#I only know about the Dormouse one I mentioned bc it's from one of the first 4 volumes | Explore Tumblr posts and blogs

staytiny-present · 4 years ago

Text

Ateez Presents: Alice in Wonderland

Rating: T

warnings: some blood and violence (nondescript), swear words, gets kinda angsty, mentions of anxiety

disclaimer: hi so first of all i just want to apologize about the wait,, i’ve been super crazy busy with school lately (and will continue to be but i’m trying not to think about that) so i’ve struggled to find time for both writing and my assignments BUT i’m nothing if not irresponsible so i’ve gladly taken more time to write this than write any of my other essays. also i am... so sorry this is??? so long i got so carried away,,, i hope y’all like long reads bc you are in for it with this one, but anyway! rules for disney au requests can be found here! enjoy and let me know what you think!! xo

Starring~

Kim Hongjoong as the White Rabbit

he was the reason you fell in the first place

you found it incredibly odd that such a cute boy in a waistcoat and glasses would have rabbit ears, and even stranger that he could fit inside a rabbit hole

you would have asked him about it, but he ran away before you could

and you tried to catch up to him to ask but he was just too fast

the rabbit hole he went down was too long and dark for you to see through, which is why you leaned down so far to see where he had gone

that’s when you fell

hongjoong knew it was his fault too,, he should never have gone to the surface or caught your attention

he really didn’t mean to

but he had to

hongjoong was an expert at going down rabbit holes, but for most everyone else there was a lot of falling

he already felt guilty, but hearing your screams and cries the long way down made his heart wrench

leaving yeosang alone at the door - who was yawning and questioning if hongjoong was right - he waited below as you fell

wincing each time you bumped into a cupboard or a bookshelf, bounced off of a bed, or were hit by a flying book

you knew bruises would bloom all over when you landed

if you landed it seemed

you felt sick as you fell and sicker as you dreaded what kind of landing you would face

your nonexistent breath left you once again when you finally did land

right on top of hongjoong - the boy you followed who was waiting to catch you

the force of your landing knocked hongjoong’s glasses off of his face as you both fell to the marble floor beneath you

you groaned and scrambled to get off of the boy, apologies leaving your mouth faster than you could comprehend

the entire time hongjoong looking at you in shock and awe

why,,, why in wonderland were you apologizing to him?

he made you fall

he’s the reason for your bruises

he was the reason you were stuck now

he did this

he was roused out of his thoughts when he heard yeosang quietly calling his name, and he turned around to see he was waving in your direction

realizing the sudden urgency he grabbed your hand and pulled you up off the floor

“don’t apologize alice i’ll be fine, but we need to go”

alice? “i’m not-“

you would have told him he didn’t have the right person because no you weren’t alice and you didn’t know one

but you noticed his glasses were missing

not missing but on the floor, a crack almost straight through one of the circle lenses

you bent down to pick them up and inspect

“i’m so sorry about your glasses sir”

you didn’t know if you should be calling him sir, but it sounded better than ‘rabbit boy’

hongjoong, who hadn’t noticed his glasses came off, touched his face

he was about to speak again when you?? lifted them back to his face??? and placed them gently on the bridge of his nose????

blood rushed to his face and lit it on fire, a stark contrast to his white hair and white ears

however you thought you had done something wrong and began apologizing again

he wanted to reassure you but yeosang’s quiet voice brought him back to the reality of things again

it startled you how abruptly hongjoong’s ears stood at attention, most of the color draining out of his face

“alice”

hongjoong took hold of your hand, and he would have turned red again had it not been for the urgency of the situation

“we have to leave this place”

your brain felt like mush as all of your thoughts swam past each other

i don’t even know what this place is, you thought, i’ve never seen such a strange place except in stories

and why does he keep calling me alice?

“what do you mean and why do you-”

a loud ringing cut you off before you could ask the curious boy anything, and hongjoong pulled a pocket watch out of his red coat

his eyes widened and his ears stood up straighter if that was possible

“oh dear, i’m late!”

he took your hand once again and led you to a door that couldn’t have been higher than your knee

hongjoong shoved a vial in your hand and on the label you saw that it read ‘drink me’

“it’s dangerous out there for you, alice, so please go with yeosang”

and you were confused because you couldn’t see anyone else around

it wasn’t until you looked down that you saw there was in fact another person with you, and he stood tall enough to fit through the small door next to you

if anything this only confused you more but hongjoong kept talking telling you to follow yeosang and to do what he tells you if you want to stay safe

but then he took hold of you by your shoulders and leaned in and said something so cryptically gentle

“all will be revealed soon. i promise”

your stomach erupted into butterflies at the strange boy in front of you

and honestly your mind was running a mile a minute trying to figure what was going on

and you can’t ask him because before you can even blink he’s hesitantly letting go of you and goddamnit he’s running again

there’s a normal-sized door on the other side of the room that he pulls out a key for, and the lock clicks once he’s gone

Kang Yeosang as the Dormouse

yeosang is tired

he never got his afternoon nap because hongjoong was so sure that this alice was the one

he was excited for the hatter’s party this afternoon and his eyes drooped at the thought of being able to relax with the boys

he doesn’t really want to do this but he trusts hongjoong

if he’s sure you were the right alice then he knew how important it was to keep you safe, and he was going to give his all to protect you

he’s waiting for you to drink from the vial but you... aren’t

because you are still. confused.

