Who: Rhys and Amren What: they find themselves in Wonderland Where: Wonderland portal When: Sept. 2nd Warnings: They are the warnings
Rhys found himself in a strange place called Madison Valley. First, he’d arrived straight from a bath into a store called Target. Then he realized his arrival naked meant he carried none of his blades on him. Trying to eat human food had started to give him a headache and Nesta finally told him her secret. Dump salt on it and just eat like you were in a race. While not normally fans of each other, Rhys could appreciate this particular suggestion.
Now, he found himself in a place called Wonderland, which apparently was a home to one who lived in Madison Valley, based on her post. At least the food here tasted more like the food of Fey and Prythian, which Rhys greatly appreciated.
Amren wanted to know just how many places this Madison Valley was going to dump them in in a row. It was getting annoying. She was getting hungrier the longer she wandered this place. A hangry Amren was not a good Amren.
But a running into Rhys Amren was a better one and she grinned, "There you are. Well. I found one of you. I will count that as my win for the day." She did not sound happy. Rhys grinned when he saw his Second, although he didn’t love the expression in her voice. It told him she might be hungry, which wouldn’t be good for anyone.
“Probably best you only find us one at a time.” Rhys still didn’t much care for Nesta given how she’d treated her sister. And Nesta seemed especially displeased by his flirting, but wouldn’t say why.
“So, should we look for food for you?”
She shook her head, "I'm not sure I trust anything here. I'll be fine." She looked around and looked back at him. Amren tended to keep herself fed, and rarely let herself get too hungry. But this place was making her wary and that meant she was burning calories paying attention to everything.
"Let's try to find our way out of here. I have decided I do not like Madison Valley. Every time I think we have a moment's respite something happens." She did not mention Nesta, knowing they're animosity, though she was worried about her friend too. “I’m not sure I trust anything here either,” Rhys admitted, although the whole place still interested him. “But I can’t help the feeling of odd attachment I feel towards it.” The High Lord realized parts of it felt like Under the Mountain.
“Yes.” Which is when a half snake/pig creature stopped them. “The only way out is if one of the queens allows it.” Then the creature ran, as though late for an appointment.
“What…the fuck?”
"I get that. There's an undercurrent that feels familiar almost. It's not ours so I don't trust it but I feel it. And don't you dare either." She had no problem knocking him out if she had to. Amren was nice like that.
She blinked.
Then blinked again. "You will understand that I do not say this lightly. I have seen some weird shit in my years. Really, really weird shit. But that ranks up pretty high."
A breath. "Okay let's find a queen. You smooth talk us out. If I do it, I might not be as nice as you." “I promise to not trust it.” Rhysand knew well enough that if something worried Amren then he should listen to her. The bright colours in this world almost gave the High Lord a headache. “I imagine something like this if the Summer Court possessed their own Court of Nightmares,” he commented as they walked.
“Perhaps the girl, Alyssa, didn’t lie about it being dark. Or strange.”
He laughed. Given the two of them, charm should best be left to Rhysand. “First part is finding them.” This time a flower spoke. “Alyssa is one of the queens. Ivory the other.” The damn thing didn’t offer any help in where to find said queens.
Amren did not have to warn her lord twice. He was intelligent and listened to the woman he chose as a second. She had earned the right eons ago to be listened to. And she did not let anyone forget it. She was always pleased when her people listened. “Well now that is a mental image that shall not wander off anytime soon. Thank you, oh so much, for that.” she shivered.
“Perhaps that would have broken me in prison.” she mused, but it wouldn’t have, it just would have twisted her further.
“Well aren’t you a helpful little flower?” she was ready to burn things to the ground. Amren did not like weird shit. Their own weird shit was normal. This was not. “Any hint on which way to go?” The flower responded, “It really depends. Which queen would be more likely to help you? Which scares you less?” Helpful it was not.
Rhys learned to listen to Amren, obviously, as a powerful, loyal, and sometimes scary second. She deserved the utmost respect.
“Helpful you are not,” he said to the flower. The flower responded, “Queen Alyssa will probably be found at the Tea Party.” It gestured in a direction and Rhys really wanted to get the hell out of here. “If I threaten to pick the flower and crush it do you think it would be more helpful?” she asked Rhys cheerfully. Her lips pursed for a moment as she stretched. Then the flower decided to be more helpful.
“Okay, it saved itself from a game of how many petals can I pluck before it caves.” she grabbed Rhys’ elbow and guided him towards the direction of the Tea Party. She also wanted out of here. She would prefer to be back in the prison than in this whacky place.
“Come on then, let’s go to the Tea Party. And let’s make it quick.” wrap!