Encounters at the Pool of Tears [Open!]

[MALLYMKUN DORMOUSE]

Mallymkun Dormouse stepped past a bush with strange, lumpy, orange berries with purple stripes. She didn't know what they were called. She put a pink paw on one of its leaves and blinked at the pool a few feet up ahead. Mally strolled over to the relatively small body of water and smiled ever so lightly, "The Pool of Tears..." The dormouse whispered, and knelt down beside its lapping waters. The Pool of Tears seemed different today. It was still as deep as the last time she had visited it. The water was at its average clarity. Mallymkun frowned and poked the water with her sword, even though she knew it wasn't going to help her figure out why it was different. Suddenly, her ears pricked upward and she stood up straight. The Pool of Tears was drying up, ever so subtly that it was sometimes hard to tell.

Mallymkun shook her head and sheathed her needle-sword. She wiped some mud that had gotten on her tail off and walked away, slowly. A crimson bird with a black underbelly and long, flowing tail-feathers flew ahead. Something leaped down from a branch in an orange tree. Mally hopped back and drew out her sword. A squirrel emerged from the foliage, a sword that was forged for his kind held in his brown paw. "I was wondering if you were going to come..." Mally said to him, giving the squirrel a slight nod. The squirrel shrugged and held his sword with both paws.

Mallymkuns eyes turned into slits and her muscles tensed. A rustling came from a bush from behind. The two rodents gasped in surprise, and Mallymkun looked over her shoulder. The squirrel and mouse glared at each other, "You brought allies!?" They hissed at each other. More rustling from behind them. The squirrel grimaced before sheathing his sword and bounding into the foliage. Mally grumbled and spun around, sword pointing at the direction of the rustling.

"Come out peacefully or get skewered!" Mallymkun Dormouse cried.

(ooc: Ha! Fail post! xD The squirrels a character that I made up, sort of a rival to her. Maybe. Not sure. Sorry for any errors, and, yeah...Pweaze join! ^_^

EDIT: That squirrel is now a character of Opiums. ^_^ He's my buddeh!)

[ILLIANA AVABELLE DE MARQUIS]

And how had it come to this? That Illiana so attached to her forest would venture into the Pool of Tears? Wasn’t it enough to constantly live among the wilderness and forever face what had been lost than to seek out what had been, even if still beautiful? Surely not. True, the pool was a lovely thing full of memory and hope but to touch it was just another cruel reminder of what was left, a dying land. Illiana sighed at that thought as she kept to her placement among the bushes and berries.

Sadly, it was only here that she was able to stay undetected for the longest since so few now ventured to the pool and it was here she endured the harsh realities that haunted her in the shadows. The world was changing, of course it had been for a while, but now Illiana could feel it even in the solitude that was her own. It was enough to make even the most cunning stop their wicked games to listen, something was coming.

Running a lace gloved hand over her glowing eyes Illiana sighed once more. Her mind was weary of these thoughts and as she brought her gaze to the salty waters felt a sudden urge for a change. She needed food. No, she needed tea! Where was the Mad Hatter when a girl needed his insanity? Obviously never to be found. Waving away her slight inner battle Illiana stood from her lounging position on the grass and swam her way through the bushes to one with more luscious fruits. However, it was there she heard an all too familiar voice- Mallymkun.

A mouse Illiana had met on occasion when she had grow too bored of the trees and ventured out to a battle of wits with Cheshire or Hatter. One filled with spirit, if she remembered correctly, and from the sounds of it had yet to lose that spirit. Illiana smiled at the sounds of swords being drawn and began to make her way towards them, careful to create noise for cautions sake. However, before she was able to reach the fiery female completely Illiana heard her voice call out to- whom she could only assume was her- and demanding sight of her presence. For which she happily provided.

“Sheath your sword Dormouse, for I have none of my own.” Illiana said with amusement in her eyes and stepped out from beneath the last bush to present herself. There she stood with her colorful dress, black corset, fishnet coverings over her thighs and hands, knee high boots and pieces of hair- under her laced top hat- that shifting from white to bright pink.

“What brings you to the Pool of Tears, my friend? Only to murder any innocent traveler?” A statement with little stock, since they both knew how little innocent Illiana had left. “I am wounded by your suspicions.”

(OOC: I hope it’s okie dokie that I joined in…?)

[MALLYMKUN DORMOUSE]

(ooc: Of course it's okie-dokie! ^_^ )

BIC: Mallymkun Dormouse smiled as Illiana emerged, "Ah! Illiana!" Mallymkun greeted with a twitch of her tail.

Mally frowned at Illiana as she questioned her presence at the Pool of Tears. She calmly sheathed her sword in her belt before looking up at the human with her black eyes, "I had some business to attend too. I questioned you because I thought you were one of those people that might enjoy running a blade through my throat," The dormouse answered promptly, "Hope you don't find that wounding as well, Illiana."

Mally patted her palms against themselves as if they were dirty. She planted them on her hips, and tipped her head. The mouses shiny, black eyes stared into the the vastness of the sky before looking back at Illiana and her pink hair. She always had an admiration for Illianas hair. It was so strange, yet somehow delightful to see the white hair turn into a color. Mallymkun continued to speak, but her eyes didn't leave the hair. The swordswoman wanted to see if it would change colors: meaning Illiana would change emotion, "Sense you asked me, I get to ask you. What are you doing here, Illiana?" She questioned before crossing her arms across her small chest. Mally looked back at her friends face, occasionaly glancing at the pink hair every five seconds.

