#💎 Memory's Broken Royal Heart Of Hearts (Misaki Broken Wonderland AU)

[universestreasures]

@crimsonkaiser​​ (Cause we need more Broken! Kai and Misaki Content/To Write Our Muses As Little Babus)

“I’ll take it from here. Thank you!” Misaki replies to the card, closing the door to her bedroom after pushing in the small food cart inside. She normally ate breakfast with her mother and father in the grand hall, but they were away on business today; something about watching a Caucus Race. Their absence created a prime opportunity to introduce Kai to what human breakfast was like, considering it had only been a few days since she somehow managed to give him and Miwa human forms.

She is still unsure of how she did it. Misaki knew of the power those who had the role she would one day take over had. They influenced all of Wonderland other than the sector ruled by the White Queen, which in comparison was much smaller and secluded. But...the idea of changing someone into something else was unheard, at least as far as the young girl understood. It certainly would explain the shock on everyone’s faces when they found out, and even...the dirty looks Kai and Miwa got as a result.

The last thing she wanted was to make things harder on them. She just...wanted to give them a choice, a choice to be more than what their role was. It’s what she wanted for everyone. The fact she could at least do this much, to give Kai and Miwa a potential different future, was enough to make her hope shine even brighter. In fact, her pure heart seemed to radiate more light than it did before, like the gentle warmth of the rising sun...

Teal eyes then gaze upon the sleeping rabbit boy, resting on the large bench that laid in the front of her heart shaped bed. He had a preference for that place since obtaining this form, so much so that she wouldn’t be surprised if he could fall asleep on any bench in the entire world. Seeing him asleep like that, so soft and calm, brings a smile to her face. It was...nice to see him happy again, something she didn’t see much of due to the constant ridicule he received. 

Misaki wanted to make sure his and Miwa’s smile always remained, and she’d do whatever she could to make that happen. They meant...everything to her, a sentiment she had shared with ‘Ren’ until the curse of his role took him away...

“Good morning Sleepy Head! I have a surprise for you!” She giggles as she pokes him gently, hoping she wouldn’t startle him. The last thing she needs is him falling down and hurting himself. “Mommy and Daddy are away today, so I thought we could have breakfast together! Doesn’t that sound fun?”

~

[universestreasures]

The Mad Hater: Ren Suzugamori

Gift For @blasterdiablo and only they may reblog!!!

[universestreasures]

@crimsonkaiser​ Sent: An 𝐀𝐍𝐀𝐒𝐓𝐀𝐒𝐈𝐀 Sentence Starter (Accepting!)

❝  it  was  a  nightmare.  it’s  all  right,  you’re  safe  now.  ❞ [to Misaki for Broken

She finds herself in the palace courtroom, cobwebs and dust decorating the one pristine walls of the once lively space. It’s been all been unused since the incident, locked up and left to rot and decay as time marched on. After, it was the place where it happened; when her entire life changed forever because of that girl clad in blue...

Misaki takes a few steps forward as she tries to find her footing. The room was incredibly dark, as dark as the abyss of her heart had become over the years. Her approach is then stopped as a lights suddenly comes from above to illuminate several spots on the floor. A hand then moves to cover her mouth as she takes in what she sees before her, the horrifying image she’s been afraid of since she that day.

Heads...Decapitated heads drowning in pools of presumably their own blood are scattered throughout the room. Despite the large amount of them, Misaki recognized each and every person they belonged to. She had long since memorized every face in the palace, from the lowest servant to those who bore special roles within this destined game of hers like Miwa or Ren. Her eyes lay witness to all of them, all those who knew her, all those who loved her, all broken and gone...just like her parents.

Well, all except for one. One person was missing from the graveyard of familiar corpses, and luckily (or unluckily depending on your view), that missing person soon revealed themselves as another spotlight shone at the judge’s seat in the very back of the courtroom. There Kai was, being held by the ears attached to his tiny white body by someone else. And it is the sight of that person, clad in blue and holding a croquet ballet that was dripping in red blood....that causes her to fall to her knees and tears to form in her eyes. 

It was...

“So, Little Princess...”

It was happening...

“It’s time for us to see....”

It was happening again...

“Have you been a good queen...”

Just like the last time...

“Or...a bad queen.”

-------------------------------------------------

She finds herself screaming in her sleep, echoes of her cries could be heard throughout the palace. Like in the past when her nightmare's are this intense, the ground beneath the world begins to shake and the sound of a crack fills the area. Another blow to her heart had been dealt, this time not by a past memory but by her own inner fears manifesting. The color of it has grown an even darker grey. There wasn’t much of her once pure white heart left to break. 

What would happen when it was all black? 

Would any hope of saving her be gone when all the light leaves her?

Misaki is then brought back to reality by a touch on her hand, a warm touch akin to a gentle fireplace. Teal eyes, red and filled with tears, meet concerned emeralds eyes belonging to her rabbit. Seeing him causes the shaking to slowdown, just as her own heartbeat started to slow as she breathed in and out. The temporary panic she had caused the world had blown over, with everything slowly resetting to the way it should be, like fixing a game board after a player knocked over some of the pieces. 

❝  it  was  a  nightmare.  it’s  all  right,  you’re  safe  now.  ❞

His words confirm it for her. She was awake. What she saw...it wasn’t real. Everyone was...okay. Everything was...okay, except it wasn’t. Misaki’s heart was still bleeding, despite Kai’s best efforts to try and stop it the only way he knew how. She may appear to recover from these nightmares in a timely manner and then go about the next day as if nothing happened thanks to her planned schedule allowing her to not think at all, but...one could only do that for so long before those thoughts crept up. 

And if that schedule should be thrown off all together, leaving her alone with those thoughts and feelings she’s been repressing, then...the game really was going to go into it’s next phase, a phase that should have happened ages ago...

“Kai...?” 

She speaks aloud for the first time in days, squeezing the hand that was in her own. Usually after a nightmare she’d simply calm down with his company in silence before going back to bed, but...it was clear this nightmare was different. Why else would the world have reacted with such force in response to what she was feeling. 

“Am...am I...a good queen...or....or a bad queen?” 

~

[universestreasures]

@jeweledknight​ Liked For A Lyrical-Based Starter (Accepting!)

“No, I don't believe you cared about me. 'Cause you left me drowning...”

~

[universestreasures]

@crimsonkaiser​​​ / @blasterdiablo​​ 

The Queen of Hearts was atop her throne. For the first time since she had been crowned, she had taken a seat in the very chair her mother once did. She’s been avoiding this room, the throne room, since the incident. It was a place that, much like with the old courtroom, held too many memories for her. But after her conversation with Ren earlier, since the wool had been finally removed from her eyes, things had...changed. 

Misaki was now becoming what she needed to be, what Wonderland needed her to be. Her home was in a state of chaos, broken by the White Rabbit’s strictness due to that clock he inherited from her uncle, and it was up to her to fix it. She owed it to the very people she’s allowed to be broken under her watch up until now, those she desperately wanted to protect but lost the strength under the weight of her own sorrows.

Teal eyes then narrow as the door to the room is opened by a pair of card guards, revealing the rabbit to her. Normally, the sight of him brings a sense of peace to her darkened heart, a sense of calm and ease. That...wasn’t the case anymore. Quite the opposite, actually. Seeing him standing before her now...just makes her chest ache and her anger boil, such is the feeling that comes from seeing someone you cared about, someone you cherished, betray your trust...

