. Suddenly, something sharp stabbed between his shoulders, causing him to hiss in pain. But the hiss was cut off by something furry (the thing’s tail?) wrapping tight around his throat.

Jefferson was at a loss as to what to do. He’d gotten used to his strange hallucinations over the past… however long he’d been in here, but they didn’t usually hurt. And the cat was telling him not to move. Hallucination or not, Jefferson had learned that when someone said don’t move, it was best to do as told.

It was hard to breathe with that tail wrapped around his throat, but Jefferson felt himself stiffen at the cat’s words. “I’m no peasant!” he objected. “And I don’t serve the Queen. And I wouldn’t know how she is anyway. She hardly ever comes in here.”

#para #p: Jefferson #SKWK

The cat purred out a twinge of laughter, his whiskers trailing the man's cheek ever so softly. Ches' ears were now perched up, listening to everything going on in and around the room. Nothing was going to surpass him right now. Whether he killed Jefferson or not was another issue...

His tail tightened up a bit more as the man gave him lip, the devilish grin that had appeared on his face turning into an unpleasant scowl. "Don't mock me, human. I have way of killing you that are considered unimaginable and extremely painful. So, if you want to live, I suggest you pay me a bit of," the cat leaned closer to the man's ear, hissing the last word, "respect."

Ches knew that he wasn't showing any himself, but that didn't bother him. He had the upper hand - er, paw. That definitely wasn't going to let it slip away. But his head tilted to the side with slight disappointment when his captive said he didn't know how the Queen was.

Growling, Cheshire loosened his tail. "You're probably right. She never wastes her time on the mentally ill..." Ches gestured a paw out to the room. "Besides.. I know how she is. I stalk these hallways almost every day."

It's been rather quiet in Storybrooke lately...

This usually means something bad is about to happen...

#csbxopenpost #once upon a time #ouat #once #ouat rp

Wondrous Memories | Alice and Chester

After the whole thing had finally cleared, I was left completely bewildered. Stares from complete strangers where cast upon Ches and I. My cheeks heated up from embarrassment. Without giving the diner, or Ches a second glance I stood up and bolted out the door, nearly catching my skirt in it.

Hiding in a nearby alley, I promptly burst into tears.

Ches must have been terrified.

As Alice looked around the diner, Chester blinked. He wasn't sure what was going through her head until he saw her cheeks flush. Of course she was embarrassed and he swiftly moved out of her way as she ran for the door.

Ches gave it a minute before pulling out his wallet and tossing some money on the table and running after her, catching sight of her dress as she ran into the alley. He came up behind her slowly as she began to cry, a frown showing obviously on his face. He didn't know what to do, he'd never seen this before, from Alice or anyone.

Instead of standing there, watching her, he walked up to her and carefully placed a hand on her back, patting it softly before rubbing it in a small circle. Slowly, he pulled her into his arms, shutting his eyes. His arms wrapped tightly around her, ready to hold her in if she tried to push him away. There was no way he was letting her run away from him now. Especially not after he kissed her..

"What did you see, Alice?" he mumbled quietly. Half prepared for her to get angry with him for asking.

#para #p: Alice #WM #feels ok

Soft Kitty, Warm Kitty... | Jefferson & Cheshire [Past Para]

madness-is-catching

For the most part, Jefferson was not allowed out of his room. Cora kept him locked up, good and tight, and claimed that it would stay that way until he made her hat.

But the queen, for all her sadism, wasn’t stupid, and she was well aware that if she completely broke Jefferson, he’d be of no use to her. So, once in a while, she’d show “mercy” and let him leave the room for brief walks, or occasionally lunch.

Not that it made much of a difference to Jefferson. It was all the same — either he was in the room making hats; or he was out of the room, twitching and twisting his hands nervously, anxious to get back to the room to make the hats.

This day was the latter. Jefferson had been escorted out of the room by two of the Queen’s guards, led down a path Jefferson didn’t care to memorize into an open courtyard. There, food was placed in front of him, and he ate, not feeling the texture of… whatever it was, and only tasting flavors he was sure wasn’t actually from the food. (He was fairly certain that this fruit-looking item shouldn’t be tasting like fish. But it had eyes that looked like fish, so maybe he was wrong.) When he was finished, the guards took away the tray, and led him back to his room.

