๖ۣۜƜσɳ∂єяℓαɳ∂「ᶳᵉᵐᶤ⁻ᵃᵈᵛᵃᶰᶜᵉᵈ」 discussion

Tulgey Wood is the forest that never seems to end. Those who don't know it well enough often tend to get lost here. It is home to all sorts of bizarre creatures. Beyond it lies the Rose Garden.

Elizabeth gasped lightly as she pricked her finger innocently on a thorn she hadn't known was there. She had no doubt this 'Wonderland' was an odd place, but she kept an open mind about it, thinking it couldn't be any worse than the world she usually lived in. She wasn't naive enough to think she was in some sort of dream; Elizabeth dreamed often enough to know the difference between dreams and reality.

She brushed a strand of blonde hair out of her pretty blue eyes and looked about, smoothing over her dress. She'd wandered off despite her handmaiden's wishes and now she was lost, unable to find her omniscient servant again. The creatures she'd come across had been pleasant, yet fallible in terms of the help they'd given her. She wondered if she'd ever get out of the trees.

Deciding to get away from the castle for the day August found himself in Tulgey woods. He knew the place well, but his purpose for today was to get lost. Thinking was a burden for him, and he preffered being along, especially when it came to his impassive wife. She rarely showed emotion, and though he was oblivious to it in the past it's become quite apparent recently. Sighing softly he heard a small noise near by. With a grin he reached to the dagger strapped to his side. Whether it was a creature or a human he had no qualms about killing it. A few dead bodies, or carcasses in his path meant nothing to him, and he was rather blood thirsty. Cautiously he took a few steps forwards before rounding around and finding a young lady in a dress. Pausing he sheathed his dagger once more. Unsure whether or not she was a threat his fingers remained on the hilt of the dagger.

Elizabeth's head snapped towards the commotion, fearing a wolf and yet finding a man. She blinked in surprise as he wielded a weapon towards her, and sighed in relief when he sheathed it, taking a few cautious steps back. She couldn't help but notice how the man's fingers lingered on the hilt tentatively. Really? What was she going to do to him? She raised her hands in silent surrender and looked at him imploringly. "Please don't kill me?" she tried, her voice speaking in the soft Romanian accent that indicated exactly where she was from, though it had gently begun to lessen with time.

His clothes were made of fine material - a nobleman then. The red would indicate the kingdom he was from, another thing she had recently learned. "I'm not a threat," she promised quickly, standing tall and proper as she'd been raised to back at her home manor in England, "I know someone from the Red Kingdom, I would not attack one of his brethren." Like she could attack anyone. That was her handmaiden's forte, not hers. She wondered faintly, if she was perhaps trespassing on land she shouldn't have been, but honestly in a forest as ridiculous as this one, was she really to blame?

At her pleading he couldn't help but to feel a small hint of satisfaction. To ease her worries his hand dropped to his side. Though she may have appeared innocent, one could never tell in Wonderland. An eyebrow rose in question, though it was apparent she had no clue who he was. Good, he thought to himself, let's keep it that way. August walked closer, narrowing his eyes slightly as he took in her figure, not bothering to hide his wandering gaze before he came to a stop in front of her. "Don't worry. I won't kill you." He said, though whether that was true was still unclear. Turning his head he looked around, coming to the realization that she was alone. "Are you lost?" He asked curiously, resting against a tree.

As he came from out of the shadows she could see him better; clearly aristocracy. Her eyes widened as his own wandered over her, perhaps to weigh her up, perhaps not, and she kept her eyes locked on him as he lounged against a tree. Not that she minded people looking at her, because she had nothing impressive up top, and her legs were hidden by the long skirts of her dress. Slender little Lizzie. Her shoulders relaxed slightly as he withdrew his earlier threat of violence and she offered him a grateful smile. "Thank you, I suppose," she told him, "Because I can't deny you probably wouldn't find it too difficult." Elizabeth was trained in self-defense and simple swordplay but those skills had done her no good thus far. The abilities down in Wonderland were on a whole new level, one that had even her maid sweating. She nodded. "I went against better judgement and wandered off," she told him, "Can I presume the same in your case?"

Before he could answer, she giggled, falling back onto a fallen tree and resting her legs. "In ordinary circumstances, I'd have had you help me, but I'm no more than a peasant down here. It's oddly refreshing believe it or not, to lose one's status."

