[Brown and Blue]

The Hare groaned, stumbling slightly as he wandered. For a couple of weeks now, he had been suffering with a fever. It seemed to never let up, keeping him awake at night and sapping his strength. Even though he wanted more than anything to just curl up under one of the trees around him, he knew that something bad would happen if he did.

Instead, the Hare continued walking in the general direction of Hopeless. Something was telling him that he couldn't remain at Ayaka's house during this.

A sudden surge of heat forced him to his knees, making his head spin. If he had anything in his stomach, then it would no longer be there. To avoid the smell, he tilted away from it and ended up sprawling on the forest floor.

He only had a few moments of staring at the green canopy before everything went dark.

[Alice]

Alice looked around warily as she made her way through the dense Forrest of all the places this world had to offer this one was by far dominating the top of her "Places I'd care not to revisit" list.
The further she got into the Forrest the worse it seemed to get looking up she could hardly make out any light desperately trying to make its way  through, she wondered if would ever actually end, though she should probably watch where she is going whilst wondering for at that very moment she tripped over a raised tree root.

"Ow."

Alice said as she got to her feet and brushing the debit off of her stockings as she raised her head she caught a glimpse of someone on the floor, she cautiously proceeded to investigate further  a sudden realization hit her.

"Mr. Hare!?"

[Brown and Blue]

At the unpleasant sound, the Hare's body jerked and sat up, but the kind if naive person was missing. He rose to his feet, seeming remarkably like a marionette. Silently, he turned toward where the sound had originated.

His eyes were open, but at first it seemed as if no one was home.

The rabbit ears that were normally perky and upright lay flat against his head, lips curled slightly downwards as he observed the one who disturbed him. There was no recognition.

[Maou]

Glaring, Maou made his way through the forest whilst trying not to lose his temper. His imps were making it exceedingly difficult, chittering away as they were. This wasn't anything new, but it seemed like they always knew exactly how to set him off, which was why he normally had them flying errands for him or something - anything - but soaring around his head like flies and just as bothersome.

"We should have headed that way at the fork, I say," the purple imp insisted shrilly, pointing off to Maou's right while pouting spectacularly at the blue imp. The other one hissed in annoyance before putting his two-cents in.

"No, we should have gone that way half an hour ago," he huffed, pointing off to Maou's left and dipping a bit in flight when the green imp swatted at him.

"We shouldn't have even entered this forest, you dunderheads! Even if it took longer, it would have been safer to avoid this place altogether!" The white-haired demon felt his claws lengthen slightly as his irritation began to get the better of him.

"Shut up! If you wish to go a different way, then go! Cease pestering me with your opinionated blathering," Maou snarled, whipping around and startling the three imps into fluttering backwards a good few feet.

There was a moment of silence.

"Master, don't say stuff like that! I'm only looking out for your well being!"

"I was just trying to help, sir!"

"P-please don't be mad at us!"

Turning sharply on his heel, Maou stormed away in an attempt to escape their shrill assurances. Why couldn't they just leave him be for now?

[The King Of Hearts]

Rex was doing nothing so interesting as the other visitors to the woods. The grand king merely sat on a tree stump, waiting for something it seemed. He'd been wandering around this silly landmass for months, coming across all sorts of ridiculous and bothersome creatures. However, for now he was bored. This world was full of terrible things that kept making him go numb, he just wanted to be able to deal with the denizens of wonderland again...at least he could understand and manipulate them properly. Hell he could even go for another round of that stupid little Alice girl's whining about now.

He studied the nails on his left hand with one bright sea-green eye, sighing. His clothes had changed a bit since he'd come here, his long black coat gone, though he'd kept the heart shaped eye patch. He was dressed in well tailored black trousers with shiny golden buttons, a matching waistcoat and a pale pink shirt with a high collar and tight sleeves. He looked dashing enough, he even had a top-hat to go along with this new costume change. Of course he only had new clothes because he'd "befriended" a befuddled and frightened little tailor with magnificent sewing abilities. He'd simply stolen the hat.

"When the stars threw down their spears,
And watered heaven with their tears,
Did He smile His work to see?
Did He who made the lamb make me?"

Rex purred out softly, familiar words though he wasn't sure why they came to mind so easily. His voice was rich, and deep and carried through the creepy little trees with ease.

[Brown and Blue]

It only took a few moments of staring before he made a move. Shooting forward, the Hare curled a hand around Alice's neck and forced her back against a convenient tree. His illness from a few minutes before seemed to have evaporated, though it may have been set aside so that he could deal with the pressing threat that this strange woman posed.