you have tons of questions that you want to ask like WHAT is going on and WHY are you so small and was that boy really a rabbit and what was his name and why did he give me this and

but yeosang is like what are you waiting for? you gotta drink it do what it says

and you still have questions because wHY DID HE SAY I WAS IN DANGER, but he also said to do whatever yeosang told you to stay safe

and none of this makes any sense to you, so who were you to not do what he says

so you drink from the vial

it’s fucking nasty

at first it was great, but the after taste made your eyes water and your throat burn

you started coughing, and when you stopped you noticed that yeosang was a lot closer to you than he was before

in fact, he and the door were suddenly much bigger than they had been a moment ago

until it hit you that whatever was in the vial had shrunk you

you don’t have any time to question it because yeosang is pulling out a key like the one hongjoong had so he can open the door for you and

holy shit

what you see is beautiful in every way

the sky was a brilliant blue with clouds like pillows and warm sunlight

the pathway you found yourself on was made of rocks and cobblestones with vibrant grass surrounding it

there had to have been millions of different flowers and plant species that towered over you when they wouldn’t normally

the flowers were like trees and the trees were like mountains

it was incredible seeing it from such a small perspective, but it truly made all the difference

you thought about how this must have been yeosang’s norm, and you noticed that like hongjoong he had animal ears as well

the boy next to you had mouse ears, and they bounced with his hair as he walked

at yeosang’s level, you also noticed that he had a sword that would be about the size of a toothpick at your normal size

his coat was similar to hongjoong’s too, only his was blue instead of hongjoong’s red one

he was... elegant, and he walked with an air of grace surrounding him

you couldn’t help but think that at this level you could tell he was cute too and it involuntarily brought a small smile to your lips

you were so in awe by everything and completely distracted by him that you could hardly hear what yeosang was telling you

he snapped his fingers in front of your face to get you to focus

“please focus alice, i’m trying to keep you alive”

you finally ask WHO is alice but yeosang only shakes his head at you because wow you don’t even know

when in reality, why should you?

so yeosang repeats what he was saying

“always follow the path, alice. don’t eat anything anyone gives you. if you see red run, and if you see cards hide”

and you’re only left with more questions as you’re both walking because what the hell do you mean cards, and why did i drink what that rabbit boy gave me

and yeosang just kind of sighs and says “fine don’t eat anything else” but he doesn’t really elaborate on what he meant by cards

and he doesn’t get the chance to because there’s suddenly a rustling coming from the distance and heavy footsteps

they’re getting louder and faster as time does by and yeosang is like SHIT he already knows you’re here

and you ask him who he’s talking about but he doesn’t say anything,, he only grabs your hand and starts running into the forest of flower trees and tall grass

which is off the path, so yeosang is already breaking his own rule

but you’re sick of not knowing what’s going on, so you plant your feet into the dirt below you and demand your questions be answered

and yeosang knows you don’t know what’s after you, but he does

he knows how dangerous it is to stop for even a moment so he’s like wHAt come on we have to go!

but you finally ask “what’s going on? what’s after us?”

“bandersnatch”

his words were simple, but his voice and his gaze were dark and knowing

you don’t know what a bandersnatch is, but just the way he said it chilled you to your core

so you let him keep leading you through the forest of flowers

and as you’re running you can’t help but think... is the ground getting less firm?

you knew it was a weird thought, but you could have sworn it was getting harder to run let alone walk

like the earth was changing to slow you down, to stop you,,, like it wanted you to get caught

you almost completely disregarded the thought figuring you were going mad when yeosang nearly fell over, which is something you didn’t expect because he had been so light on his feet before

he stopped then and unsheathed his sword

there was a small part of you that thought he was going to kill you or hand you over to whatever was chasing you, but the bigger part knew he was going to stay behind

it wasn’t a comforting thought, especially because you didn’t know what was chasing you

yeosang turned toward you again

“go, and please listen to what I told you”

“no what? what are you-”

“alice please, find the path again, don’t talk to strangers, don’t eat anything, and please please don’t stop and smell the roses”

in any other circumstance, you would have thought he was joking with his phrasing

but then again you were currently running for your life

it was the ominous way he said it that made you want to listen to him

your moment of hesitation made yeosang practically push you in the opposite direction

“go! run!”

it was enough to knock you back to your senses, and you turned and ran through the garden forest

the ground didn’t get any better as you ran, and you found yourself stumbling almost every other step

the further you went the more the flowers around you seemed to get closer to you

you could have sworn they were whispering to each other as you went, but that was impossible

they loomed over you like they were trying to close in and trap you, just like the earth was doing

branches were in your way, stems closing in and thorns tearing into your clothes and your skin

like the flowers were reaching out to grab you

you could feel the blood pricking at your cuts, and your legs screamed at you to stop running

but you couldn’t,,, you would be caught

you ran and ran as best as you could until finally, finally, you were free from the flower forest

you found yourself in an actual forest this time, the woods and the trees blocking out almost any sunlight from illuminating the world around you

but there was just enough for you to see the dirt path before you

you were quick to get back on it, and now that you were you let yourself slow down to breathe

your limbs were heavy and you were so tired, and now you were more banged up than before

you shivered, and you didn’t know if it was because of the chilly air or your own fear

there was mist in the air as well, so you could only see so far ahead of you

you continued on the path slowly

as you walked though you heard a soft noise

you think you’re mistaken because it sounds like laughter so you ignore it at first

but then it becomes more pronounced, more distinct, and you know there is someone laughing

it’s not sinister though,, it honestly sounds kind of genuine

melodic even

you’re about to pass under a large tree branch when out of nowhere - quite literally - a boy appears as if part of the mist

Jeong Yunho as the Cheshire Cat

the first thing you notice about the boy is that he has cat ears and a cat tail

the second thing you notice - and maybe it’s just because of how small you are - is just how big he is

he takes up the entire branch he’s laying on and even hangs off of it a bit

the final thing you notice is the huge grin on his face, a big toothy smile

it doesn’t feel mischievous though,, in fact it’s even kind of infectious

without even meaning to, you start smiling as well

and somehow, it immediately makes you feel less tired

it seems like it makes the boy smile even brighter if that’s possible

he leans his head on his hand as his tail swings back and forth lazily off the branch

“huh, where might you be off to stranger?”

you’re well aware that yeosang told you quite specifically not to talk to strangers

you’re prepared to just keep walking, but you find yourself really wanting to stop and talk to this weird cat-boy

so you hesitate trying to think about what you should do

he simply smiles at you though

“cat got your tongue?”