August grinned in a sarcastic manner. "You have a good judgement of just exactly how skilled I am." He said, unable to stop his vain reply. Lightly he raked his fingers through his hair. His eyes wandered around once more, beginning to wonder just exactly who she was here with, and if he should be worried about that. "You can presume whatever you'd like," August bit his lip, looking over her shoulder at the endless expanse of forest around them. When she giggled he couldn't help but to relax into his usual stance. At her reference he peered at her questioningly, pondering what exactly she meant. Though he manipulated others into telling him whatever he liked he was not a mind reader. "And what exactly do you mean by that? To lose ones status?" He asked, voicing his thoughts as he crossed his arms over his chest.

She raised her eyebrows at his confident manner of speaking but then again, acknowledgement of one's skills is different to exaggerating them. She tilted her head, her blonde waves tumbling down her back as she looked at the sky. "Well, before I came to Wonderland," she said, "I was a Lady, and naturally here, I am not. What I mean is - it's refreshing. Down here, me and my maidservant are practically equals. If not for my attire, no one would ever know I was-" She cut herself off, shaking her head in amusement. She really did have to stop rambling on about things.

Her smile suddenly fell and she looked up at him. Not everyone took kindly to those who weren't Wonderlandians being in their realm. She hoped the comment had slipped by him unnoticed. That said, it was more the ordinary people who disliked it. When she had met the Prince of Spades, the man hadn't a care for it particularly, so long as she wasn't of the White Kingdom. She wasn't a Wonderlandian, and didn't consider herself in either kingdom, but she had yet to meet any of the infamous White people.

August grunted as if in response. His chest heaved slightly as if in anger. Jealousy didn't suite well with him, and it was evident enough to him that he was envious of the young girl in front of him. Having lived in Wonderland all of his lousy life he'd been left the awful position of being king. And not without the lose of those close to him. Sure he enjoyed having power, and the riches at his hands but in his moments away from the castle he began to think of exactly how much easier life would be without the title. But it always led him back to the same dark conclusion that there would be rebellion, and an uneven shift in power with the White Kingdom. That along with the fact he hasn't produced an actual blood heir to rule the kingdom. And certainly he couldn't leave his wife with all of that power. After a few minutes of silence he cleared his throat, not exactly aware of how lost in his thoughts he'd been. "So... You're from the other world?" He questioned curiously, taking in her outfit. Of course everyone in the kingdom knew of Alice, but since then he'd heard of no one from this outside place.

"The natives speak of Alice," she said curiously, not really picking up on his inherent anger, "Although she's from a later time frame than me, much later I believe. She's on the side of the White Queen is she not? I've heard whispers along my travels, and my handmaiden, Bonnie, she's seen them in her dreams. I believe the two kingdoms have an extraordinarily strained alliance. Battles are sure to ensue." She stood up, pushing her hair back of her face and turned to him. "It's like my own world, only with talking cats and strange monsters. Politics are the same in every dimension it would seem. I've never really cared much for them personally." She smiled at him and took a tentative step forward. "If you'd like," she offered, "We could find our way out of here together - I'm not a Wonderlandian but I'm good in unfamiliar territory, and I'm not going to lie to you, I like to keep manpower with me at all times. Though, this forest does seem rather endless, doesn't it?"

At the mention of Alice he nodded his head. "Yeah... Long ago." He murmured in reply. Certainly before he was born, which caused this event to be more so monumental. At the mention of the White Queen he restrained himself from rolling his eyes as he dug his fingers into his palm. "How long have you been here? Your handmaiden, Bonnie, did she arrive here with you?" August asked, wanting to gather intel on exactly what was going on. When the young girl mentioned the tension between the kingdoms he laughed bitterly. There were few opponents he wouldn't face in battle, but the White Spades were not to be messed with. Not that he completely doubted his own people, but certainly there were more supporters for the gentle White Queen and her husband. Deciding not to mention his position he nodded his head with the most genuine smile he could muster. "Nothing more than I love to help out a lady In distress, who's name I'm still unaware of." August smirked walking towards her. "Which way do you suggest?" He asked, peering down at her. Of course he knew the path that led them back to the Red Kingdom, but he didn't exactly want to rush back.