[ILLIANA AVABELLE DE MARQUIS]

The smile that had once graced Illiana’s face so delicately now grew in strength with Mallymkun’s greeting. She had always felt a sense of kinship in the mouse that she lacked with others and although she’d never truly admit it, rather liked the little spitfire. Watching with curious eyes as Mally began to frown Illiana wondered if perhaps today was the best to dabble in her usual mind games. Unlike the Cheshire, Illiana knew when to hold her tongue. So, instead she merely chose to listen and felt the familiar tinge on her head as her hair slowly drifted to the calming shade of blue before halting back to pink. So, she had thought her a foe? A reasonable fear in these times!

“No, my dear Mallymkun, I find no more wounds in that than your throat has found this day.” Illiana said with honesty and moved slowly from her placement among the bushes to circle around towards the waters. It was fading so fast, too fast. “Furthermore, you are far too quick and agile for me my sweet. I am grateful for your patience enough to question my presence.” With this- Illiana said with a shine in her eye and even as she spoke mainly truth she still couldn’t keep the teasing tone from her tongue. Turning her attention back to her companion Illiana arched a brow when she noticed where said companion’s line of vision kept straying. Why were so many interested in her hair? It was nothing short of a burden and secret betrayer- Illiana would like nothing more than to hack it off.

It was that dark thought that sent deep black shades into her once pink highlights and caused her to frown. However, it quickly occurred to Illiana that her darkened hair could be taken falsely due to its timing in Mally’s second question and forced herself to think happier thoughts. Soon, a light purple replaced the brooding black and Illiana smiled. “Does not the desire to be with one’s friend not merit a reason for being at one place or another if said friend should be there as well?” She innocently looked back at the cross armed mouse and spoke, using riddles as her way of avoidance. In truth, Illiana didn’t quite know why she still ventured here. It only brought sorrow. “The world is changing so quickly Mally, can you not feel it in your blood? Or see it in the waters?”

Illiana had not meant to ask that questions or voice her thoughts, but even as she did she felt a sense of relief at having done so. What harm could it cause to say what others already knew? It was then that Illiana looked back to Mally and studied her intensely for a moment before returning her smile. “I have something for you and the others.”

[MALLYMKUN DORMOUSE]

Mallymkun Dormouse frowned at Illiana's words, and it grown deeper when she looked to see her pink hair changing from blue to black, Black means depressed, I think... She thought before quickly looking to Illiana's solemn face. Mally absentmindedly looked down and rested her cheek against a paw. She knew Illiana was right, "Perhaps we stop the change..." The dormouse whispered, more to herself then to Illiana.

Mallymkun Dormouse looked up at Illiana after announcing the "surprise" she had instore for Mallymkun and her friends. Mally cocked an eyebrow, "A surprise, eh? What kind of surprise?" She said with a hint of sarcasm. The mouse blinked her deep, black eyes before realizing how silly she was acting. Mallymkun slapped her paws over her mouth and chuckled at herself, before regaining her composure, "Forgive me for that. I was acting silly and I didn't even know it." Mally said with a final giggle.

My, I am giggly today! She thought, rather regretting laughing like that, but decided to forget about it and focus more on the surprise Illiana had instored.

[ILLIANA AVABELLE DE MARQUIS]

Illiana did not like the frown that graced her companions petite features, but all the same she accepted it. She was use to such behaviors and even though she called this beautiful creature a friend Illiana still didn't know what it meant to trust or be trusted. Taking one of the eatable berried around them and popping it absentmindedly into her mouth Illiana brought to her attention to the situation at hand. A situation currently placing her fragile paw to her face in thought.

As Dormouse spoke Illiana strained her ears to hear but when she did it only brought a similar frown to her own face. Mally was right, but how did one bring forth the change? Could even the legendary Alice create such a miracle? Or did even her curious hands cease the power? "Perhaps, or perhaps everything is just as it is suppose to be. Perhaps not. The is the enigma, my love. What is, what was, what could be is or not- if even changeable or changing."

She shifted her attention however when Mallymkun laced sarcasm in her questioning of 'surprise' and laughed. Such suspicion, such amusement. Illiana looked back down to the fiery lady and could only smirk slightly when she noticed her slapping a hand over mouth, quickly followed by an apology. "Ah, there is no shame in 'silly', silly is only as silly does and the opposite is boring. Whoever would want to be boring? Such a dullish thing, boring is." Illiana said with a wave from her hand into the air.

"This surprise, is the kind that is meant to be shared." Illiana said with a mischievous twinkle in her eye and a shifting of her hair to a bright orange. She then drifted her hand up to the edge of her thigh high stocking and released a vial just small enough for Mally to carry from it's grasps. As Illiana reach over towards her friend and set the vial upon the grass between them she smiled. "I have more tea leaves for Hatter, Hare and you. I have heard from the whisperings that your tea party may be lacking, my dear. So, I have found you some happiness to brew."

[MALLYMKUN DORMOUSE]

Mallymkun blinked at the vial in question, "Happiness, eh?" She said with a smile. Mally took some steps forward to the vial and picked it up, Just my size... The mouse thought with a blink and a soft smile.

The first discussion about the world changing had made Mally rather...rather cold. But she did not dare show it to her friend. For some reason, Mallymkun was almost worried for the girl. She just felt that Illiana was scarred, not physically, nor emotionally, but spiritually. Mallymkun really wished she didn't feel this way about Illiana. Illiana didn't need Mally's worry, and she probably didn't want it either. Mallymkun stopped thinking about it immediately, and went back to the vial.

"Thank you, Illiana," The swordswoman said cheerily, gently placing the vial between herself and her belt. It looked and felt awkward, but it would do, "I'm sure the Hatter and the Hare will be as grateful as I am when I bring this to them." She said, grinning at her friend.

(ooc: Yay! Character development! XD I think. Probably.)