and then he’s laughing at his own joke like it was the funniest thing he’s ever heard

and god his laughter is infectious too

when you finally gather your bearings you tell him you’re not supposed to be talking to strangers, that you need to keep following the path

“where to?”

you.... don’t have an answer

truly you don’t know, and yeosang never told you where to go

the crippling thought of being completely and utterly lost makes you stop again, “i... i don’t know”

yunho sees your mood change, the downcast and dejected look that ghosts over your face as you look down

and yunho just can’t have that

he thinks i gotta turn that frown upside down NOW

so he starts leaning forward off of the branch, and you’re worried because stop oh god you’re gonna fall!

but yunho just keeps going and keeps going and... keeps going

until he’s off of the branch, but he’s still floating above the ground

and you think this place just keeps getting weirder

yunho floats over to you so you finally get to see him up close

he really is huge, and you know it’s not just because you’re tiny

his eyes are giant and slit like a cat’s too, and they seem to change between yellow and green and blue

truth be told, he looks inviting with his fluffy sweater and his soft hair and his nice smile

the longer you’re together, you feel you can trust this boy

yunho speaks again, his voice softer than it was before

“don’t hesitate. people get lost when they doubt, so don’t. know you are going the right way, even if you don’t have any direction. then you’ll never be lost”

while it doesn’t make the most sense, it does make you feel better

you smile at him again softly and thank him genuinely

and yunho smiles even bigger because that’s exactly what he wanted - you to smile

“my name is yunho” he says before he decides he’s going to mess with you

so with a smirk, he disappears again into the mist

and it shocks you enough to have you turning every which way to see where tf he went, and you keep thinking goddamnit i’m alone again

but yunho reappears back on the same branch as before, only he’s hanging upside down from it

he almost reaches the ground because he’s so tall

but now that he’s back, you introduce yourself

yunho has kind of a lazy smile on his face and he’s like huh

because yunho’s not dumb, he’s everywhere so of course he’s heard whispers of a newcomer in wonderland

a new and promising alice

that rabbit hongjoong was practically hysterical about it when he passed in the wood hours ago, along with the constant “i’m late i’m late i’m late”

so yunho’s smile changes now to a bit more mischievous, and the switch is noticeable

there’s a glint in his big eyes and a twitch in his ears and an almost smirk that makes you feel the air has changed

the warmth is still there, that didn’t change, but now your chills are back, and you know they’re not from cold or a breeze or the mist

you’re about to bid him farewell when yunho continues

he knows a place where people could help you to not hesitate if you just keep following the path

ironically you’re still hesitant, only this time it’s because you really don’t want to be alone

but yunho quickly adds that he could be your guide along the path

and his kind and warm smile is back, gone any of the questionable mischief

in return it makes you feel warm again and all of the doubt washes away

you accept, and yunho’s cheshire grin grows until he's disappearing and reappearing right next to you

side by side he holds his hand out to urge your forward, and you begin again on the path - you walking and yunho hovering

it seems as though the huge cat boy gets smaller, like he was shrinking himself to your level

and you kind of appreciate it a lot because it feels more normal somehow despite how he’s literally floating

so you continue on the path through the woods talking amongst yourselves a bit

you explain to yunho how you got to this strange place and what’s happened so far

and yunho finds you have come across the rabbit and the mouse

so he’s like ahh you’re the one hongjoong was going on about but you’re like huh who’s that

and yunho tells you that the boy you fell on was hongjoong, the white rabbit who is an advisor at the palace

and you don’t really ask about the palace, but you’re still kinda reflective and repentant like “...i feel bad for falling on him. i broke his glasses”

yunho just wants to laugh because what a silly alice,,, with the way hongjoong was talking about you he’s not mad in the slightest

the entire time you’re walking together (more or less) you can’t help but think how nice this is because this is the first person since coming to this place that’s actually talking to you without a sense of urgency

it’s refreshing since both hongjoong and yeosang made it quite clear to you that you had to fear for your life if you wanted to live

yunho is just letting you live

you don’t get much out of yunho in terms of backstory or such

he does tell you a bit about how this place works, like how the food works and why yeosang was so adamant about you not eating anything

that little mouse always had a habit of making things sound like the end of the world

he also shares with you some little anecdotes from his life like when he stole hongjoong’s pocket watch one day and the boy nearly gave himself a heart attack

but finally, you reach the end of the wood and into a more open area of land

but unlike when you first entered the door with yeosang and saw color and vibrancy and beauty and something so wonderful

this was anything but, almost the complete opposite

the land was dirty and gray with hardly a flower growing out of it

gone were the brilliant blue sky and fluffy white clouds and comforting sunlight, now replaced with a completely overcast sky

as far as the eye could see, there was nothing particularly wonderful about any of it

you ask what happened, and for the first time since meeting him, you see yunho’s smile falter

he simply keeps moving ahead, saying you were almost there

you don’t talk anymore after that until you reach your destination

when you finally stop, you’ve reached a rather strange house with a bright windmill at the top

attached to the house is a tall hedge wall that disappears behind it, a wooden gate on either side

there was more grass here and there and some flowers, yet while it wasn’t a lot you couldn’t help but think that there were more flowers here than anywhere else in this land

it all looked... very out of place

yunho’s smile is back on his face as he watches you, opening the wooden gate for you both to enter behind the house

inside the walls was nothing at all like it was outside

you hadn’t heard it outside, but inside you can hear music that seemingly comes from nowhere

the back of the house was painted in stripes - pink and purple and blue and black and yellow with just about any bright color to match

looking closer the paint even looks wet still, like someone is constantly painting over it

the ground is cobblestone and grass, perhaps the greenest grass you’ve ever seen, even greener than when you first arrived with yeosang

in the center of the area is a loooong table with all sorts of chairs surrounding it

the table was littered with teacups and dishes and food and tea

in fact, there was tea everywhere

the delicious scent of the scones and the warmth of the tea makes your stomach growl and honestly, it catches everyone’s attention

because you’re not alone anymore,, sitting at the head of the table is a boy with a top hat and crazy eyes

on the left is another boy with rabbit ears, only his are brown and not nearly as well kept as hongjoong’s were

the color of his eyes reminds you of yunho’s but his pupils are so dilated and they’re so shifty

honestly, the boy himself is really twitchy

you’re surprised to see that on the right sitting on top of a stack of books is yeosang

his blue coat was gone, instead wearing a pink one with the buttons undone

the boys are all ecstatic to see yunho, all nearly shouting about how he’s just in time for the hatter’s unbirthday party

there’s a chorus of “ no way it’s MY unbirthday too!” that arises and it just serves to confuse you

but that mischievous smile is back on yunho’s face as he floats over to one of the seats