"Alice," she mused, "I like that name." She pursed her lips in thought for a moment, her head cocking to one side. "It's hard to say, time moves strangely here, but weeks perhaps? Even months? And my Bonnie jumped in after I fell down the rabbit hole, she claims she was trying to save the dog, but I know she's lying. Ah, if we had Argus here now, he'd sniff his way out-" She frowned as he laughed at her comment about war. "I spoke to some White folk," she said, "Their problem is they're too peaceful, they say. That one Red soldier could take 2 Whites. Do you think that's true?" She found his personality conflicting, but didn't look too much into it. It wasn't likely that she'd find a 'normal' person in Wonderland anyway, and she wasn't sure she wanted to. He smiled kindly at her, and offered her help, and the act of chivalry won her over. "My name is Elizabeth Dracul, from Romania. And you?"

She pursed her lips in concentration, looking at the possible routes they could take. She chose one at random, as it seemed the windiest. The windy ones always got you out. Most of the time.

"Your Bonnie?" August asked, finding how she spoke peculiar. At the mention of the dog sniffing his way out he highly doubted it. Very few knew how to get out of the Tugley Forest, and often times it would be the Cheshire Cat that helped them out with such problems, but not without a price. "That's quite true. The Red guards are far more violent," He replied, doing his best to keep the pride out of his voice, though he was sure that some of it had slipped through. For a moment his gaze flickered down towards hers before he told her his own name... Well a version of it anyways. "My names Gregory Augustine. Many call me August." He told her, extending his hand. Never had he done so before, unless forced to, but he'd learned it was the polite thing to do. "Nice to meet you Lady Elizabeth from Romania." August purred before seeing the path she'd selected. His shoulders stiffened ever so slightly. The path led to the White Spades. "Though that path looks rather tempting how about we choose a safer one." He laughed weakly, placing a hand on her back to direct her in the opposite direction.

"My handmaiden," confirmed Elizabeth, "Where I am from, she is a slave that belongs to me. That said, I am very fond of her." She smiled, taking his hand in greeting as was the custom. When he addressed her as 'Lady' she felt a gentle blush grace her pale cheeks. It was not a necessary thing for him to do, yet he had done it, and Elizabeth had always seen the good in people practically immediately. She blinked in surprise as he guided her down the opposite path, and looked at him. "Wait, do you know where we're going, August?" She allowed him to decide nonetheless, trusting his judgement immediately, and enjoying his pleasant company.

For a moment he found it rather odd. The possession of people. Those who worked in the castle, he did not think of them as property and yet they were his. He also found it strange how fondly he spoke of her, but shrugged it off. She may be of higher blood where she came from, but Elizabeth was certainly nothing like him. At her blush his lips tilted into a sideways smirk. Hearing her question he shook his head. "Not per say..." He trailed off, removing his hand from her back as he looked over at the path she'd chosen. "But, I'm sure that ones not correct." August said easily before facing the path. He was certain it either led back to the Red Kingdom, or the Rose garden. Either way he was sure to find his way back to the palace. "So, where have you been residing in Wonderland?" He asked curiously after a pause of silence.

She began to walk down the path he'd chosen. "Many places. I'm notoriously indecisive when it comes to trivial decisions like where to live. I haven't found anywhere I like yet, and I don't know how long I'll be down here for. We've been nomadic thus far, and I rather like it that way. There's something free-spirited about traveling, don't you think? And I've met the most interesting people, like yourself for example, and a talking cat, and a Red Prince." She looked at him in contemplation, but then decided against trying to figure him out. It would do her no good, and would be a waste of time. She liked him, and that was enough. "What about you?" she asked, "What do you do?"

"You don't know how long you'll be down here for?" August knitted his eyebrows in confusion. There was a way to get to the other world? It was fair to say he was rather interested in finding out, though he was sure if he left he'd never want to return. "I hope you've been sleeping on a warm bed. And I don't believe a cat is categorized as a people." August told her with an edge of amusement in his tone. Soon enough he realized he liked the fact Elizabeth wasn't from Wonderland, and that she was unaware of his identity. That meant no suspicions or accusations. As the question was turned on him he pondered his thoughts on what to say, his fingers subconsciously reaching for the heart-shaped flask strapped to his thigh. "Nothing much, just serving the royal highness and all." He replied with a shrug, opening the flask. He took a swift chug of alcohol, enjoying the way it burned down his throat before extending it towards her direction.