If she was deemed a true threat, then she would be eliminated. Should the opposite prove true, she could help him get through the season.

Perhaps.

[Alice]

"M-Mister Hare, w-what are doing?"

She manged to get out as his hand wrapped tighter around her neck, she could feel herself panic which did not help her to breath at all. Why was the Hare behaving like this he is usually as docile as a fawn in spring but now there was a definite MAD look in his eyes that she had only seen in the Hatter, and that was only a second, still not a thought she'd like to revisit.

"It's me....A-Alice!"

As she tried rather unsuccessfully to loosen his grip, her eyes began to water from lack of sufficient oxygen, then all of the sudden he stopped, just as abruptly as he began.

[The King Of Hearts]

The sound of the tiny scuffle did not escape Rex, he stopped his soliloquy as his interest was caught. He recognized that nasally little voice anywhere. He stood and breezed closer to the source of the noise, narrowing his eyes through the darkness to see the Hare and Alice. Though the hare looked...off. This was clearly not the sweet silly little creature he'd taken advantage of before. He heard Alice whimper out a plea for recognition before he sighed.

"Tut tut, Naughty Bunbun. Little girls are not for choking."

He slunk closer, trying to gauge a reaction from the small mad being. He had stopped the hare, not because he was trying to protect Alice, but because a crazy Bunbun seemed like it would be lots of fun.

[Brown and Blue]

"Shut up," the Hare growled, voice low and seemingly darker. The woman's high-pitched voice was annoying not only in the fact that it was so shrill but also because if she could still vocalize then he wasn't squeezing hard enough.

He remedied that.

Just a little bit more force would pop her head off, but the Hare didn't want her dead, at least not yet.

A soft sound behind him diverted his attention, though he kept a good hold on the shrill thing as he turned. It didn't seem like anything was there, but the distinct feeling of being watched put him on edge. The sensation of a predator eying him was hard to ignore, particularly since he could not quite figure out from whence it came.

"Where are you, Mr. Pre~edator? Do you wish to eat me?" The Hare's voice was low as he sing-songed his questions, tilting his head as he continued to examine his surroundings while keeping a tight grip on the thing that called herself 'Alice'.

That name was familiar.

[Alice]

Alice tried to gasp for any little breath that The Hare might give her, it was getting harder and harder to try and fight him off, This was definatly a position she thought she'd never be in, espcially with her usually very sweet, but still MaD March Hare, but this person in front of her she barely recognised. Tears were falling uncontrolably down her cheeks, there was really nothing she could do, she wasnt strong enough to fend him off, and there was no one around not that they could hear her.

[The King Of Hearts]

"Oh Bunbun, don't you remember me?"

Rex cooed, carefully adjusting his hat before reaching out to snatch up the much smaller Hare. He hooked two fingers in the back of the other's shirt. "That's a very unkind thing to do to poor Pigeon there." he cooed near the other's big fluffy ears, looking to Alice and winking like this was all a fine joke. The king waited for a response from Marchy, he'd dealt with mad creatures before so he was prepared for some sort of violent retaliation.

[Maou]

Hearing something in the distance, Maou headed toward the source, ignoring the imps even as they swooped about his head. There was something odd up ahead and it didn't sound good. He took a moment to hush the winged imps, which they didn't take very well.

"Shush it, Ume," Maou hissed at the purple imp and used his magic to enforce the command when she refused. The three flitted around his head in a twitter despite being silent. None of them were happy with where their master was going.

[Brown and Blue]

"You?" The Hare murmured softly as his vision was suddenly filled by a masculine face with only one visible eye. Sight locking onto the heart-shaped eye patch, he gasped softly as heat flooded his body. He had waited too long to start his season and now with this attractive redhead smothering him the Hare was feeling even more mad.

With all the blood rushing around his body, he was feeling rather light-headed and weak. He was barely holding onto Alice's neck now and seemed to have just melted against the taller man.

"Majesty?"

[Alice]

"Ugh"

Alice slipped away from the Hare's grip thanks to that finally good for something wretched King. Being entirely too gratefull to be alive Alice chose to ignore the Rex's stupidity, she coughed and held her very sore neck, there was to be quite a  bit of bruising after this ordeal.

"I know... you probbabbly didnt  save me on purpose....but i am indebted to you"

she looked up from the ground where as she tried to regain composure.