“yeah, i brought a guest”

Park Seonghwa as the Mad Hatter

at the head of the table, seonghwa’s crazy eyes widen a bit

they... they never get guests

and for his unbirthday party no less

he feels it calls for even more celebration

at the sight of you though yeosang is like “i thought i told you not to talk to strangers” and you’re like “WELL YOU KNOW HIM”

there’s really no winning with that boy geez

however, yeosang did tell seonghwa and mingi about hongjoong’s attempt at finding another alice

he expressed his suspicion, but he’s also starting to come around to the idea that you are the one

if you made it through the flowers and out of the woods, you’re doing better than most

and because of that, seonghwa comes ricocheting onto the table and walks across it to come meet you

he’s saying something like come and join our festivities, i’m sure it’s your unbirthday too alice

so he grabs your hand and leads drags you back across the table so you can sit next to him

you’re tired of being tiny

but walking on the table means there are dishes and cups and tea and food getting everywhere and breaking and lowkey you’re kinda afraid because that seems really dangerous

but hatter seonghwa does this all the time so he’s got it perfected

besides, he’ll have a ball cleaning it all up later and that’s not a joke

cleaning up after a tea party just means they can have another one soon!

so he sits you down next to him on the same side as the other rabbit boy and immediately starts dishing up some food and tea

but you’re kinda confused and ask umm what’s an unbirthday

you can practically hear a record scratch because all of them stop really abruptly to look at you and they’re like YOU DON’T KNOW WHAT AN UNBIRTHDAY IS??

seonghwa tries to explain it but he’s just so in shock that you don’t know he can’t practically word

he waves past you at the hare mingi to explain it instead because truly how could you not know what an unbirthday is?

so mingi explains it in his twitchy way, saying there’s only 1 birthday but 364 unbirthdays

he ends up getting extremely distracted by his spoon, his eyes getting impossibly bigger and pupils dilating even more than you thought they could

but you do understand now, and you happily tell them that it is in fact your unbirthday too

and suddenly they’re all clapping for you and digging back into their treats

the music starts up again at that too, and you’re almost sure it’s the teapots that are producing it

and you all have a nice unbirthday party for all of you :)

the hatter and the hare formally introduce themselves to you, park seonghwa and song mingi at your service

and they’re both shaking your hands at the same time but it makes you giggle

seonghwa with his red eyes and lovely smile says “welcome to wonderland”

he notices your torn clothes and it makes him pout a bit

he ends up taking off his scarf so you can wrap up in it if you’d like, since the scarf was big enough to be a blanket at your size

that alone made your heart skip a beat, but the sweet smile on his face warmed you even more than his scarf did

truly, this is the most welcome you’ve felt since getting here

seonghwa talks to you a lot and asks you questions, but it never feels overbearing

“what brings you here on this golden afternoon?” he asks

but he also asks you “why is a raven like a writing desk?”

he also tells a very sad story about a walrus, a carpenter, and some curious oysters

but he and the other boys are very polite and trying to get to know you

while you’re talking though you ask quite innocently “hatter why do they call you mad?”

the music gets quieter as he gets a faraway look in his eyes

it puts a bit of a damper on everyone, but before you can apologize he answers

“most everyone’s mad here, my dear” he says softly

“i was never good at cards, and the hand i’ve been dealt has been rather... much”

and you don’t know exactly what he means by that but he only stares off into space, reflective

seonghwa doesn’t like thinking about his past because it makes him sad, and he doesn’t like being sad

tea parties and unbirthdays are supposed to be happy occasions, but once he starts thinking about it it’s hard for him to stop

the other boys know this, so they explain to you what’s going on

he used to be a trusted advisor of the white queen, but then the red queen took over and never treated him the same

he was still an advisor for a while, but he could only take so much until he was finally dismissed for madness

“anyone who spends five minutes with that wicked man will surely end up going mad”

“i don’t know how hongjoong does it”

“all of us call him the queen of hearts because we’re sure he doesn’t have one”

this makes seonghwa laugh, and he starts returning to normal

you lean forward to try and grab his hand as best you can, and he appreciates the gesture

honestly, he thought you were the sweetest person he’d ever met, and he had only just met you

but he always liked to think he was an excellent judge of character

so the tea party continues on pleasantly

until

there’s some harsh knocking on seonghwa’s front door

and once again the nonexistent music stops completely, and it’s dead quiet except for the knocking

everyone knows exactly who it is except for you, but then again why should you?

seonghwa and mingi share a look with their identical yet completely different crazy eyes, but they look like they know exactly what they’re going to do

so seonghwa gets up and goes to his front door all while yeosang is fiddling with his sword, yunho is phasing in and out of thin air, and mingi is shaking and pulling on his ears

but you’re still sitting there with a half-drunk cup of tea and a cake that’s calling your name, but you know now’s not the time

after a while there are loud voices coming from inside seonghwa’s house, and that’s when suddenly things spring into action

yeosang stands from his stack of books and takes a cake from a dish that has the words ‘eat me’ painted in dainty cursive - just like the vial from earlier

you stare in awe as yeosang grows in height and stature until he’s around the same size as the other boys, no longer the size of a mouse

yunho disappears in a cloud of mist towards the house, and you can only assume he’s going to do something in there

mingi though is stuffing some of the food and treats and tea in a pack before, on shaky legs, he’s going toward you

damn he was huge too, but again that could just be because you’re still fucking tiny

he holds his hand out for you to take and before you can ask what’s going on, there is commotion going on inside of the house

you can hear extra voices besides seonghwa, one of them being yunho like you thought, and yeosang runs into the house with his sword drawn

mingi takes your hand then and half leads half drags you out of the hatter’s backyard

out of the colorful walls and beautiful scenery and back into the dark overcast of the world beyond you