"Oh how lovely," she mused, "I've always found that if you're nice to your subordinates, they'll enjoy their job. I hope you enjoy yours. And yes well, the Cat did take a liking to us, told us an awful lot, all in ambiguity of course but oh well." She accepted the the flask, curiosity sparking in her cerulean eyes. She took a sip before scrunching her face up in shock. "Well I wasn't expecting that - what on earth is it? Is it dangerous, I think it's burning me." It was as though it went up to her head instead of down to her stomach. How queer, she thought lightly. She ignored his question about the bed - she personally enjoyed sleeping on the forest floor, but not everyone saw it that way.

August did his best not to show his impatience as she went on ignoring his question on how to get to the other side. Perhaps she did not know herself, but to tease him in such a way surely wasn't good. When coming to the conclusion that she would not tell him he inwardly sighed. "The Cheshire loves to prattle on about absolute nonsense. Anything you learned from him?" August questioned, his sparkling eyes met hers as he watched her take a sip. None to do too much harm, but just enough to have affected her. "Trust me sweetheart you're not burning," he reassured her with a low chuckle, unable to help doing so at the frightened lady in front of him. Once she adjusted his barely there smile slipped from his lips. "Not like the alcohol from back home now, is it?" But, of course it wasn't. Long ago August had begun lacing his drinks with poison- something rather dangerous but his studies proved that such herbs he mixed in would not do much harm. They simply made life more so... Interesting, to say the least.

Elizabeth felt a mild buzzing beneath her skin. She'd never handled alcohol that well back home, and this was of a strength she had never experienced before. Ignoring the fact he'd given her the alcohol in the first place, she looked up and him and smiled mischievously. "Between you and me, he told me of how Alice returned home, not that it sounds all that easy. As you'd probably guess, a sort of magic is involved." She wasn't sure she should have been telling him all this, but she owed him at least something interesting. Where she was from, the exchange of interesting stories was a form of payment, and she firmly believed it a competent way to repay someone in full gratitude. There was no better currency than that of information. Her steps became lighter, and playful, and her blonde waves swirled as she did a little twirl as she so often did in happiness. "But I won't tell you for nothing," she whispered, walking a little way ahead of him and looking back, smiling, her blue chiffon dress blowing behind her in the wind. She wasn't exactly sure why she was flirting, but she did not underestimate her face. Elizabeth had been beautiful in her own world, and she was beautiful in this one too - not vanity of her looks, acknowledgment. It could hardly be called vanity, when Elizabeth herself thought nothing of beauty.

August could soon see her reaction to the alcohol, and to say the least he was ammused. Of course he'd seen many ladies that couldn't handle a sip or two, but the affects on her appeared to be different. Not to say she wasn't being friendly before, but now she appeared to be extra friendly. To show that he'd heard her he nodded his head slowly. Of course he'd already drawn himself to the conclusion that magic was involved, but who was that going to help. Biting his tongue he followed after her, unable to appreciate her childlike behaviors, or her unreasonable amount of flirtation. Perhaps this was simply how girls acted where she was from. He watched her curiously, folding his hands together in attempts to keep himself from reaching out to tuck a stray strand of hair behind her ear. "Mmm, and what is it you'd like for this highly regarded information?" August asked, his voice soft and compelling as he followed after her.

She turned on her heel and approached him, a small smile gracing her glowing complexion. As she neared him, she lifted her dress, pulling her hunting knife out and holding it so that the blade was pointing directly at his throat. "I was often taught to kill those who intoxicated me," she said flatly, "but I'll refrain from doing so seeing as you at least agreed to accompany me. So, do tell me, what is it you really want from me? To go to my world? I daresay I enjoy the Wonderlandians' company but I'm not about to let one step foot on my soil. The cat warned me this could happen..." She cocked her head to the side, her expression holding no real malice. She was not angry at the man, for none were more curious than her, and it would be hypocritical for her to be so. That said, she was not about to let this man manipulate her into spilling all that she knew. They may have looked the same, but she was human and he was not. In Romania they had taught her never to raise a hand to her superiors but this man was no more than her equal in her eyes.