“You’re late...White Rabbit...” Her cold yet commanding voice echoes throughout the chamber, the cards quickly moving to close the large doors to the room. “Where have you been? Running around breaking things again? Like you have been doing for years now behind my back?”

~

[universestreasures]

@blasterdiablo​​ Sent: An 𝐀𝐍𝐀𝐒𝐓𝐀𝐒𝐈𝐀 Sentence Starter (Accepting!)

❝  i  mean  it  was  nice  on  the  hanger,  but  it  looks  even  better  on  you.  ❞ [@ Misaki Broken verseee

The Queen of Heart’s unbirthday. 

Arguably the most important holiday in the Wonderland calendar, and one Kai had been spending weeks preparing for. Not that she herself was keen on celebrating it. It was a day that used to hold happy memories for her, but they weren’t the same without all of her loved ones to celebrate it with her. Her mother, her father, her uncle, Ren...all of them were gone from her life in one way or another, whether taken from her by humans clad in blue, by unknown reasons, or by madness that came with taking one’s assigned role. The celebration didn’t feel the same without them there, so why should she even care?

Though, this years celebration was...different than the years before. Kai had been there when she woke up, giving her the special unbirthday breakfast she used to enjoy when she was younger but remained once again untouched aside from a few bites of jelly toast and some black coffee. It was only after breakfast that he suddenly...left her side, leaving a card guard to escort her through the schedule for the day until he comes back from whatever the urgent thing he needed to do was. 

The entire thing was odd. Was he planning some kind of unbirthday surprise? Like how her parents and Uncle Shin used to? She didn’t know, but as the day went on she couldn’t help but start to feel...worried. It was an emotion she had not felt in so long. Why would she need to when Kai and Miwa took care of everything for her? But with things being so...uncertain at this moment, with the day getting closer and closer to shifting until the night, she couldn’t help but feel such a thing strongly. 

And she wasn’t taking it well.

It was on display throughout the day, but especially apparent during her fitting with the Mad Hatter.  Normally she stood still and quiet during these, like a mannequin or a doll. However, her usually cold body started to get warmer, her body was sweating, and she was irritated by the the lace of the pair of gloves he had made for her. The entire thing was overwhelming, not surprising since her heart had been closed off and cold for so many years now. 

❝  i  mean  it  was  nice  on  the  hanger,  but  it  looks  even  better  on  you.  ❞

The voice of the Hatter draws Misaki’s attention away from her irritation, shifting her gaze from the broken clock in the room towards him. He had gone on with his fitting like nothing was wrong, despite the fact something was obviously wrong! If Kai or Miwa were here, they’d surely notice. They always noticed how she was feeling, even without words needing to be spoken. And without them here, without their support, that loneliness she’s long since feared would consume her starts to as she is forced to rely on herself to fix things. Guess it was time for her to start acting like a queen, then.  

“Knock it off...” Her voice is low, but the power behind it made up for the low volume. Hands move to grip at the ends of the laced gloves, Misaki showing no restraint as she uses all her might to tear them off of her body. The queen showed no care for the work he put into the clothing with her display, despite the beauty of the clothes themselves. She just wanted it off and wanted it off fast, her instincts driving her to be the complete opposite of what her usual demeaner was: to be big and loud so that others will listen. 

Seems like the day had come...where her destiny was to finally take it’s grip on her, the very thing Kai’s efforts had been delaying this entire time in an effort to keep her stable...

And there was no turning back this clock...no matter how hard the White Rabbit may try...

“I SAID KNOCK IT OFF! I DON’T WANT TO DO THIS ANYMORE!”

The ground shakes at her words, Misaki releasing a red wave of energy from the center of her heart that rips some of the fabric off of her and then shoots throughout Wonderland to be seen by all. Dull red roses that covered the castle garden suddenly became much more vibrant, along with every single other red object in the land. Color had returned for the first time in ages, a sign the citizens might take as that things were finally shifting towards returning to normal after years of stagnation. Little did they know that the changes were only just beginning, for both them and the Queen of Hearts.

The young woman now clad in a torn dress due to her power breathes heavily, sweat dripping down her face as a hand is placed over her heart.  For the first time in ages, she takes notice of her heartbeat. It was moving, painfully so, but still moving strong. And it felt...felt odd...

“What...What is this...This feeling...” She speaks, but more to herself than to the other in the room. Her gaze then shifts to the other human, her expression twisting from one of confusion to one of angered desperation. “Answer me, Hatter! What’s...What’s happening to me?! Why does...Why does my chest...hurt so much? And where is...”

Water soon forms in her eyes, another display that had been absent from the Queen since the early days after the incident. Legs buckle beneath her as she drops to the ground in the center of the Hatter’s workshop. She...She was breaking like glass when too much pressure was being placed on it, but...just how much could she take? 

“And where is Kai?! Where is my rabbit?! Why...Why isn’t here here?! When...When I need him!”

~

[universestreasures]

@blasterdiablo​ / @crimsonkaiser​ Merry Christmas <3

Her face always lights up whenever she enters the Hatter’s studio, Misaki being completely taken in by all the materials. The ribbons, the fabrics, the buttons, and everything in between she thought were amazing and wonderful. Honestly, she wishes she could learn how to make dresses and hats like Ren gets to. Sadly, that isn’t what her role is to be. She instead had to attend boring royal adequate and croquet lessons she could honestly do without. 

It’s why she hopes that when she grows up she’ll be able to change the strict system their world was under, the one that decided their roles for them. Everyone whose heard of her idea says it is crazy and impossible, but she had faith she could do it. She could almost picture it in her mind, a future tea party with all her friends being whatever they wanted to be. Oh, how she awaited that day.

If that day was to ever come, that is.

Misaki had been invited to the studio not just to look around. No, she had been invited to try on some of the new things Ren had been working on. His father was currently out and about with the Duchess of Hearts, leaving his son able to do as he pleased for a while. Ever since his training got started, she and Ren didn’t see each other as much as Misaki would like. That’s why they had to cherish every moment and every memory they had together, since they might be limited as time goes on.

Her eyes light up at the sight of what he had come to let her try on, a whole array of different hats with unique patterns and styles. They were far from the pristine and clean designs of his father. In fact, on a few of them she could see a few pins sticking out. Though, none of that mattered to her. In her eyes, they were beautiful. She could see the care and attention Ren put into them just for her. That was what mattered more than what they looked like, at least to the princess.

Eagerly, she puts on each of the hats, making little poses and whatnot for him. The smile on her face was as pure as one could get, one that matched the pure white heart that beat in her chest. Such a pure heart had not been seen in Wonderland since the beginning some said, for it was the type of heart that had managed to create their world. Perhaps it is because of that fact she would have the power to change this place for the better, to allow everyone’s unique talents to shine without the weight of restricted roles. It was what her people, especially her friends, deserved more than anything. 

“Thank you! Thank you so much, Ren!” The princess exclaims, moving in to wrap her small arms around the other’s body. “I love all of them! I’ll be sure to hold onto them, forever! Promise! Maybe I can even wear them to the next tea party! Wouldn’t that be great if all of us wore your hats, Ren? It be a really grand party then!”

The two of them would spend the rest of the time in the studio having fun with one another, as all innocent children do. Sadly, this precious time couldn’t last forever. Nothing ever does. That was a lesson she learned rather quickly, much faster than any child should ever the day she lost everything. 

----------

Her childhood seemed like such a long time, despite the memories of it being crystalized in Misaki’s mind. Everything was. Every sight, every sound, every feeling, every smell, and every memory was preserved in perfect detail, whether it be pleasant or dreadful. It was this, her ‘curse’ as she would come to think of it, that had caused her to be unable to move forward and remain in this... ‘rutt’ as it were. Those horrid memories of the past just wouldn’t go away, no matter how much she desired them too.