Song Mingi as the March Hare

because mingi’s a rabbit too he’s so fucking fast so you can hardly keep up

and mingi knows this, so he hoists you up on his shoulder and starts running even faster than he had before

he knew you would only slow you guys down if you stayed on the ground, and you would have gotten caught for sure

but you still don’t know why you would’ve gotten caught, why you’re still running

so you ask mingi

you finally want your questions fucking answered

“what is going on? tell me the truth”

sweet mingi sees the fire in your eyes and the hears harshness of your voice and a few things come to mind

first, he knows your anger isn’t directed at him he’s just there, but it scares the shit out of him because holy fuck you’re scary when you’re angry

lowkey it’s also kinda attractive but you didn’t hear that from me

the second thing is that that fire is exactly what makes you alice

that fire is exactly what is going to save them

he continues running for a few minutes so he knows there’s enough distance between you and seonghwa’s house

when he starts to slow down you can tell that he’s not even tired, but he’s still going at a brisk pace

but when he does and because mingi is a sweetie, he tells you what the deal is

he tells you more about the red queen and how he’s not the true ruler of wonderland

his entire army is made up of playing cards, but only the heart cards - another reason he’s called the queen of hearts

mingi also tells you that the true ruler is the white queen, but his crown was stolen by the queen of hearts

there’s a prophecy that everyone in wonderland knows, telling of an outsider who will stumble into wonderland in their time of need and help them reclaim their kingdom

the hero, alice, would be the one to defeat the red queen and return the kingdom to its rightful ruler

and it’s their belief that that hero is you

mingi explains that every once in a while hongjoong will go up to your world to find a potential alice, but all of them have failed

he doesn’t tell you why none of them succeeded, and it makes you feel uneasy

but now, with you continuing to prove yourself and having survived this long, everyone is starting to believe that you are the one who will save them

and holy shit that’s a lot for you to take in

you literally came here by accident trying to ask a strange boy a question

you did not sign up for this, nor are you prepared to defeat a tyrant ruler

but mingi keeps talking because, you guessed it, the red queen knows you’re there

that’s why you have had to run so much, because if the red queen finds you, he’s gonna have you killed

and fuck if that ain’t more pressure

it’s lucky that the red queen doesn’t know what you look like or else you’d be dead by now

but then mingi just stops and looks at you on his shoulder and is like..... do you want to go back to your normal size?

and you’re kind of confused because it came out of nowhere

but also of course you want to get bigger, you’ve been tired of it for so long how do you get bigger?

mingi decides then that it wouldn’t hurt to slow down a bit more, so he picks you off of his shoulder and to the ground

and out of his pack he takes out one of the cakes he took, and it’s similar to the one yeosang ate to get bigger

the treat says ‘eat me’ on it too, and he hands it to you and tells you not to eat it all, only a bite

so you do, and unlike the disgusting vial from earlier the cake is almost sickeningly sweet

it felt like that single bite of cake rose in your stomach, and it continued rising until you were back to your original size

once you’re big again you can see that mingi is still tall, and you’re sure yunho is just as big too, maybe even bigger

you thank him because while being small was cool and all for a while and you could see all that cool stuff, you much prefer being your normal size

you give the cake back to mingi and your hands brush, and you take his eyes widening as you had done something wrong so you apologize

but in reality, mingi is malfunctioning and his ears are twitching and he’s shaking again and his eyes are shifty and he really wishes he could pull on his ears but also he doesn’t want to embarrass himself in front of you

so with shaking hands he puts the cake away and continues walking pretty fast-paced and tells you that you have to keep going

you ask him where as you adjust seonghwa’s scarf around your neck - since it was finally small enough to be a scarf - because really where could you be going?

“i’m taking you to the white queen”

and you freak out a little because oh shit i’m about to meet royalty there’s even more pressure

you keep on the dirt path until you come to a fork in the road, a wooden pole with numerous signs giving directions

the ones closer to the ground said things like “this way” “that way” and “yonder” and you wondered who could have put those there

the one on the top-right though had a large red heart painted on it

the one to the left of it had been broken off

mingi led you in the direction of the broken sign

“the white queen’s castle is this way, we just have to keep following the path”

you both continue talking a bit more, and mingi is kinda just telling you about what the white queen is like

but much like before, you are stopped by the sound of heavy footsteps in the distance

and mingi’s eyes widen again and his pupils are so small

and he’s like fUCK they found us already

so mingi grabs your hand and you start running again along the path

and you keep running until the guards are gaining pretty damn close

they’re close enough for you to see that yeah, those guards are cards except for the one in the front

you don’t stop running, but mingi has to shout to tell you that you have to keep following the path to get to the white queen’s castle and that you are going to have to do it alone

before you can ask or stop him, mingi is letting go of your hand and running off the path, shouting at the guards to catch their attention

and for the most part it works, you see most of the card guards veer off the path to follow the march hare when you glance behind you

but there is still one guard chasing you

the one in the front who wasn’t actually a card

so you’re running as fast as you can to escape this one guy while also trying to get to the white queen’s castle

you think you can see something off in the distance but you’re not too sure

and you can’t figure it out just yet because the guard, atop a beautiful black horse, catches up to you

Choi Jongho as the Captain

once he reaches you, he grabs your arm to lift you onto his horse, but you end up falling to the ground instead and get dragged oof

and because of this the boy gets off the horse and stands in front of you

the boy wasn’t necessarily super tall, but wow this kid is buff

while you now know why these guys are chasing you, you still end up asking rather fearfully fUCK who are you why do you keep chasing me please don’t kill me