His eyes narrowed, fixing on the dagger she held to his throat. Anyone could tell she wasn't experienced in doing so due to her lack of posture, and the lazy way in which she held the knife. To Elizabeth it may have seemed that she held all the cards in her hand. But, alas, she was not from here. And if he was to shed some blood he might as well have fun while doing so. "How many people have you killed with that knife dear? I'm sure not too many." He mocked with his usual throaty laugh. By her eyes he could tell she held no malice, but when his life was threatened in such a careless way he was not so easily able to forgive. "Perhaps before you start making threats and insinuating things you should realize just exactly who your dealing with." He said his lips curving into a smile, any signs of his earlier charm gone. Expertly he grabbed for the dagger with his left hand. Instead of pulling it from her grip he took sadistic pleasure in his blood spilling over the blade as it sliced through his palm. From there he used very little strength to release it from her grip. Throwing the blood stained knife to the ground he approached her as if he was a predator, and she his prey. "Now, there's two ways we can go about this. One, you tell me exactly what it is that you're hiding, or risk a beheading by the King." He told her, wiping his hand off at his side, the wound fully healed over, all that remained as evidence he'd ever cut himself was a small, puckered, pink line.

She felt a little spark of fear inside her as he disarmed her in the oddest way. Only a fool would have been unwise enough not to be in that moment. She glared at his hand. "Sorcery," she murmured, before fixing her eyes on him, "The Cheshire Cat will never tell you the secret... If you kill me, you'll blow your chances. And as if the King would ever believe you. What harm could a little human girl do to a roguish bandit in the woods. You have no proof, August, and I have quite the ability to talk my way out of things. So perhaps you are stronger than me in physical prowess but there are things I know that you don't. I have seen all of your world, and you have seen nothing of mine." She spun around, feeling thoroughly offended. "You Wonderlandians make even less sense than I do. Thank you for your help stranger, but I will make the rest of the journey alone. I thought you chivalrous but it would seem I was mistaken. The fact you saw need to intoxicate me in order to get what you wanted only shows how little faith you have in yourself. And to think I would have told you, had you only asked..."

The way she said sorcery had him laughing cruelly at her innocence. August was certainly no wizard, nor was he a seer but he was equipped with gifts, mind manipulation being one of them. He rolled his eyes in boredom as she went on about the Cheshire Cat, as if they were allies. "I'm sure he would. It's only a small price one must pay for answers. And I'm fairly certain a human of your stature does not hold such value to a twisted soul." August was amused that she hadn't pieced much together, but it was to be expected given her lack of thinking recently. He brushed off being called a bandit, but did nothing to persuade her otherwise. He was done with persuasive tactics. Catching on to her last comment he simply scoffed, allowing her to continue walking along the path. She held no important information, and he hadn't come here to waist his time. August hoped she'd run into the far darker side of Wonderland in these woods, for certainly she hadn't seen everything. And she certainly hadn't even begun to see the pain and torture he could 'cause her. It would be a fine day when she found out exactly who he was.

"The fact you would judge me on my stature is a pity," she said, "I've never been too fond of that practice." She was about to walk away when she remembered her knife had been thrown to the ground, and hurried over to get it, placing it back in her thigh holster, the blood still staining its blade. She gave August a last glace, he'd worn his mask well for a short while but she expected this was the real him. Most would have been annoyed, but she felt satisfaction from at least knowing who he was before they went their separate ways. The bark of a dog sounded in the distance. "Argus," she whispered. She began to walk away. "I am headed for the Red King's palace, to seek out a friend there, so pray we never clash again. For next time, I won't be alone." Oh Elizabeth knew she was not strong. She'd spent most of her life being raised as a lady, trained in being a perfect wife, not a perfect warrior. She had been taught to lead, not fight. But she found that for all her flaws, she could win the loyalty of someone who could fill that hole. Bonnie, for example, could kill 6 men at once. And she was blind. She rubbed her wrist where he had yanked the knife away - perhaps she had better start learning at least a little. It wouldn't do to keep pointing her dagger at people and smiling.

August pressed his lips together, refusing to let her get the best of him. He didn't know what game she was playing, but he was certain it was one he did not want to get himself involved in. When she spoke again he was several yards away, but he managed to hear her. Was that a threat? He seethed at the thought, turning back around on his heels sharply. His temper had gotten the best of him, and it was likely the situation would not end well. Suddenly he found she might look much better without those golden locks and life-filled eyes. But, patience was key. Just as he reached the clearing he stopped himself, counting to three in his head. "Well, I hope you find everything you're looking for there. And, The King will certainly be pleased to meet you." With that he ventured back into the woods, a steady silence settling around him as he continued along, thinking of all the methods of torture he could possibly use. Of course others would see doing such a thing to a young girl like Elizabeth was wrong. But no one had to no, and August certainly wasn't above doing so.