She honestly wishes she could just forget it all, forget everything and just...just feel and not have to think. That would certainly be better than carrying all of this baggage, all of the pain, right? It’s what everyone wanted of her, anyway. She isn’t blind to it, or to the damage she has done to her home. Misaki was a perceptive person, after all. 

However, perhaps it is those clear memoires and the feelings tied to them that makes her unable to let go, despite how much time has passed. It is why she hasn’t been able to move forward, and why...she still hasn’t let go of the items inside a special wardrobe in her chambers, delicate hands moving over them in the few moments she had before it was time for bed. They are of the clothes and hats he had gotten from Ren as a kid, each and every single one she kept. She had kept all of them, for each had sentimental value.

One might think that means she should still care for Ren, and that her coldness towards him was out of character, but things were more complicated than that. Truth is, she still cares about ‘Ren’, the kind boy from her past who made these items for her. Who she doesn’t care for is ‘Hatter’, the person he turned into after the madness that came with his role spread throughout his soul and he started to become twisted and sadistic. 

Despite his words, despite his actions, she can feel the difference between the two. He wasn’t her friend anymore. He really hadn’t been since the day she found out how he had been mistreating Kai and Miwa, when her entire view of him had shattered. Just like her parents had been taken away by a force out of her control, so too did her best friend. 

Ren died the day the new Mad Hatter had begun to awaken, and no matter how much she wanted things to go back to how they were, they just...they just couldn’t. She couldn’t change the past. She couldn’t do anything. 

So, why even try at all?

She moves to grab one hat off the top of the shelf, one with a bunch of different patterns in it. To most anyone else, they would find the whole thing horrendous. That wasn’t how she saw it. Even all these years later, it was her favorite creation of his. Nothing he was putting out these days came even close to this. What he was putting out was soulless creation after soulless creation, just like the work of his father who came before him...

“Why did...Why did you have... you...have to leave me...too?” The queen squeezes the hat after bringing it to her chest, not super tight as to not damage the relic of her childhood. Holding it like this brings back memories, them replaying in her mind to the time when she first received it from him. They were good times, memories she treasured. No memory since the incident had become treasured in her mind, only painful ones or those she would easily forget if not for her curse.

She can feel her heart ache as she continues to reminiscence, Misaki moving to place the item back on the shelf and closing the wardrobe up tight. There was a reason she didn’t intentionally think of the past. Even the good memories, like those of her and Ren, brought her nothing but suffering. Perhaps that fact is truly the reason her smile was so scarce these days, her expression now muted as she moves to her bed to begin her nighttime routine with the White Rabbit.

How could one be truly happy if such happiness was never to last? 

If in the end, it would just bring suffering? 

These were the questions that remained on her mind as she listened to Kai tell her another childhood story, and would remain on them until she eventually fell asleep to once again face a nightmare of the past. Though, tonight’s would surely be about Ren. How could they not be when she spent the last while thinking about him? 

Until she could be proven wrong, until she could truly begin to see that moving forward wasn’t a waste of time and that happiness could come back, she is content to have things as they were, even if she continues to suffer. For Misaki Tokura believed that is what fate had decided for her, and that nothing could be done to change it, just like it was fate to have her be so helpless as to be unable to do anything to hold onto what she held dear...

[universestreasures]

💔👑

Please do not reblog!!

[universestreasures]

@crimsonkaiser​​ Sent:

Pure white ears twitched as emerald hues scanned the pages of the book he often saw Misaki reading. He had picked up on human speech quickly enough, having listened to them his entire life thus far. But the written language was something entirely different. 

The sounds he could now make, represented by symbols. The concept wasn't too difficult to understand. But Kai being who he was wasn't inclined on asking for help with it either. It was entirely out of his role know how to read, write, and even speak. Surely no one would be willing to teach the White Rabbit such things. 

 So he did his best to learn on his own, to watch as Misaki would read to him each night. Follow along where she kept her place on the page with a finger and register the words she spoke to those on the page. That was back when he had still been but a rabbit that had often rested in the girl's lap when she read aloud, for that was his role. But like this, as a human- he really couldn't really do that anymore. He cherished those times with the princess, he truly did, but he also didn't want to return to being a rabbit... Misaki has said he didn't have to. He gave up the comforts of the White Rabbit's simple life to remain by her side instead of being just a prized pet on her lap. 

 He... he wanted to return the favor. He wanted to read to her, as she so often did for him. So Kai starts at the top of the page, sounding out the first line as he recalls the princess reading the very same line to him on the day they had met.

The White Rabbit. Gifted to the future Queen of Hearts.  Kai was one of many possible White Rabbits; for only the best were chosen and the rest...well... Kai didn't know what became of the rejected rabbits. The role of the White Rabbit was inherited not by lineage, they were chosen. On that day the Hatter had taken him by the ears and inspected his coat to ensure it was perfectly pure white. And later that day the hatter's son had done the same, save for his intentions differing. The young boy had handled him roughly, and Misaki had taken him back to her room in order to comfort him by reading him a story.

...Reading him this story had helped him back then, could he somehow do the same for her now? He surely hoped so. Misaki seemed to be in need of the comfort, especially these days. So he reads her their favorite bedtime story, even though his first attempt was surely rough around the edges and words surely went mispronounced.

@ broken!misaki] 

She had been quiet as of late, more than usual. Her days had been simply filled with lessons and duties, the usual fun she often tried to slip in having been missing for quite a while now. Of course, those around her were concerned, but that didn’t cause any huge changes in the routine. She simply had been allowed to skip meals or retreat to her chambers during her breaks instead of running off to have a tea party with her friends, an event she used to look forward to that now she had no interest in.

After all, why would she have interest in partaking in the signature event of someone who she now doubted was even her friend anymore?

Yes, she was having an issue with Ren. Ever since Kai had been given to her, she’s seen him act...different. Instead of the selfless, goofy, passionate young hatter in training she had come to grow up with, she instead saw a cruel, heartless, and mad boy who had been cruel to the White Rabbit upon their first meeting for no reason and continued to show that cruelty afterwards. 

It was like he...was a totally different person, Misaki’s worst fear with the cursed role system their world operated under having unfortunately come to pass. She had desired so strongly to change things, to allow everyone to be who they wanted to be, and yet...she couldn’t do anything to stop Ren from changing for the worse, in both his actions and in the lack of...joy she felt in his clothing during every fitting they had since the day she saw the dress he made for her torn to shreds.

The guilt from her lack of ability to change the situation had consumed her completely, unable to look at any of her friends the same way as before since they took began to settle into their roles. In a way, she felt...alone, like a wall had made between herself and those she had held dear. And that...was the worst thing any child wanted to feel.

“Huh...? Kai...? What are you...?”

That feeling of loneliness and the dark cloud that it had brought over her life was thankfully pierced by the small gesture from her rabbit companion that evening. Despite her more depressing mood, she had still maintained her promise and continued to make time to educate Kai. It wasn’t easy to teach him such things, for he was never meant to learn them, but she kept at it. He wanted to learn, and she wanted him to learn. Plus, if he was to have a human form, he should be taught how to do human things, right?

Misaki listened intently to Kai reciting the story, moving to join him on the edge of her heart-shaped bed. She’s memorized it by heart by this point, her memory as potent as ever, and she can make out the lines despite the other’s influent speech. Seeing him doing such a simple thing, something she had gone to help him and bring him comfort, made her feel so...warm and calm.