“silence, you are in the presence of choi jongho, captain of the red queen’s guard”

honestly? he’s kinda scary, and you’re worried he’s going to smite you right then and there

but that sweet boy is still human so he’s seeing you and how afraid you are of him and shit are these feelings?

but jongho is still the captain of the guard so he can’t just?? not do his job???

so he starts questioning you like “state your business, alice”

he shouldn’t be questioning you though, and he knows the queen would have his head if he knew he didn’t just take you in

literally, not figuratively

but he really just doesn’t want to do anything he’ll regret

but you’re there thinking fuck i know about the prophecy and it probably is me it’s talking about but i can’t let this captain kid know that

“i don’t know who this alice person is or why everyone keeps calling me that, but man i just want to go home :(”

now look, jongho knows you’re not telling the whole truth

he and hongjoong know everyone in wonderland, and he’s never seen you before

but he knows your distress is real,,, he’s seen it many times before

you also seem quite genuine about wanting to get out of here and goddamnit jongho’s HEART is ACHING and he’s having a goddamn change of heart about his loyalties fuck fuck fuck

so jongho sheathes his sword which is a good sign, but you don’t feel brave enough to get up

and jongho, stoic as ever, is like yep you’re alice alright, but you say you’re here by accident?

“yes, i was following the rabbit”

“the rabbit? hongjoong?”

“YEs him!”

and jongho has a lot of respect for hongjoong,,, the guy’s the red queen’s advisor, the most trusted one along with jongho

yet hongjoong still fights for wonderland and wonderland only

jongho honestly looks up to hongjoong because of that

it’s not about loyalty to the ruler, it’s about loyalty to wonderland

which is why hongjoong is so adamant about finding the alice of the prophecy, so they can restore the kingdom of wonderland to what it is supposed to be

under the rule of the white queen

and because jongho respects hongjoong so much and since he’s so sure you are alice

he is willing to help you

jongho holds his hand out for you to help you up and you see tattooed on the back of it is a big red heart, and you can’t help but think it makes him look like he’s... branded

you’re hesitant to take his hand because just a moment ago you were afraid he was going to kill you

but jongho sees this so he says “relax i’m not going to kill you,, in fact, i’m gonna help you”

so you take his hand and he lifts you up and wow he’s strong but you ask him why you should believe him

and truth be told you shouldn’t because his armor alone is enough to tell you where his loyalties lie

but jongho says “look i’m willing to let you go if you really are the alice from the prophecy” and then he asks you if you are planning on defeating the queen of hearts

the fact that he was calling the queen that told you all you needed to know about his loyalties

while you’re not fond of the idea of defeating someone, you’re pretty resigned to your fate

so you tell him yes

and jongho tells you he’s going to let you go

you’re confused again though so you ask why are you letting me go are you not the queen’s captain?

and jongho’s like yeah ok i know i’m supposed to be loyal and i am loyal just not to the red queen

“i’m loyal to one thing and that’s wonderland”

jongho tells you that wonderland doesn’t stand a chance if the red queen continues to rule, that the people of wonderland deserve better and that better comes from the white queen

you see now where he stands and realize no he’s not bad and he’s not disloyal

he just has a strong moral compass, and you respect that

jongho tells you he would escort you to the white queen’s castle, but he still has to keep up appearances so he has to let you go on your own

because jongho knows damn well that if he “fails” or the red queen figures out his allegiance is changing, he dies

so he’s gonna ride back to catch up to his card guards while you keep following the path because you’re almost there

he probably tenderly places his hand on your shoulder and is like “stay outta trouble” or some shit honestly

but anyway jongho gets back on his horse to leave and you thank him

because from the bottom of your heart you really mean it, and you’re thankful for him for sparing your life and being so caring about wonderland

and jongho ends up blushing a bit because you’re just really sweet he hopes you win

he tells you “thank you for saving us” even though nothing has happened yet, but you’re there to save them now

so jongho leaves to find his card guards while you once again start along the path

and jongho was telling the truth, the white queen’s castle isn’t that far away so you get there pretty soon

and you’re still. so. tired.

you’re almost exhausted and your clothes are still torn and you’re still covered in cuts and bruises that scream the longer you move

so when you see the tall white walls and the gate to the white queen’s castle you nearly cry

when you’re through the gate - which, unlike the red queen, has tall white chess pieces on guard - you fall to the ground and finally let yourself relax because you finally feel safe

you finally made it

as you’re laying down with your eyes closed on the hard ground in front of the castle, you hear a nice voice above you

“welcome to my home, alice”

Choi San as the White Queen

holy shit it’s an angel

not an angel no, a god

those are your first thoughts when you open your eyes and see the ethereal man in front of you

clad in all white with a gentle glow around him, no one needed to tell you that this man was the white queen

he held his elegant hand out for you to take

san doing princess hands hnNNG BYE

“my name is choi san, alice. i’ve been expecting you”

his words are warm and fluid, and you don’t feel nearly as tired

san too can’t help but think about how tired you must be from your journey, and his eyes are tinged with sadness as he realizes you’re hurt

he’s so warm and inviting and welcoming that your body moves on its own

you take his hand, and he gently helps you up before leading you inside the castle

the castle is regal with white marble pillars and a white tile floor that practically looks like glass

there are so many floor-to-ceiling windows that let in natural light and makes everything look so beautiful

san leads you to the kitchens and it too is almost completely white with larges windows and

...

what’s mingi doing here?

when mingi sees you though he’s like NICE YOU’RE STILL ALIVE lmao

he looks like he’s cooking but also it’s hard to tell because he keeps throwing stuff around

but san just glides over to one of the tables to work on his own project and beckons you to join him

you have to duck a couple of times because mingi is throwing something that looks like food but you can’t be too sure

you dip your finger into a bowl on the counter and tell mingi it needs more salt

but i digress

you go over to san while he’s working on something and watch him like :))) watcha doing?