((We should have them meet again and reveal August's identity it would be so hilarious))

Elizabeth walked for a while longer when the Irish Wolfhound appeared from behind a tree, bounding over to her, barking excitedly. "Argus," she greeted. She looked up to see a very angry looking girl follow suit. She wore all black, her unruly curls half pinned up, half falling around her face, her dark eyes holding that certain mistiness that came with blindness. She seemed to gather her emotions before speaking, her accent a delicate Scottish. "My lady, I was worried. I had a worrying vision that-" Elizabeth clicked her tongue to silence her. "Don't worry, Bonnie, I am fine. Tell me about it later. Did you find the way to the palace?" Bonnie was silent for a moment before she began to turn and walk down the path. Taking that as a yes, Elizabeth fell into walk beside her, Argus padding along in front.

Maggie stuck out her tongue as she carved the bark of a tree with her dagger. The shape of a horse was soon taking form in the tree trunk. Maggie had added the details of flames in the horse's mane and tail.
She was sitting on a sharp, craggily rock, surrounding by the woods. There was no sound to be heard apart from the grinding of bark and Maggie's boots crunching the dirt as she shifted her legs.
She was wearing a loose men's brown shirt and torn, black breeches-both of which she had found somewhere in the woods. Her leather boots covered the bottom of the pants. She had pulled her hair into a simple braid instead of her normal style, which now had two twigs sticking out of the gaps.
Maggie began carving the hooves of the horse, glancing back at her rucksack, bow and quiver of arrows which lay a few feet away. She had been travelling through the woods for at least a day now, but overcome with the sudden of urge to draw, to leave a mark for some reason, she had stopped and chosen this tree to draw on. It was only when she finished the carving did she realise why; to let her family-if they were still out there-know she was safe, and close by too.

Seraphine approached the woods. She was dressed in black skinny jeans and a white tank top. The sides of the shirt dipped low and you could see her rose tattoo on her side, dark against her pale skin. Her hair had been straightened and pulled back into a pony tail, the tips of her wing tattoo visible on her shoulders. She glanced around for Ryne and leaned against a tree, her blue eyes staring off into the distance as she thought. She had made sure he had drank plenty of blood before coming for the meeting this time around, not wanting to get hungry again while around him. She bit her lip and glanced around again, excited to see him.

Ryne strolled through the woods, looking for Angel who promised to meet up here. After walking around some more, he noticed her from a distance. SHe was leaning against a tree, obviously waiting for him.
A mischievous smile crept onto his face. He pulled up his mask, the same one from last time and disappeared from view using a concealment spell. Ryne walked over quietly and tapped on her shoulder. He backed off and let the spell slowly wear off. His hand materialized into a wave. "Nice seeing you again," he greeted, a smile hidden from within his mask.

Seraphine jumped slightly and turned, looking at him with a grin. "Hey" she said, slipping her hands into her pockets. "It's nice to... somewhat see you again to" she joked, watching as he materialized. She tilted her head a bit and watched until he was fully back before she straightened up from leaning against the tree. "How was your day yesterday?" she asked, pulling on the end of her pony tail, an old nervous habit she had picked up from her mother when she was younger. She didn't know why she was nervous but she brushed it off, dropping her hand back to her side as she watched him. She had hidden her fangs this time, knowing that being around wood wouldn't be the best place to show off her fangs, just in case there was a hunter around.

Ryne laughed. After his form fully became visible, as usual, his tattoo quickly faded back to black from under his black shirt. He just got back from training, so he still was equipped with some of his gear and his muscles were a bit more sore than usual.
He shrugged in answer to her question. "It was fine, I guess," he stated to put it simply. "How 'bout you?" he countered, moving their conversation forward. He began walking forward, starting slow at first. He stopped after a few steps and turned around, expectantly waiting for her to catch up.

Seraphine walked after him, quickly catching up. "It was eventful. I had a semi-formal dinner to go to and then a dance." She said with a shrug, keeping it vague as possible. And there was training and studying to do" she said with a smile. "It went pretty fast with so much to do." she said, looking around at the woods, taking in the trees. She kept a decently slow pace so she would take everything in. "I often think about how funny it is that this is one of my favourite places when every where I look there's something that could end my life." She said with a small laugh

"Well, you surely had an eventful week," Ryne commented with a smile. He nodded his head quietly, listening to her talk as they walked through the trees and breathed in the fresh air.
Ryne felt at ease with Angel, like he can relate to her, and it was strange meeting up again. At most times, his personality would randomly snap and he would shift into a different emotion whether if he did it for jokes or not. When he talked with her, he acted more normally and he wondered why. Maybe because he wasn't used to people talking to him all the time? He wasn't sure if he should get used to it. After all, he spent most of his years just drifting and not really making any connections with people at all.