Kai, along with Miwa who wasn’t present currently, had been the only things these days that had brought her comfort in her great sadness. Not even her parents did that. They had been too busy with preparing for the Queen’s Unbirthday party, and while they did spent loving time with their daughter, she could tell their focus was elsewhere. Uncle Shin had also been rather busy with the preparations too, leaving her with no one else to turn to during these hard times but the White Rabbit and Cheshire Cat.

She moves her arms around Kai���s body, pulling him into a hug. Tears fall from her eyes as she squeezes him tightly, as if he might vanish like a lot of the others in her life have seemingly done over the last while. Desperation was clear on her person as the Princess of Hearts once again showed the vulnerability of her soft and fragile soul, a trait a future strong Queen Hearts should not have all things considered.

“Thank you. Thank you, Kai. I...I really like listening to you read stories. You’ve gotten really good at it.” The royal rests her head on his shoulder then, still clinging to him rather tightly. “Can we...read stories before bed every night like this?”

~

[universestreasures]

@blasterdiablo​ Sent:

❝ Oh! Good day to you, Missy! ❞

The young Hatter in training had been hanging half outside one of the upper windows looking over the rose gardens when he calls out to the princess. The studio he and his father worked in grew awfully stuffy when the door was shut and locked, the small window giving view to the expansive garden was his only respite during times like these when they had a strict deadline to meet. His hands were numb from the countless hours spent sewing, so he was taking the time his father was away fitting the King and Queen’s formal wear to let his hands hang out the window to feel the cool breeze on his broken skin.

He was glad to see Misaki among all the red roses, seems he had picked a good time to take a gander outside. It wasn’t often the pair’s paths seemed to cross whenever there was a big formal event on the horizon, but Ren didn’t feel as lonely as one would expect. Working on dresses and hats for the girl was enough for him. It was always worth it to see her smile at all his hard work, after all. Suddenly his eyes seem to grow wide, sparkling with newfound motivation and inspiration for his work that he’d surely return his attention to before his father’s return.

❝ Red roses... That’s it! That’s what it’s missing! Thanks, Missy! ❞

The dress his father had been working on for Misaki was rather bland in Ren’s opinion. Seeing Misaki among the roses gave him the perfect idea on how to fix it before he came back! Not that he explains any of that to Misaki, of course, to whom he simply just waves his thanks towards. The boy not seeming to really mind, or maybe he just didn’t realize, how the blood dripping from his pinpricked fingers were being flecked upon the roses sitting just below his window.

[blasterdiablo/Ren @ Misaki, broken hearts verse babey edition]

Misaki had been taking an afternoon stroll, the young royal admiring the pretty flowers in the palace garden. She particularly always enjoyed the rose section, the flowers representing love and passion. There was something so pretty about the way the petals curved around the stem. They were truly magical flowers, even if compared to some of the flowers of Wonderland they were rather plain and mundane. She knows one of the first things she wants to do when she becomes queen is plant a whole bunch more of them, and maybe even put some inside the castle, too. 

That was a long way away, the young girl knew. She wouldn’t be able to become queen until she reached proper age or her mother decided to step down for whatever reason. Though, one could not stop the imagination of a child, and she had bright vivid images of what she would be like as the leader of her people. Everyone dressed up like they wanted, everyone doing what they wanted, and everyone saying what they wanted. That was the Wonderland she wanted to make, not one defined by stupid roles. It was her dream, one she would never give up on for as long as she live.

But how should she make that dream into reality? How would she change a world like this into something entirely different? She didn’t know, but she couldn’t help but hope and imagine such a future. It was what she wanted most of all for everyone, that freedom to choose their own path in life, after all.

“Huh?” She looks up from viewing the roses towards the direction of the mini hatter, the very friend who had inspired her to dream her unrealistic dream. Ren liked being a hatter according to his own verbal reports of it, but she wasn’t so sure. She could always see something...sad about him in the way he looked, especially due to all the sewing-related injuries she would often patch up for him. It didn’t sit right with her that he was being forced into a path he might not want to stick with forever or didn’t like doing. She wanted Ren to be able to just be himself, the clumsy jokester who always made her happy, and that want...came from her heart. 

“Well that was weird...Guess he must be really busy. Well, Mom’s unbirthday is coming up. I think she’s getting fitted right now.” Her remarks were on point, as expected of someone with a photographic memory who memorized her parents schedules to the letter. It was her way of making sure she could spend as much time with them as possible during such busy times of the year like this. Holidays of all sorts were taken very seriously in Wonderland, keeping her parents away from her for more than she would like unfortunately.

Misaki then starts to head back inside, knowing it is time for her afternoon tea. Ren would probably be too busy to have it with her today, so she just might have to enjoy it by herself. Oh, well. They’ll just have to have to have an even more fun tea party later to make up for it! 

Man...it was times like these where she got so lonely, if only she could have someone to talk to all the time...a friend who she could always rely on and wouldn’t be swept up in stupid obligations and duties... 

_____________________________

Evening had fallen and Misaki awoke to the sound of loud noises. The princess was sometimes was too scared to see what they were and just tried to go back to sleep. However, something seemed...off. In her heart of hearts, she could just...feel something was wrong and rushed to investigate. Her travels took her to the Hatter’s room, not too far from her side of the castle, where she is mortified at what she sees before her.

“R...Ren...?”

Her friend’s body on the ground, covered in red bruises and bleeds, and the dim light of the workshop door opening. The sight flooded her teal hues, and started sealing itself into her memory. The first of many painful memories that would soon stain themselves upon her soul in this stage of her youth...

“Ren!!!!” Tears began to flow out of her eyes as she knelt down beside him, her breaths heavy as she entered a full on stake of panic. “W-What happened to you?! Please, please tell me you’re going to be okay, Ren! Please tell me that!”

[universestreasures]

@crimsonkaiser​​ Sent:

The White Rabbit had taken to placing both his hat and pocket watch on the bedside table as he waited for Misaki to fall asleep that night. And much like every other night, he had popped open the latch on the watch to have it lay open for the methodical ticking to sound freely. He liked to think it helped lull Misaki into a restful slumber. And if not... Well, it at least helped him to keep track of the hours as she slept.

And tonight, like most nights since the two have become a pair, Kai plans on spending it watching over Misaki in her chambers. In her dreams was the one place Kai could not protect the Queen himself, it was where her memories would haunt her relentlessly. The most he could do was hold her hand, wipe the cold sweat from her brow and offer his silent comfort as she endured the nightmares that awaited her each night without fail. Nightmares that he was ultimately the very cause of, so it was his duty to see Misaki through them. Each and every night since that fateful day-- And each and every night since. He’d be there for her, so long she’d allow for him to be. But... this had become more than just atonement for Kai over the years. More than just a repayment, or obligation. Not that he knew of a word of how to describe his reasons. His gaze upon the girl he swore his life to softens just a bit whenever he tries to put a word to the feelings she incited within his heart of hearts though, that much was for certain.

Once she was situated, he sits himself beside her on the bed after having tucked her in; reaching over to the stack of books that were once neatly lined up on the nightstand but now lay askew from the countless times Kai had dished through the pile for something to read. Despite knowing Misaki had memorized all the books by now, something about revisiting the worlds each book took them too reminded Kai of simpler times. Times where Misaki had spent their younger years teaching him how to read and speak like a human after granting him his very own human form. He supposes if it incited good memories for him, it surely must’ve done the same for her, right? Not that he ever confirmed as much. Even if he did try and ask, he sure Misaki wouldn’t give him a definitive answer.