and san simply smiles, thinking

you, alice, were here in front of him

you were to be their savior

and wow you were cute too

he keeps working and doesn’t really say anything, but you see he’s putting a lot of weird ingredients together to make some sort of concoction

and you know he’s gonna make you ingest this and you can’t help but think fuck these ingredients are gonna be so gross but also i’ve eaten a bunch of gross stuff today so what’s one more thing

so once it’s done san smiles and holds out a spoon for you

“this will heal your wounds, just blow on it because it’s hot”

and you’re like yeah sure thing and do it before drinking from the spoon

ironically, it’s one of the best tasting things you’ve had all day

which doesn’t sound right

but anyway

it starts working immediately, and you can feel your cuts and wounds close up and your bruises are soothed which tells you that they are going away

and you’re pleasantly surprised and thank him. “i feel so much better!”

and san’s beautiful fucking smile never leaves and he says of course alice it’s the least i can do

he tells you then that he’ll lead you somewhere in the castle for you to get fresh clothes since yours are ruined

you keep the hatter’s scarf with you even after you change because you find it quite comforting

but once all of that is through and you’re all rested, san takes you to the throne room

you see mingi and yeosang and seonghwa and yunho there too, and they all look so happy to see you

but once you’re there and standing before a humble white throne

san finally offers his proposal

“alice, there is a prophecy that tells of a hero who will come to our land to save us. they are meant to defeat the red queen and help us reclaim the throne so the rightful ruler can reign. i am certain that you are this hero. everything about you fits that of the prophecy. i have no right to ask this of you, alice, but will you fight for us? will you help us to take back our kingdom?”

hearing it out loud, being asked, suddenly makes this feel so real

you roughly already heard the prophecy from mingi, so at least you saw this coming

but you don’t feel like you can decline in front of all these people who are counting on you

more importantly, you don’t want to

you know you really are the only chance of these people getting their kingdom back, and from all you’ve seen and been through, you do care about wonderland

you know the people care about wonderland too, and whether you help them or not, they are going to fight

so why not help them?

so you accept

you say that you will help them to defeat the red queen, you just need to know what to do

before san can say anything else the throne room erupts into cheers and applause because finally, finally, they have a chance to have their kingdom back

san holds his hand out to quiet everyone down

he tells you that you will have to infiltrate the red queen’s palace somehow and find him - he explains to you what has to happen

all the while though you can’t help but think how in the world am i supposed to do this???

you express this concern to him once he’s finished and he’s quick to reassure you

“you won’t be alone, dear alice, i promise you”

and you want to ask but then you remember

hongjoong, the boy who found you and started all of this, is one of the queens advisors

jongho, the fiercely loyal and branded boy, should be right there with him

they will be there

yeosang offers to go too and help fight which is super sweet because man that boy is fearless for such a small mouse, even though he was the size of a normal person still

even the other boys look like they would volunteer in a heartbeat so you wouldn’t be alone

and you feel incredibly grateful for each of them

you find yourself in a room preparing for your imminent battle soon after everyone was dismissed from the throne room

san knocks on the door not long after

all the while you are sitting on the bed with anxiety eating at you as the reality sets in even further

you were about to battle someone without a clue what would happen in the end, and that was terrifying

but sweet san is there to encourage and reassure you that while it will be hard and you will be tested, you are strong and capable

you can do this

and he says something like what yunho said before

“if you doubt yourself, you’ll lose yourself”

he really does help you to calm down,,, his voice is so soothing and he himself is so nice and caring

so you say “thank you, your majesty”

but he shakes his head fondly and says “please, call me san”

but his smile falls for a moment as he looks intently into your eyes,, and it’s so different from how you’ve ever seen him so you’re slightly worried

“you don’t have to do this,, i won’t force you... if you wish to go home, you can. you have a choice”

the thought had crossed your mind multiple times

you did want to go home

but you wanted to help them more

you gently take san’s hand from his lap and squeeze it

“i’m going to do this. i promise”

he looks at you, and you think your eyes are playing tricks when you see his gloss over

you can’t dwell on it because he lifts your hand to give it a kiss, and that alone told you everything

when the time came you were hesitant to leave the white queen’s castle, and san was hesitant to let you leave as well

but you both knew you had to do this

so on horseback, looking back one last time past the gates at all of the people you’ve met and bonded with, you finally made your journey to the red queen’s palace

you were lucky not to have too many problems along the way, but sneaking in was...

scary

the palace was looming and red and black, and you could have sworn even the moat was blood red

you hoped to all things it wasn’t blood

you would have asked yeosang, but you lost him once he went back to his mouse size

all the while as you’re sneaking into the palace and stalking down the halls, you are taking his advice to heart about the color red and cards

but you couldn’t remember,,, did he say run if you see red and hide if you see cards? or did he say hide if you see red and run if you see cards?

you don’t have enough time to figure it out when you see the card guards coming right down the hall toward you

you make the fatal mistake of running

their uniform pounding footsteps flood your senses as they catch up in no time

a card guard takes hold of each of your arms and begin dragging you away

your fear spikes as they bring you all the way to red queen’s throne room

if san’s castle was light and comforting, the red queen’s is red and menacing

the windows are stained glass, not letting in nearly as much light

there’s a wide staircase leading up to a looming red and gold throne, and you think that it too looks like the color of blood

but when you look up, your blood runs cold

Jung Wooyoung as the Queen of Hearts

standing in front of his throne is the red queen himself, waiting for you

this is it, you think,, no... you know this is it

you’re caught infiltrating the queen of hearts’ palace,, he will have your head

your heart feels like it’s going to beat out of your chest

you have to think fast

wooyoung has his hands on his hips, golden crown and black robe making him look absolutely regal in his red suit

to his left is the card captain jongho, his branded hand clutching his sword, and his eyes giving away more emotion than he means

to his right is the white rabbit hongjoong, his white waistcoat covered in red hearts, and his ears standing up at attention, eyes wide and skin drained looking as if he wasn’t even breathing

all eyes were on you

and despite the fear coursing through you, you don’t back down

you vaguely wonder where yeosang could be when suddenly, the queen makes the first move

wooyoung takes the few stairs down to you, and you can see up close that his handsome face is fuming red with anger

the card guards let go of you and back away so the queen’s wrath can be fully directed at you

