beheaded | (no subject)

[ after weeks of meticulous preparation, the day has finally arrived. an unbirthday party is finally allowed to commence. riddle wasn't being hyperbolic when he told shu he was an excellent unbirthday planner; everything from the guest list to the sun's position when he strides into the garden have been accounted for.

he promised shu the ultimate wonderland experience, and that's precisely what riddle gives him; the moment shu arrives through the magic mirror, he's accosted by a smartly-dressed white rabbit who tells him he's a helper for queen rosehearts. the rabbit's mannerisms might be familiar to shu; the nervousness, the insistence that they're pressed for time and late for a "very important date" when they make their way through the rose maze. thankfully the maze itself is relatively tame on this day, also courtesy of the queen's preparations (what good is an unbirthday party if no one can get to the venue?). there's the occasional grove of rose trees, some blooms painted, some left to their natural redness, and a few of the roses even impart greetings to passerbys-- otherwise, things are somewhat unremarkable by the standards of a wonderland native.

if only the same could be said of the venue.

upon exiting the maze, shu will be greeted by the sight of a lush tea garden overrun with carefully calculated disarray. tables and chairs in all sorts of shapes and sizes are placed together in a manner that seems completely random, almost as random as the decor. riddle promised talking rabbits and dancing hats and singing tea pots, and that's exactly what shu will find. almost all of wonderland's creatures pop in now and then, from doggerpillars in the flowers to gaggles of mome raths shuffling all over the ground like a sentient shag rug. the potted centerpieces dance with bread-and-butterflies, attempting to chat up and flirt with the guests. all in all, it truly is a scene straight from a fairytale, albeit one that is chaotic and whimsical.

at least shu isn't the only non-native. the other denizens of heartslabyul were permitted to bring an outsider as their plus one as well, meaning there's several other confused boys among him whose reactions to the fresh hell before them range from bewildered amusement to terrified screaming. that, of course, isn't speaking of the fact several of these other guests have animal-like features of their own; there's even a vampire in their midst, holding a parasol and taking refuge beneath a tree, clearly among the terrified.

it's a lot, but thankfully explanations come soon, because the sound of a clock booming out the hour fills the garden, and is immediately followed by that familiar rabbit scrambling in. he sounds his trumpet to announce riddle's arrival. "please be seated for his loveliness, his grace... his excellency... h-- his royal majesty, queen rosehearts!"

staff in hand and looking refined as ever, riddle strides into the venue, flanked by a number of his students in uniform, his gaze scrutinizing as he looks over every detail of the tea garden one last time (his expression does brighten somewhat when he notices shu though).

while the uniformed students disperse to help their own guests, shu's pants leg is given a few tugs by the exhausted mr. rabbit. he sputters something about shu needing to be seated somewhere special, and hobbles over to the head table. there sits a trio of chairs; the one pulled out for shu is this wide, lavish, and garishly colored abomination draped in silks and decorated with appliques of hearts in clashing tones. it is offensive to the eyes, and it is meant for the king. to his right is a chair that is comically large, the backrest tall and imposing, the velvety surface black and red and also decorated with patches and appliques of hearts and strawberries and crowns and whatever else riddle decided he liked that day. to shu's left is a plush stool set atop a pile of textbooks, clearly meant for the cutest doll in the world.

finally, finally, riddle approaches. he gives a curtsey to mr. rabbit, and holds the pose as the rabbit gives his long report on the party's attendees. after a nod of understanding, the rabbit is relieved of his duties. once he's gone riddle turns to shu with a bright-cheeked, expectant smile. ]

I hope you I didn't keep you waiting long. Welcome to Wonderland, and a very merry unbirthday to you!

[ thanks riddle...... ]

Threaded | Flat

[It's been a long time since Shu read Alice's Adventures in Wonderland. A precocious child, he tore through that book alongside countless others. Reading wasn't his preferred hobby, but he could read voraciously when he found a text he was interested in, and Alice's absurd adventures had captivated his childish imagination.

He recalls that the tale began when Alice encountered a strange rabbit, who wore a waistcoat and carried a pocketwatch. Fretting about being late for some important date, the rabbit disappeared down a hole, and young Alice gave chase—just as Shu himself would give chase when he spotted his own "rabbit" at Yumenosaki.