Their verbal exchanges were becoming the few and far between these days, and Kai rather not lose the ability of speech Misaki had gifted him all those years ago. So he cracks open the well loved book, one that they have likely read hundreds of time already, and recites the tale until he’s sure Misaki has left Wonderland for dreamland.

The bedtime routine is one that Misaki knows all to well by this point. It’s been the same for years now, and thus no words need to be said between her and her White Rabbit as they go through the motions. She slips into bed easily and gracefully, adorned in a red and white nightgown that was of course made by the Hatter. All the clothes she wore had been sewed by his bruised and scarred hands, each perfectly crafted to suit her beauty and role as the Queen of Hearts.

Though, it’s not as if she cares what she really looks like these days. She found it very hard to care about much of anything since the incident, whether it be her own health, her own wants, or her own needs. Misaki was a shell of her former self, the smile she once always had permanently gone and replaced with a look of indifference. She was simply going through the motions, relying on others to guide her throughout her daily life when she should be doing it for them.

The Queen of Hearts was the game master of Wonderland, the person who was to manipulate and move the people as if they were pieces on a gameboard. She was the literal center of this world without logic and reason, which is why the world had lost so much of it’s color and vibrancy over the years. It was a reflection of her own heart, the strongest one of all. With things as they were now, it’s safe to say Wonderland was a shell of its’ former self too. 

Thus, it’s no wonder everyone was so desperate to try and bring her smile back. They wanted things to go back to normal, or well.. what Wonderland’s definition of ‘normal’ is. She too is aware of this truth. Misaki was, even like this, a very perceptive person. She could see through the hollow acts done to make her happy just so things could return to the way they were, knowing deep down they did not care about her well being or desires in the slightest. 

All of them did this, including the Mad Hatter despite his claims, with notable two exceptions: The White Rabbit Kai and Cheshire Cat Miwa.

They, her closest companions, truly did what they did because they cared about her well being. They didn’t try to force a smile on her face, only offering their comfort, patience, and support with her. And while she had not necessarily gotten any better, it cannot be understated how she most certainly would have spiraled further and further into the pits of despair if it wasn’t for those two. They were the reason Wonderland was still in one piece, quite frankly. 

Kai’s diligent bedtime routine, one that performs each and every night without fail just like he is doing now, is just one example of the kind of care she appreciated and needed. It may not show on her face, it still stagnant as always, but she feels...at peace like this. It’s the one time she looks forward to the most each day, even if she knows the Hell that awaits her once she enters the realm of sleep...

Misaki slowly settles into her bed, heart-shaped and covered by a canopy with red curtains. For now, the curtains are open, a sign that she was inviting and wanting for Kai to stay with her. If it was anyone else other than him or Miwa, they surely would be closed. It was the same for her own heart. It had been closed off to anyone else but them, as if it can’t trust anyone else with it again in it’s broken and dulled state.

Her eyes close then as Kai begins reading from one of the books on the nightstand, books they have read together over and over. She remembers when they used them as a means of teaching Kai how to speak and read, skills she wanted him to have. And now here he was reading them them back to her. Such acts of nostalgia she normally would push away, yet she didn’t ever stop Kai from reading these books. In fact, her body feels just a touch warmer than it usually does as she listens to his retelling of the classic story, her most favorite among the many books she had in her room.

While one might think that it’s due to the blankets that he had gingerly tucked in around her, it was more likely due to her being able to feel the true warmth and feelings of Kai’s heart. Due to her position, Misaki had an intense connection with Wonderland all the hearts of everyone who inhabited it. Traditionally such a power is used in a controlling manor, to influence everyone like a puppet master. Using that power in that way was not something she nor her late mother ever did, instead only allowing themselves to connect closer to everyone and to the land itself. 

They were unique Queens of Hearts in that way, even if her mother still uphold other traditions such as the tradition of the roles being passed down and keeping to what those roles entailed. It was a tradition Misaki herself had wanted to break, but as she was now, she simply didn’t have the strength or the will to do so. Her only progress in her once grand dream has been with Kai, considering thanks to her he is doing more than anyone thought he was ever capable of. 

After all, the White Rabbit was the lowest of the low on the board pieces, only meant to serve as an pet and accessory. And yet in spite of that and all that has happened over the years since the incident, here he was being her ever faithful right hand, caretaker, and companion. He’s the reason why she could make it through the day, why everyone stuck to the schedules of their crazy activities from tea time to croquet. He had become the most valuable piece. Her most valuable piece, and she wanted it to stay that way, even if her words or her face could not express such things...

“...Good...Good night, Kai. Don’t...Don’t let anyone wake me up...Please...” 

They were the only words she spoke during the evening, but they were words she had not spoken in years and with such...warmth. Her body slowly was returning back to it’s cooler state, but her touching of Kai’s ears as she drifted off to slumber would be enough of an indication. Misaki’s heart was still beating inside of her, providing a glimmer of hope to him and everyone else that perhaps with enough time, patience, and care she might be able to heal one day.

That day just...wasn’t today...

-------------------------------------------------

“Mommy...?”

“Daddy...?”

“Why are you both-”

She finds herself suddenly in the middle of the castle courtroom, the place where the citizens of Wonderland were put on trial for all sorts of ridiculous things. However, no such trial was taking place. No, no one was in the room but Misaki, a girl in a blue and white dress holding a croquet mallet, and her parents who were on the floor covered in red. The bright color wasn’t just from seen on their clothes, but rather...the entire area around them.

The red liquid stained both the Queen and King as they lay there before the young princess...with their heads severed from their bodies...

“Fate is funny, isn’t it? The Queen of Hearts always talks about cutting people’s heads off, using it as a threat when any little thing she doesn’t like comes her way. How fitting of an end for her and her pathetic excuse for a husband to have, meeting the same tragic fate they have subjected others to.”

The non-Wonderland native approaches the princess, Misaki frozen in place as the scene before her is etched into her very mind for the rest of her life. The colors, the scene, every little detail is being recorded to experience over and over. What a cruel curse. 

“Now I wonder if...you too will share in that fate.” The human’s hand gently touches the top of the young girl’s head as she passes by, the mallet leaving a trail of blood to stain the floor as she exists the room. She stops just before exiting to turn back towards Misaki, a wicked smirk gracing her once pure looking face. 

“Don’t be a bad little queen, Misaki...”

“Or...you’ll be next.” 

*SLAM*

The thundering sounds of the giant doors closing echoes throughout the room. Misaki is left alone with nothing but the corpses of her parents and the threat he other spoke as she left. Like a domino that had just been pushed, she simply falls straight back into the puddle of red right in between her parents. It splatters and stains her cheek, but she doesn’t notice. Heavy breaths escape her lips as she finally begins to process reality, the horrible reality she had now found herself in without anyone to comfort her...

“Mommy and Daddy...”

“Mommy and Daddy are...”

“Are...”

“DEAD.”

“DEAD!”

“DEAD!!!!!!”

-------------------------------------------------

The words from inside the dream begin to spill out of her mouth in the real world, her body violently tossing and turning as the sounds of her screaming echo throughout the entire castle. Her nightmares are normally intense, but none of them had been as vivid and fully played out the entire scene as this one since the first few weeks after the incident took place. It was as if everyone in the entire castle, no, the entire fantasy world could feel her pain and agony. 