Jefferson sat down immediately, desperately wanting to make the itching in his hands stop, and reached for the hat he’d been working on before lunch. The hat felt heavy, much too heavy, and for a second, Jefferson wondered if the Queen hadn’t shrunk herself down and hid in the hat in an attempt to spy on him.

He held the hat away from him for a second, waiting for the Queen to pop out and start shaking a tiny finger at him. When that didn’t happen, he pulled the hat closer and peered inside. A furry thing lay curled up inside.

Jefferson blinked. “Well, you’re certainly not the Queen!”

#para #past para #p: Jefferson #SKWK

Ches was deep into his slumber when Jefferson had arrived, not feeling that hat move as he was picked up. But his ears never let him down. As soon as he heard the man speak, his eyes flew open.

Without letting another second pass by, the gray cat hissed loudly, his ears flattened against his head as his mouth grew wide to show his sharp teeth. Cheshire's claws creeped out, digging into the fabric of the hat. He glared at Jefferson as the man stared into the hat.

In an instant, the feline vanished from the hat and appeared perched along the man's shoulder blades behind his neck. His tail wrapped around Jefferson's throat, tightening instantly while he worked to set his paws against his skin. Ches let his claws slowly push into the skin of this new enemy, just enough to cause some pain.

"I suggest you not move.." he growled, eyes narrowing. "You never sneak up on a nesting cat, especially me. I'm not a friendly feline. And, all offense intended, I'm even worse when it comes to peasants that serve that bloody Red Queen." The cat let his claws dig in a bit more. "So, tell me... How is that retched wench?"

Wondrous Memories | Alice and Chester

It was all coming back into focus now.

There was something stroking her cheek… Ches? Of course, they had been at Granny’s. Talking. Remembering old times. That was the trigger of this whole thing… wasn’t it?

“Alice. Come back. Follow my voice. I’m here, and I’m okay. So are you. You just need to come back to me.”

Yes, that was definitely Cheshire. My Cheshire, always looking out for me. Bless him.

Slowly, the real world returned. Ches had his hands cupping my face, the sensation was… strange. Taking his hands I clasped them in front of my face.

"Ches, I-"

My voice was shaking, of course.

"I’m back."

Chester blinked a few times and swallowed slowly. He glanced around the room, noticing that few people were looking at them. It wasn't surprising, but he knew she might not want so much attention right now. The man pulled at his friend's hands, trying to get her to stand up while looked back at her. "We should leave, Alice. People are staring. And I think we need to talk."

An eyebrow arched as he watched Alice register what he was saying, thankful that she was back. He stood up and waited for her to do the same, his hands dropping to his sides. It was one thing for Alice to have PTSD from her time in Wonderland, but it was another, entirely, that she had episodes like that. It terrified Ches. How was he going to protect her now? Now that the things she needed to be protected from were in her head...

#para #p: Alice #WM

I've heard stories about you | Jac

James has nothing to do with this.

Her majesty didn’t share her every move with me, there was no need for me to know that she had banished another pest, though it really shouldn’t surprise me that you were so easy to get out of the way. And I think it’s much more likely that you would have a few marks from the Jabberwocky, not the other way around. In fact, there’s every chance that Alice would have been so distracted trying to keep you out of harm’s way, that both of you would have ended up as the Jabberwocky’s feast.

#SKWK #para #p: Jefferson #Wonderland para #past para

Ah, but doesn't he? You did lie to everyone, including him about everything Alice did. That's how you and he met, wasn't it?

Silly girl... You forget that I have a knack of disappearing while in Wonderland. Leaving nothing behind. The only reason that woman was able to catch me was because I sacrificed myself for Alice. I'm not one to leave comrades behind and lie about it.

#c: Jac

Soft Kitty, Warm Kitty... | Jefferson & Cheshire [Past Para]

Cheshire trotted through the Queen's castle, wary of any noises he heard. His tail twitched to the side when he heard a few footsteps coming his way. In an instant, the cat vanished leaving only a faint cloud of black smoke behind him.

Ches appeared again on a wall just outside of the castle, his eyes locked on a window. He wasn't one to give up on spying on anyone, especially not the queen. But he needed a break, and why not take a nap in the comforts of the retched Queen's castle, right under her nose? The annoyance it would cause the woman made the cat grin wide as he slinked his way over to the window, squeezing easily through the bars that blocked any decent sized person from exiting. But what was inside shocked the cat even more..