Alice's adventures were both numerous and strange. She ended up different cupboards, which contained suspicious items such as potions with labels that said "DRINK ME" and confections with boxes that read "EAT ME." The potion shrunk Alice down to the size of a mouse, while the cake caused her to grow tall, and so on and so fourth. Many strange characters were introduced, and the events of the eleventh and twelfth chapters, titled Who Stole the Tarts? and Alice's Evidence respectively, have been on Shu's mind ever since he met Riddle. On the surface, his adorable new friend bore little resemblance to the foul-tempered Queen of Hearts, whose defining characteristic was her thirst for blood. But after spending more time with Riddle, Shu quickly realized that the cute young sorcerer was prone to fits of rage. Making ugly faces and calling for people's heads didn't suit someone like him at all, so it was really quite regrettable.

Still, at other times Riddle could be quite charming. He was talented, thoughtful, hard-working, sincere and adorable. Shu would just have to hope that the merry atmosphere of the Unbirthday Party would keep any tantrums at bay. He looked forward to a day full of festivities, in which he'd learn more about this enchanted "Wonderland" and witness more feats of sorcery at Riddle's hands.

With those hopes in mind, he arrives bright and early to the magical mirror connecting their two worlds. In one hand he carries a suitcase, which holds Riddle's specially-designed broomstick-riding outfit, and in the other hand he holds Mademoiselle. He'd wanted to leave her behind, but unfortunately she really wanted to come and have tea with the pixies again. Seeing as she hadn't turned out to be in any real danger during their last trip, Shu had reluctantly agreed to take her along—with the caveat that he'll be watching her like a hawk all day.

He isn't sure what to expect upon arrival. During the last trip to Wonderland, he and Mademoiselle were accosted by all sorts of magical winged creatures. To his relief, nothing so bothersome happens this time. Instead he's greeted by a white rabbit, much like Alice at the beginning of her tale. Shu feels some apprehension when the rabbit leads him into a maze, not keen on the idea of getting lost. Is this goose-chase really necessary? But as he sighs and steps after the rabbit, he finds his reservations melting away in the face of all those pretty flowers. If only the groundskeepers at Yumenosaki had the same aesthetic sensibilities. And that's to say nothing of the fact that some of them can talk...

Roses, however, are the least outlandish sight that Wonderland has to awful. As soon as Shu exits the maze, he's greeted with a far more impressive scene; one that has him sucking in a breath, both brows shooting up his forehead.]

Good heavens...

[Sorcery, sorcery everywhere! There's more magic going on than his mind can comprehend. Plants, animals, even inanimate objects—all of them freely dancing about, as though possessed with a human spirit. Even as an imaginative child, his mind couldn't have conjured this.]

Oh, don't just stand there staring, Shu-kun. This celebration looks lovely ♫ Riddle-chan is hosting it just for you, isn't he? Let's make sure to thank him properly.

I'll worry about thanking him later. Thus far, I haven't seen hide or hair of him.

[But Shu doesn't have to wait much longer. As though prompted by his words, the rabbit announces Riddle's arrival. "His excellency," hmm...? At least the denizens of this strange Wonderland recognize Riddle's magnificence.

He gives a start when the rabbit comes up from behind him (how did he get over here so soon?!) and tugs on his clothes, frowning and swatting a hand at the bunny's paw. But when he's told there's a special place for himself at the table... well, he can't help feeling curious. Following the rabbit once again, Shu lets the other creatures' stares roll off him and strides forward to claim his throne. The furniture here could use some work, quite frankly. Honestly, the chair looks tacky, but he accepts his seat nonetheless. He seats Mademoiselle on the cushion, shoves the suitcase underneath the table (where's a bellhop when you need one?) and settles down just in time for Riddle to appear.

His cute friend looks no less breathtaking than usual. Yet the change in atmosphere has Shu seeing him in a different light than usual. In Shu's world, Riddle is always a fish out of water, but here he seems to be in his element—receiving praise from the adoring public, acting the role of the monarch. He's more captivating than ever, in other words.

Though not so captivating that Shu forgets how foolish the concept of "unbirthdays" are. Setting that aside for now...]

So this is the event you've planned, hmm? I must say, this is quite a spread. The pastries don't do anything strange, do they? Such as altering one's height?