And just like that...the sound of a crack could be heard, the world slowly losing just a bit more of it’s color in response to a bit more of the light leaving Misaki’s heart. It’s color was shifting, it becoming a much darker grey than before as it is stained with her pain and agony. 

It was one step closer to becoming pure black, the color darkness and emptiness, and a sign that hope of her heart and the world itself healing was slipping further and further way from everyone’s grasps...

~

[universestreasures]

blasterdiablo​:

❝ You were able to hear all that, huh..? ❞ 

If Asaka could hear them from through the floors, then it surely meant Misaki could have very well heard the scolding through the walls too. But perhaps it was due to the Hare’s innate excellent sense of hearing..? Considering Asaka was the only one who showed up this time around, perhaps that assumption held true this time around. He recalls the other night when Misaki had heard the Hatter pass judgment on Ren’s work, remembers how she cried and was taken away by the Cards. And now he realizes how he… hasn’t seen her since.

–When he thinks of Misaki now, all he can picture is her tear-stained face as the door last shut him in.

His gaze falls to the floor around him. And he suddenly realizes the mess he was asking Asaka to walk into. But before he can feel embarrassed for not cleaning up before inviting her in, she steps inside and all at once Ren feels like he can properly breathe in the studio despite all the doors being shut. The graveyard of discarded hats and torn ribbons were the last thing on his mind for once.

There’s the quiet shuffling of his chain, the sound of metal against metal dampened by the shreds of fabric tangled around the links, as Ren makes a spot for himself next to Asaka on the floor. He picks up the damaged brim of one of the hats his father had torn pieces out of to make room for Asaka’s box of goodies. With a sigh he sets it aside. It was one of his experimental pieces, put together from scraps of other failed projects in an effort to not be so wasteful. It was patchwork in nature but the colors were cohesive enough he had thought… Looking at Asaka now, she would have been the perfect model for the blue and white checkered pattern. It’s too bad it was far beyond salvation at this point. Perhaps when he had more time on his hands he’d make her something in return for today.

For now, the boy almost looked disappointed at Asaka’s insistence on not sharing with him, but the moment he went to pout at her the sugary sweet scent coming from the box caught his attention entirely. Again his stomach protested despite himself. But the discomfort of hunger was short-lived, Ren’s face lighting up as he peered into the box. To Asaka, it may have felt insufficient for a meal, but to Ren it was almost too much!

❝ Oh, wow, Asaka! You helped make all this..? It looks great! ❞

He could hardly decide where to start. Ultimately reaching for the tart first and taking a decent bite out of it. Unsurprisingly, it tasted just as good as it looked! But as much as he wanted to scarf down the rest he hesitantly puts the now half-a-half-a tart back into the box. The strawberries did well cleanse his palate, the metallic taste in his mouth that had been bothering him was all but gone just like that. Seems he was cautiously approaching the rest of his meal after that initial bite. Not because he didn’t like it, no. It was because for some reason the task seemed almost daunting to him now. A couple days without food would do that to just about anyone though.

❝ You can’t… tomorrow, I mean. You can’t come here tomorrow. ❞ He says as he scoops up a bit of the pudding with a finger so he can give it a try before elaborating further. The chocolate was smooth and rich, and paired well with the strawberry tart he had taken a bite from earlier. Which gave him the brilliant idea to use the other half of the half a tart to use as a utensil for the rest of the pudding. ❝ Tomorrow’s the deadline for my assignment, so Hatter will be here all day. And if Hatter catches you he’ll– ❞

Ren shifts where he sits, the shackle encompassing his ankle scraping against the floor as if to remind them both of it’s presence. The Mad Hatter had made comments to Ren on a couple occasions now about how he’d turn his friends into hats themselves if he continued to be distracted by them. But he didn’t want to scare Asaka or Tetsu the way his father had tried to scare him. So he keeps that detail to himself. Knowing all that, and still risking Asaka’s company… It seemed Ren was truly growing desperate during these trying times. He deflects from finishing his sentence by bringing himself to finish off the tarte and pudding. All that remained in the box by then was the apple, but it seems to be put to better use busying his hands than filling his stomach. He figures he should save it for later anyway.

The moment he was finished eating would be it though. Their time was almost up. As short as it was the small moment they shared surely gave Ren the very much needed push to see this seemingly impossible assignment through to the end.

❝ Pass or fail… regardless of the results father will let me out after. So I’ll visit you instead! It’s on rather short notice, but it might even be possible to host a tea party. It’s been a while since Missy, and the rest of us all got together. ❞ -

At his question, she couldn’t help but frown. How could she not hear it? Sure, her hearing was probably one of the best around, but Hatter was yelling so loud surely everyone in Wonderland heard it. It makes her wonder why no one has ever called him out on his behavior. Maybe it’s because it fits in line with his role, or maybe because everyone is too afraid to. 

The Mad Hatter, the maddest of the mad, wasn’t exactly someone you wanted to make your enemy. There were rumors of what he would do if you got on his bad side. Some would say he would force you to an eternal tea party, while others said he’d use your blood to paint the roses in the Queen’s garden. Regardless of torture, everyone pretty much stayed out of his way. The only ones who could sway him were no doubt the Queen and King, and yet they didn’t exactly seem like they were doing anything about his cruelty towards his son despite his closeness with their daughter.

Misaki’s parents were kind, a rare trait from those in the their positions that Misaki no doubt inherited. However, they were strict with tradition. Everyone had to play their roles to the letter, even if Asaka knows that the Queen of Hearts has never once beheaded someone in her time as the ruler of the land. It was hypocritical if you asked her. Why force everyone to play the roles that have been passed down when there is clearly deviation? Guess when you make the rules of the game you can do as you please.

Did that mean that Ren was destined to become as twisted his father when he grew up, and there was nothing he could do about it? It was just...part of his role? 

The very thought of it made her tremble ever so slightly, Asaka thankful Ren seemed to be too occupied in his small yet appreciated meal to notice how her skin was looking pale. She couldn’t help but tighten her hand into a fist, it seeping with emotions. She felt sorry for Ren. She felt angry for Ren. She felt like what was happening to him was unfair. 

And yet...she was powerless to do anything. If she couldn’t change her own role, what makes her think she had any chance of free Ren of his? A March Hare was only good for cooking and attending tea parties. That was the scope of her role unfortunately. Well...it at least would allow her to stay by Ren’s side, considering the closeness the Hatters and Hares always had. That was the one glimmer of light in this dark fate they had all been cursed with, a fate that they or anyone else were powerless to change. 

“T-That’s okay. I’d rather not make your life harder than it already is. I’ll see you when you get out. Maybe I can even bake some treats for the party. I’m sure my father wouldn’t object to that. It is...what my role is, after all...” A tea party sounded like just what everyone needed. The stress of their training to fit the roles of their predecessors was taking it’s toll on the current generation. They were all just kids, and if you know anything about kids, they need time to well...be kids! A nice little party would be just what they all needed. 

Asaka then shifts her position ever so closer to him, her hand moving without even thinking to place it on his own. She can feel the roughness of it as she gently slides her fingers over the many cuts and bruises. It pained her to no end seeing them like this. She remembers when they were free of such things, back before Ren had ever picked up a sewing needle. Back before he was forced onto this path that clearly wasn’t making him happy...

“Ren, I’ve been...meaning to ask you this.” The hare’s voice grows softer as she looks at him, a somber expression gracing her face still. “Do you...Do you even...like making hats and gowns? Do you even...want to be the Mad Hatter when you grow up? I-If given the choice, would you...would you do something else?” 