[The King Of Hearts]

Rex nonchalantly picked up the hare and flipped him over his shoulder like he was a sack of flour.
"Oh yes Bunbun, I've missed you very much~" he cooed before looking to Alice.
 "Where have you two been Pigeon? I haven't seen either of you dollies for months."
 he said, careful to keep the horny little rabbit restrained. He put one hand on his hip, waiting for an explanation and generally ignoring the 'indebtedness' part. He was a king, everyone was indebted to him.

[Maou]

"That's strange," Maou whispered, peering at the weird trio through the bushes. His imps clung to him, wings rustling softly as they shifted around to get a good look. Whatever was going on looked a little shady, but it was probably best that he keep an eye on what they were doing to that girl.

If he needed to, he would step in.

[Brown and Blue]

"Missed me? Missed me?! You've got me over your shoulder like a backpack on a soldier," the Hare giggled slightly as he wiggled against his support, freeing his arms. Immediately, he began poking the King's back and most every bit he could reach. "You've got me! You've got me and the pigeon!"

After that, he flopped down against Rex's shoulder with a huff. Something was niggling at the back of his mind. These two were familiar to him - but not. The Hare didn't know what to do, but this man holding him was warm and very welcoming.

Perhaps he could help him get through this season with less stress than his past seasons.

[Alice]

Alice has recovered enough to scoul at Rex's cooing. She picked herself up off the floor dusted off her dress.

"I've been looking for the Hare, i found him just today, although i expected a much more friendly greeting than the one i recieved, i dont know where he has been prior to today."

She eyed the Hare confused at his sudden change with just a little attention from Mr. High and Mighty, maybe it wouldnt be so bad having Rex around for the time being.

[The King Of Hearts]

Rex made a face as Marchy began to poke him, at least he'd stopped being all grabby and asphyxiate-y.
"So then where have you been staying?"
he asked arching an eyebrow at Alice. He managed to stay here and there but he hadn't ended p with any sort of fixed residence. He was honestly a little surprised no one in this dark little world had eaten March Hare or Alice yet. Then again if they'd both survived in wonderland they had at least a fighting chance here.

[Maou]

Listening to their conversation, it didn't sound like there was anything too bad going on, though the redhead seemed to be rather snooty. He was quite glad that his imps were silent or they'd be chittering about all his negative qualities to the point where he wouldn't be able to pay close attention to the strangers.

The boy with the bunny ears seemed to be insane and the girl was a bit of a brat. They didn't really seem hostile towards each other anymore, but he wasn't sure if it would remain that way because of how quickly the mood seemed to shift.

[Brown and Blue]

"Red and green and lots of more red - their hair is so bright. Who are they?" The Hare mumbled to himself as images of a couple of people surfaced in him mind. They couldn't be near him for now, couldn't be so close that they could see his madness. If only these two didn't know, then everything would be better. No one was supposed to know.

Struggling out of the king's hold, Marchy felt his breathing speed up as he began to panic. He didn't want to be caught, be smothered and kept from moving. That couldn't happen this time or he would

~break~.

[Alice]

"Well actually, i havent really been staying anywhere"

She held up the tattered skit of her dress, she shurged. she steped back a little after noticing  the Hare begin to thrash about.

"Though you may want to hold on the Hare a bit tigher"

Alice could not believe she was saying that, and to that Pervert of all people, perhaps this place was making her mad as well. She took it back.

[The King Of Hearts]

"Shh, shh." Rex purred, adjusting his grip on the hare and moving the other off of his shoulder so he was cradling him bridal style. The King removed his fancy top-hat and placed it on the hare's head before looking back to Alice.
"Well Bunbun has gone quite far around the bend." he said as if Alice didn't already realize this.
"He's going to have to be put somewhere he'd can't escape too easily..."
Rex suddenly stopped, feeling that familiar but unwelcome shiver of emptiness that came with his soul trying to emote but his heart unable to carry it through. It was very much like the sudden start one gets when one mistakenly thinks there is another step at the end of a dark staircase where there isn't.

[Maou]

Were they hobos?

They didn't seem like they were from around here, though he wasn't either so there was a chance that they were and he just didn't realize. This didn't seem like a very good place to be if some of the population had no place to stay the night except amongst nature.

At least two of his imps were giggling, he knew since he could feel them vibrating softly against him. Thankfully, they were still silent even if their wings weren't completely. At least the shifting of their wings only sounded like a breeze across dry leaves and could blend into any of nature's background noises.

[Alice]

Alice shook her head at Rex's solution to the problem, it was strikingly simlilar to the Hatter's methods of calming Marchy, but she diddnt like the grin slowly creeping its way across the Hare's face, it remined her of the last time she saw The Hatter right before falling out of Wonderland.

"Rex, i dont think you should have done that.."