Hats. Every where he looked. The room was huge and there was almost nothing but hats covering every inch. "No wonder the Queen has to hide behind a mask.. None of these tiny things would cover that massive noggin." he mumbled, walking across the hundreds of hats. Ches was careful as he wandered around, wanting to leave no trails behind. He swung his tail around in a circle and then side-to-side as he found one that he could fit, jumping down into it easily.

It only took a few moments for him to make himself comfortable before he nuzzled in. Cheshire yawned, his mouth wide and his ears flattened against his head before he laid his head down over his paws, falling asleep quickly.

I've heard stories about you | Jac

I believe we are talking about your deceptions, and their ramifications, not mine.

At least I attempted to face the Jabberwocky… Where were you when your precious Alice was fighting for her life?

#c: Jac #lol self hate ova hurrrr

I'd rather hear, in depth, how much you hate yourself for lying to the Royal arse, Prince James.

Ah, of course it'd come to this. It's shocking, really, that I didn't expect you to ask. And even more so that you don't know. That blasted Queen somehow pushed me through a portal and I ended up in another realm, living life as a human long before the curse was enacted by her daughter. If I had still been in Wonderland, that bloody Jabberwocky would have had a few marks from me as well.

I've heard stories about you | Jac

A lie by omission is still a lie you wretched cat.

You of all people should know how dangerous the queen is, and how far her influence stretches…

#c: Jac #let's just say that ches already knows about the Jabberwocky story #he hears everything as it is

Like you have room to talk, my dear.

And, as far as her "influences" go, I'm not entirely sure I should be scared. If I'm not mistaken, you're supposed to be one of them, yet here I am.. Looking at some bloody coward that ran away from a Jabberwocky. How terrifying.

I've heard stories about you | Jac

My my… such fowl language, and about a woman who treated you so well. Letting your true colors show now that you think you’re safe, hmm?

Dear, you are soarly mistaken. I never tried to hide my distaste for that retched woman. If she'd ever asked, I would have told her. There's not much she can do to a sneaky feline, can she? And what can she do now? I don't see the royal bitch, in Storybrooke as it is. What's there to be afraid of?

#c: Jac

Wondrous Memories | Alice and Chester

The whole endeavor was utterly horrifying. It was worse this time, especially after Cheshire died. But, for some strange reason… I could still hear his voice.

"Alice, no. S-Stay…"

Yes, that was definitely his voice… but I couldn’t hear the entirety of what he was saying. It was fractured. Broken. Only fragments of his words passed through my ears in this land of fire, pain and corruption. Bits and pieces of whole sentences. I was huddled into a ball, or I tried to. My hands over my ears, and my eyes suddenly shut tight. I didn’t want to see this world, nor to relive the horrors.

As much as I wanted to leave the past in the past, it would always come back to haunt me, in my thoughts and in my dreams.

Was there no end to this torment?

Suddenly, I felt something that did not belong. Something soft pressed up against my lips, but only fleetingly, for it was gone as soon as it came. Opening my eyes, I looked for the source. Nothing.

Yet the world I belonged in was blurring into the world of my nightmares. What was going on?

#para #WM #para: Alice #sad sad sad

Ches kept his eyes on Alice's, waiting for a response from her. Slowly, he felt his lips pull into a frown. She wasn't there. Alice was still gone, maybe too far gone. The man ran the pad of his thumbs along her cheek bones soothingly, keeping focused on her eyes.

He took a moment to clear his throat before speaking again, his voice stronger than before. "Alice. Come back. Follow my voice. I'm here, and I'm okay. So are you. You just need to come back to me."

I've heard stories about you | Jac

You were supposed to be spying FOR her, not ON her… had she known what you were up to, helping that girl to destroy the kingdom she had built, she had ways to stop you, but she made the mistake of trusting you. You and those you care for will pay for that mistake, believe me…

My dear, I'm not so worried about her now. I haven't seen sight of that terrible woman in so long. I've all but forgotten what she looks like. Good riddance to that brutal twat.

#c: Jac

Wondrous Memories | Alice and Chester

The sensation was strange. Despite the fact that I was hallucinating, I could still see Ches in his human form. Halting my scream, I looked at him, shaking like a leaf. He had my wrists, he was worried.

“I-I can see it Ches.” I managed to choke out. “All of it, everything… Wonderland, my dear Wonderland…”

How could she explain it? She was hallucinating once again, and yet she could see Ches? There was something different about this time, but Lord knew what it was.

My thoughts were ripped away from me when I saw Cheshire die before my eyes.