Seraphine nodded and kept the conversation going for a bit longer, talking about random things as she looked around. Eventually she looked at him, having run out of other topics to talk about "So tell me more about yourself. Like... What's your biggest pet peeve?" she asked, letting her gaze travel to the trees again. She enjoyed talking to Ryne, and she wanted to get to know him a bit more. She looked past him at the sound of an animal moving through the underbrush and searched for it, spotting it a bit away. She loved seeing the animals of Wonderland, they tended to be a a bit... weird. Just like the rest of the place. She always felt lucky to grow up in wonderland. Especially when there were people like Ryne living in the area.

"Uh.." Ryne went quiet. Pet peeve? He never really thought about that. From what he remembered, he was pretty much okay with most things. He tilted his head to the side with a blank expression on his face. "Huh, I'm not really sure," he murmured.
He paused again and then snapped his fingers in realization. "I hate people who can't decide where to go and they just end up stopping in place," he stated. Ryne turned towards Angel. "Do you have any?" he asked.

Seraphine laughed softly. "That's a good one." She said, returning her gaze to him. "Mines liars. I get the aliases that some people use, those are small but if someone straight up lie to me, especially about something huge it really pisses me off. I've lost a few friends due to them lying to me constantly." She said with a shrug. "I haven't told a lie in years. I wouldn't lie if it could save my life. Every answer i give is truthful in its own way." She said with a shrug. "You can't build healthy relationships on lies"

Internally, Ryne winced as a pang of guilt hit him. First of all, he name was an alias, which, to his relief, she didn't really seem to mind. But his mind went back to the time when he had lied to her about being neutral in the war when he was actually a pawn for the Red Hearts Organization himself. He didn't want to lose probably one of his only friends he had in years.
But on the outside, Ryne didn't look fazed. Instead, he nodded. "Yes, or else then the relationship wouldn't seem genuine in the first place," he said, adding onto her statement. Moving on, he asked her another question to distract himself. "Sorry if this question is a bit vague, but I never got ask your age. You said you were somewhat immortal right?" Despite saying that the question was strange, his face was totally normal.

Seraphine looked at him ,studying his reaction and seeming relieved by it. "Yeah I'm immortal if I choose to be or if I don't get staked through the heart." she said with a smile. "I'm twenty one, I stopped aging at 19 though" she said with a grin, she tugged on the end of her ponytail again and looked around. "It's kind of cool being immortal. I could start aging again and be an old lady for eternity if I wanted" she said with a small laugh. "But I'd prefer to stay young like this." she said with a shrug. She left out the part of being terrified about having to watch her non-immortal friends pass away one by one while she continued to live, having to start making new friends again. She didn't much like hanging around other vampires as most of them lied almost as much as demons. She had a couple of angel friends but they barley knew each other. Being immortal kind of sucked.

Ryne nodded in amusement, accidentally letting a small and quiet laugh escape between his lips. It was rather funny talking to other types of immortals. Since they got to choose their age, they left most people confused and wondering how old they truly are. He was semi immortal himself and he was way older than her, by about two hundred and twenty nine years to be specific. Unlike Angel, he can shift between each age if he so desired, thanks to his magical heritage, but was susceptible to mortal diseases and wounds, which he thought was a bit stupid but reasonable. But being immortal was a bit boring and sad at times. Two hundred years can pass very quickly and before you know it, things change and people die all around you.
"Being immortal is a bit weird huh?" he said with a small grin.

Seraphine nodded, tilting her head at his laugh "It is." she said, meeting his gaze. "Whats so funny?" she asked, raising an eyebrow slightly. It was nice to hear him laugh, seeing as it was very difficult to tell if he was smiling or not with a mask covering most of his face. She was very good at reading faces, but going off of just the eyes was very difficult if she didn't use a bit of mind reading. She bit down on her lip, frowning slightly when she didn't feel her fangs before she had them hidden this time. she released her lip and slowed to a stop under a large tree, leaning against it as she studied him.