Asaka knows asking such a thing seems pointless. They didn’t exactly have a say in the matter, but... “I’ve heard rumors in the kitchen that Misaki wants when she takes the throne...to give us the choice to choose our roles. She wants us to...be who...we want to be. I just...wanted to know how you feel about that, since...”

A wave of hesitation washes over her, as if someone will off her head for even speaking such a desire. However, when she looks at Ren smiling despite the horrific nature of his situation, it gives...it gives her the strength to say what most would deem as taboo. 

“I...I don’t really want to be the March Hare...Being a cook isn’t...what I think will make me happy. It’s...It’s fine, not terrible or anything, but...a part of me wishes I could be...something else. Like...Like a stage performer in a circus.” She smiles slightly at the idea. Circus performers didn’t have a place among the Wonderland roles, despite how some might see their world as nothing more than a big circus. The thought of performing for others and being a shining star on her own stage brought Asaka nothing but joy. Oh, how she’d love to be able to do that!

But that choice is out of her hands, and remembering that causes that brief smile to fade once again. “Do you...you understand how I feel...?”

The March Hare was so focused on this moment, having just asked burning questions she just had to use some of her last moments with Ren that night to ask, that she misses the crying sounds coming from down the hall from Misaki’s room...

~

[universestreasures]

Misaki is happy to see her poking didn't startle the other awake. She had been taking notice of how quickly he was waking up in his new human form. Was he a light sleeper, then? It wasn't really the easiest thing to tell when he was just a rabbit, but now that he was very much like her and everyone else in the palace, it was much easier to take notice of things instead of having to guess. She and him could truly communicate now, truly become closer friends, and that made her happy more than anything.

This morning's breakfast time, she hopes, will become a happy memory for them both, something they can both look back on when the sadder days inevitably come. That's why she had requested all of her favorite things from the chef this morning; a variety of baked goods, jams, butters, and drinks decorated the multi-tiered cart that had been delivered to her. It was clear to her the March Hare, Asaka's father and mentor, had been the one to make this. She could tell by the way the butter in the dish was shaped into a heart, another one of the small details she always picked up and was crystalized into her memory.

"Hehe! I think your stomach says otherwise, Kai!"

She finds his actions adorable. Ever since she had finally managed to know what he was thinking after she taught him how to talk, she quickly realized just how much he tried to act tough. She can understand why. His situation wasn't exactly well received by most everyone in the palace, especially not by Ren or his father. It was probably a front he is putting on to protect himself, a way to show everyone he wasn't what they thought he was. That fact alone is why she gently takes him by the hand, her smile soft and welcoming as it had been since the day they met.

"Eating breakfast is an important start to any day. I don't want you skipping a meal, and there is more than enough food here for both of us." She says, trying to lead him towards the small dining area of her room where the cart with their breakfast ready for them to dig into. "Besides, this would be a good time for me to teach out how to use a fork, knife, and a spoon. I promise it's not as hard as it looks, and I'll be here to help you through it, okay? I promise I won't laugh or anything if you mess up."

She hopes her past actions through her attempts of helping teach him were enough to get him to trust in her words, along with how she acted during times they were outside the safety of this room. Misaki had stood up for Kai since the day they met and she wouldn't stop doing it either. He was her dear friend, someone she cared about so much that those feelings seemed to grant her wish for them to be even closer, resulting in his form. She didn't want to let those feelings or these chances go to waste, considering how unsure she was about her future.

Everyone around her was slipping away to her roles, the very thing she feared the most. She vows to not lose herself to it, and instead find a way to help change things. Her changing Kai's role and giving Miwa his own were good starts. It had given her the confidence that she could really change this world for the better. Maybe it was a childish ideal, like how Ren had been putting it, but...it was her own, and she had to stick to it. It was what she believed in with all her heart of hearts, after all.

"So, will you please dine with me this morning?"

~

One would think someone in Kai’s position would still be getting used to their new form, but for the White Rabbit he seemed more than content with it. As a matter of fact, he seemed more comfortable like this. Like this…  Despite the looks and remarks he’d receive because of his more humanlike appearance, he felt closer to the princess than ever. He could do things that were never possible when he was a rabbit. He could communicate, read, and be more present to keep Misaki from feeling lonely ever again.

Perhaps it was because he was more human now that made the adults around them so angry. Because now whatever they did to him they were doing to a human boy rather than a disposable, replaceable, rabbit. But that didn’t seem to deter the Hatter, not one bit. 

Kai had been resting, the days as a human felt far longer then those as a rabbit. He was used to spending his days in the laps of royalty, carried, fed, played with then put away for the night. That wasn’t the case anymore. Kai having now taken on more responsibilities in an effort to remain by Misaki’s side, lest anyone get the idea to have him replaced with another proper rabbit. But he knows Misaki wouldn’t let that happen, she wouldn’t let him get thrown aside like that. She had begged and pleaded, and Kai had made his efforts known. For now… For now the situation seemed stable, not that anyone knew what to make of it. After all, something like this has never happened before in Wonderland’s rich history.

He knows. He’s been trying to read anything and everything he possibly could since Misaki had taught him how, and that included the thick texts regarding the rules and roles of the Heart’s tradition. Some of which he kept in stacks underneath the bench he now slept on. He liked it there… It was by no means as comfortable and warm as Misaki’s plush bedding, but he liked it all the same. It was close enough to Misaki but he didn’t fall into a deep sleep there; which was perfect for getting up at a moment’s notice when the princess would have nightmares or requested his company.

It was why he wasn’t startled in the slightest when Misaki pokes at him. It was as if he hadn’t been sleeping at all,  but he was just that light of a sleeper. He sits up quickly, needing no time to rub his eyes of sleep and whatnot. The White Rabbit turned human boy turns to sit himself up proper on the bench, well… proper save for the way he pulled his knees up to his chest to rest his feet on the edge, assuming the sort of position that made it seem as if he could spring from his seat at any given moment should he feel the need to. But many of his mannerisms were awkward like this– regardless of his shape he was still a rabbit, it would seem.

❝ …Breakfast? ❞ 

His eyes find the food cart, but he seems confused when he doesn’t spot his usual feeding dish among the other dishware and cutlery. He opens his mouth to say something else, but when he produces no sound he closes it again to instead wear a contemplative expression as he chooses what to say next. He’s seen plenty of people eat, but the prospect of handling all the tools they’d use to eat seemed to make his hesitant to call this fun. For some reason he thought the best thing to do was to avoid it altogether. He didn’t want to mess up before her again, as he has some countless times already while trying to rush the process of seeming more human than he was used to being. Despite being in the safety of Misaki’s room, he can feel the eyes of all the adults on him, waiting for any reason to deem him unfit for his role and have him replaced with a better rabbit, as the son of the Hatter has informed him on numerous occasions already.

❝ …Yes, yes it does. But… I’m not hungry. I can sit with you as you eat though– ❞

–Ah, but his stomach exposes him by letting it be known to the pair with an audible betrayal that he was indeed a bit peckish despite his remarks after all.  -

[universestreasures]

blasterdiablo​:

There was no time for a tea party for the young Hatter, and even if he had wanted to take a short break having one with the princess he couldn’t… His father had locked the door, after all. It was his way of making sure Ren wouldn’t wander off if he happened to get bored with a project. More and more often Ren found himself cooped up here in the Hatter’s room, sometimes for days at a time. Which had caused him to miss more and more tea parties with the girl who’s smile made the hardships worthwhile. Ah well– Ren just had to work harder. If his father saw improvement in him perhaps he’d earn himself some more free time between holidays. It was times like this though that he especially enjoyed catching Misaki in the gardens, like he had done so today.