Ryne shook his head, stopping his laughter. "Ahah.. It's not much really," he says dismissively as he tugged at his mask's band, adjusting it. "Just how immortality works really," he adds. Ryne stops in his tracks as Angel stops walking and rests against one of the trees before continuing his speech. "It's pretty stupid, but it's kind of fun guessing an immortal's true age at times," he explains. It was also funny telling people their true age, especially if they never know whether a person is immortal or semi-immortal or not.

Seraphine raised her eyebrows. "You're immortal yourself, aren't you?" She asked, looking up and jumping, grabbing a low hanging tree branch and hanging off of it for a moment before pulling herself up. She hadn't been able to tell Ryne's age due to the mask, yet another reason she was so tempted, but not rude enough to, pull it down. But the way he talked about immortality let her know that he was older than she was. she sat on the branch and looked down at him with a small grin before glancing at her hand and frowning at the small bead of blood. She picked the sliver out and watched the wound heal before she looked back at Ryne.

Ryne watched Angel climb up the tree. He tilted his head to look up at her as she scaled the branches. "Semi-immortal," he corrected. He jumped and grabbed onto the branch she had previously used and decided to go after her. He swung on the wood and managed to flip himself and stand on the branch not too high above Angel's, using the side of the tree to steady and balance himself. He smiled and crouched down carefully, now looking at her from above. "Either way, yes I am. Why?" he asked curiously.

Seraphine watched him with a grin. "I've been trying to get a sense of your age. It's difficult with that mask on." She said shrugging. She stood on the branch and pulled herself up so she was on the same one as Ryne, steadying herself using his arm, blinking at how warm he was compared to her. It made sense seeing as she was technically dead. "How are you semi immortal?" she asked, Ryne got more interesting the more they talked. She hoped they're friendship would last. She loved being in his company.

"So I've heard," Ryne says sarcastically. Everyone usually tried to guess who he was, except the mask seemed to prevent everything, which was his goal all along. It was a bit frustrating at times wearing a mask. No eating, drinking, and all that stuff with the mask on. But soon, he had got used to the feeling and sometimes even forgot that he had it on, which was somewhat embarrassing.
He rotated around so that he could look at Angel. "Well, I'm pretty sure wizards aren't immortal with duping their body or anything, but I think demons are some part immortal themselves," he guessed.

Seraphine nodded. "Demons are fully immortal. The first ones still exist walking the earth, hell, wonderland, or anywhere else they please." She said. When she had first been taken in by the whites she had had to study the other species' so she would have a better understanding of them, better to bargain or defeat to protect herself and the princess. "And as far as I know the only spells that can turn a wizard or witch immortal is the same one that made the first ever vampire, so being semi immortal makes sense." She said with a smile. "I probably should have thought that question through before I asked it." She said, reaching for Ryne's arm again to keep herself steady on the branch.

When she was younger she had fallen out of a tree and it was excruciating. She had so many slivers it took her weeks to heal and she had broken an arm, which took longer than usual to heal due to her body trying to get rid of the wood she had in her body.

Ryne smiled. "You sound like a walking textbook," he teased. He straightened himself out, trying not to blush or lose balance as she grabbed his arm. "But yeah." His age was a bit weird. Ryne had gotten tired of keeping track, but he could guess that he was around two hundred and fifty years old. Even the number made him wince in embarrassment. He never liked telling people his true age because there was always that one person who had the audacity to call him an old man. He was used to it, but he couldn't help but get annoyed. Ryne was a demon and they can shut up, unless they wanted to leave with a bruise or two.
Noticing that Angel kept looking down on the ground, Ryne muttered a quick incantation. The branch stretched slightly, making a flatter surface. "You okay?" he asked.

Seraphine looked back at him. "I read a lot." she said with a small smile, looking back at the branch as it expanded a bit and visibly relaxed. "And yeah I'm fine." She said with a nervous laugh. "I haven't been in a tree in years. Since before my family was killed." She said, looking back at him. "I was like eight years old and I decided to climb a really weak tree and I went pretty high. The branch I was standing on broke and it was a long fall. Lots of slivers and large chunks of wood and a broken arm." She said, shaking her head. "I was to confident for my own good. It took ages to heal. Broken bones usually heal in a couple of days at the most but because I had so much wood in me my arm took weeks to heal because getting the wood out was more important to my system."