The daylight was long gone by the time his father had returned from working with the King and Queen. Ren had been working by candlelight when the locks on the heavy door had come undone, the suddenness of it all causing the boy to wince as his hand slipped and he once again drove a sewing needle straight through the fabric of Misaki’s dress and into his thumb. The red head was working to untangle himself from the thread when his father had walked in, the shadows cast by the dancing flames of the candles exaggerating the deep lines of the man’s features.

For once Ren had been anticipating his father’s return, happy even. Seeing Misaki among the rose patch today had given him the idea to add several hand stitched roses all along the dress the Hatter had started, decorating the otherwise empty fabric with pops of color that Ren had found both fun and pleasing to the eye. But all Ren saw in that moment was stars, the audible crack in the otherwise silent room registering before the stinging pain in his cheek did. The stool he had been sitting on was thusly kicked out from under him, causing Ren to fall back into a tray of sewing supplies– various needles and scissors all designed to stab and cut through fabric with ease had found their way to his body, his clothes offering him zero protection. 

But none of that mattered the moment he had caught sight of what his father was doing now that Ren was out of his way. The dress– He was destroying Misaki’s dress!

Desperation and panic painted the young boy’s face, completely overturning the pain he would have been feeling if he wasn’t so focused on the scene before him. The Hatter’s face was twisted in a terrible anger(an expression Ren was used to seeing at this point, but this was the worst by far– he had never seen his father so…so…upset. With him..? He didn’t know what was going on–). The man was shouting curses, but none of it registered, not as the man had taken to tearing out the roses Ren had spent all evening sewing into the dress. 

❝ F-Father? What are you doing?! That’s Missy’s dress..! You’re going to ruin it!! ❞

Ren had finally managed to pull himself up, the forearm he had caught himself with bleeding as he leaped onto the dress form to protect it from the man’s assault. It had turned into a struggle between Hatters then– one to save the dress and one to destroy it entirely. By the end of it the younger Hatter lay on the ground, thrown there among the remnants of the dress they had both worked so hard on. 

His father had declared Ren to have been the one to ruin the dress(but he wasn’t the one to have torn it apart, seam from seam–). That Ren had some audacity to tamper with his perfect work(but he was only trying to have it fit his perfect image–). That now Ren had to remake the entire gown before the Queen’s unbirthday, and that he wouldn’t be allowed to leave the studio until his father had something he could work with. When Ren had tried to protest he was met with either the heel of his father’s shoe or hand until his very consciousness had begun to waver.

The man screamed until Ren had voiced his understanding of the situation, his voice cracked and hoarse by the time he managed to force it past the blockage in his throat. Most of the candles had either been burnt out or blown out by the gust of wind caused by the attempted slamming of the door as Ren’s father stormed out of the studio, leaving Ren where he lay amongst the scraps. He doesn’t dare whimper, even as the pain had begun to properly set in. This was the pain Misaki’s dress had probably felt as his father reduced it to threads… He was feeling it now too. The pain he caused the dress, the ruin he had heralded by his involvement, he felt it all.

That was when he heard the tiny voice. But surely it was a dream. The princess’ voice he knew wasn’t supposed to sound so– so sad. But he was proven wrong as the girl knelt down beside him to offer her concerns. But Ren seems to only curl in on himself further, body shaking as he forced it to move when his very bones cried out for rest. His own voice was small as he choked out a single sentence he had wished to tell his father but now the man was no where near to hear. Only the girl he has yet to accept was there with him now.

❝ …I… I just thought… the red roses suited Missy best– ❞

He reaches out to Misaki soon after, taking her hand with a notably shaky grip. But despite that, his hands remained the least damaged part of his body. Seems his father was at least careful enough in keeping them unbroken for the long days of work ahead. Although he was unsure if it was his own blood or his father’s that came off in drying streaks on the girl’s own skin now, the image of the man’s bloody knuckles coming to mind as Ren stared at their hands now. But that pretty much confirmed it, that Misaki was truly the one here with him now… He had turned his eyes away from hers the moment he saw them welling with tears, the boy now willing himself to sit up somewhat straight.

❝ O-Oh, Missy, what are you doing up at this hour? ❞ Ren starts after situating himself, seeming to miss her questions of concern entirely as he collected himself all too quickly. It was almost unnatural given the state she had found him in. The destined-to-be-hatter was far more worried about the fact Misaki had walked in to see the remnants of the dress rather than the bloody and bruised mess he himself had become though. A truly odd one, he was. Even despite the swelling of his cheeks he offers Misaki an apologetic smile of sorts, it was the best he could manage given the circumstance. ❝ This is just… it’s just that… your dress for the Queen’s unbirthday… I seemed to have ruined it. I’m…I’m sorry, Missy. But I’ll have it fixed up in no time! So there’s no need to cry, okay? ❞ -

“Huh...?” A confused but concerned whimper escape the youth’s lips after he accepts her outstretched hand, Misaki simply watching on as Ren tried to pull himself together. What did the roses he mentioned earlier have to do with this? Is that why he is covered in red just now? Why did he have bruises and cuts all over himself? Why did she hear screaming? She had so many questions and Ren’s own responses didn’t provide any answer.

This isn’t the first time she’s found him in an injured state like this. By nature, the future Hatter was rather clumsy. Almost every week she noticed a new bruise or cut from a needle accidently piecing his skin, and almost every week she would take some time to help patch him up. It became so commonplace that she couldn’t help but be worried about him all the time. How could she not when he was her best friend in the whole world? The only real friend she had?

However, what just happened didn’t seem normal at all. She’s never seen him or a garment of his in such a state, her heart aching as tears continued to flow. Her grip on his hand tightened, not caring if the red liquid got on her soft skin. None of that mattered when Ren was in pain, even if he was trying to hide it from her as he always did. 

She wishes he didn’t have to try to lie to her about how he was feeling. She wishes he was just honest with her. She wishes she could help him like he’s always helped her...

“I...I don’t care about the dress...!” Misaki cries out, her hurt cracked voice echoing throughout the castle’s tall and wide halls. “I care...I care about you, Ren! Not some dress! And you’re hurt right now, badly! We...We need to get you to a doctor, or some other person who can help! You really need it, Ren! Stop trying to act so tough and just listen to-”

Teal eyes widen as she is suddenly detached from Ren, the princess having been grabbed by one of the Card guards who must have noticed she snuck out of her room. Tiny legs kick to break free, but it’s no use. She’s powerless against them like this, Misaki knowing they answer to her mother and father and not her yet. 

They do not as much speak a single word as they begin to march in the opposite direction of the injured boy, leaving Misaki powerless to stop the separation between her and Ren. She didn’t want to leave him in such a poor state, but what was she to do? Regardless, she still kept fighting to break free, if only to make sure he knows she is trying all she can to get back to him; That she is doing all she can to return to the side of her friend and not abandon him in a time of need.

“Ren...! 

“Ren!”

“Ren!!!!!!!!!!”

As she is calling out to her friend ever so desperately with all her heart, one might swear the sound of a subtle...cracking noise could be heard echoing throughout the realm. Or...is that ones imagination? In a land like Wonderland, such things were often hard to discriminate. Such was the beauty of a such a world where logic and rules were odd and sometimes nonexistent.

However, Misaki certainly feels it...

Deep inside her chest, in her heart of hearts, a slight pain stings her so slightly yet sharply, like being poked with a sewing needle where deep red blood seeps out for all to see...

~