“who are you and what are you doing sneaking around my castle?”

his voice is loud and carries throughout the entire room

you nearly flinch back but you force yourself not to

but... hang on

he asked who you were

does... does he not know that you are the alice?

from your peripheral vision, you can see hongjoong’s eyes widen to the size of dinner plates and jongho takes his hand away from his sword in surprise

but then you remembered

mingi said the queen didn’t know what you looked like so he didn’t know it was you, and you were determined to keep it that way

you force any shock from your face so you can appear as stoic as possible

“please forgive me, your majesty-”

“HOW DARE YOU SPEAK WHEN YOU WEREN’T ASKED TO”

he goes on about how disrespectful it is already to be snooping around another person’s home, but to talk out of turn like that is another level entirely

he ends up whipping around to hongjoong with murder in his eyes and a shout that rattles through you

“OFF WITH THEIR HEAD”

you’re immediately filled with panic

you see hongjoong shaking looking like he wanted to step forward and say something, but he can’t without risking wooyoung finding out the truth about him

even jongho looks like he wants to intervene, but as the queen’s captain he can’t

you briefly think about where yeosang might be as you wrack your brain for what to do

little do you know he’s just about to come down there and fight the queen himself when you, in a split second, decide what to do

you take a chance

“i’m here for the queen’s unbirthday!” you say as the guards take your arms again, starting to pull you out of the throne room

the room goes silent then

you hope to all things that today of all days wasn’t the queen’s actual birthday

the change in wooyoung’s mood is immediate

the furrow in his brow is gone, raising instead as a large and open-mouthed smile forms on his face

the red in his face fades into what you could almost mistake as a faint blush

“ahhh my unbirthday how sweet how did you know?” he asks excitedly, and even rather bashfully

“i heard it was today, your majesty. there has been much talk about your party”

you’re chuckling kind of hesitantly to diffuse the tension in the room, and it kinda works because wooyoung is letting out quite loud but genuine laughs in return

“why of course you did! my parties are always the best!”

hongjoong behind him: FUCK I HAVE TO PLAN AN ENTIRE PARTY THAT WAS DUE LAST MONTH

lowkey though he’s really relieved about it though because, you know, it means wooyoung’s not gonna kill you yet

but before hongjoong can sneak out to plan a fucking party and invite almost all of wonderland, wooyoung is turning around to talk to him

“rabbit when will my spectacular party be taking place?”

and hongjoong legit wants to die, like he’s actually considering getting beheaded so he wouldn’t have to do this

but despite his nerves and the twitch in his ears and the fidget of his hands he answers “just after tea time your majesty” which should be an hour or two which gives him time to get the party set up outside and invite almost all of wonderland

and wooyoung simply claps his hands none the wiser because even though it was just brought up he believes his party has been planned since the beginning of time basically

he shoos the guards away from you because unhand them NOW they are an honored guest!

he also waves off hongjoong and the other advisors in the room to leave so they can fucking plan and dismisses most of the guards too

it’s only him, you, jongho, yeosang (secretly heheh), and a few card guards left in the throne room now

and somehow the room feels brighter, as if the amount of light and color in the room changes based on the queen’s mood (which you wouldn’t have been surprised about)

wooyoung steps forward to take your hand sheesh what’s up with everyone and wanting to hold your hand and apologizes for his guards’ incompetence (even though the guards are under him)

and so he gently orders (not asks) you to join him for tea time since you’ve come all this way

but then he’s like no, oh no no no we have got to get you into something more suitable

so he tells a guard to escort you to get some new clothes while jongho escorts the queen for tea

you’re in red robes now and it feels... like a brand

it’s comfortable and all and you look nice and feel elegant

but it feels like the heart on jongho’s hand and the hearts on hongjoong’s waistcoat

in a way, it feels like you’re trapped now

but anyway you join wooyoung for tea

and wooyoung is much happier seeing you in red and he tells you that there’s a dress code inside the castle walls and for his parties

red and black

no white

gold is reserved for the queen

and since you are like a guest in the castle, wooyoung acts like you’re his personal guest, like he invited you himself because he likes you

so along with the new outfit, wooyoung also gives you a bouquet of red roses

only... the red is painted on

you take notice of this and are like “... you paint the roses red?”

and wooyoung once again loses his temper and is like WHO’S BEEN PAINTING MY ROSES RED FIND THEM AT ONCE AND OFF WITH THEIR HEAD

and jesus you freak out kinda because of his booming voice and fragile temper like shit it’s SCARY

and jongho’s in the back like fuck fuck fuck

wooyoung lowkey notices your shock and fear and calms down because whoops,, don’t want to seem crazy in front of my cute guest

but he is crazy dude like very very fragile

anyway you dine and have tea and you have to sit next to wooyoung because he wants to be close to the cute guest

and you’re pretty antsy next to him you just try your best not to show it

he asks you a bunch of questions like what’s your name where are you from simple questions

but he also asks like what do you think of the color red, do you like playing cards, what do you think about large dangerous animals, kinda weirder questions like that

and honestly it’s a lot for you to process and keep up with but also wooyoung’s kinda talking more anyway

because the red queen is very talkative and loud and somewhat egocentric, but also he really is trying to keep the conversation going and get to know you as best he can

one of the other advisors ends up coming in and is like i’m here to collect this person’s present for you your majesty

and you’re sitting there like sHIT I DON’T HAVE ANYTHING

but then wooyoung just kinda waves them off rather annoyed because why are you bothering us? clearly this person is my present ;))))

which... is a problem for a few reasons

first off, you’re like whoa ok umm what have i gotten myself into with this guy

but also you’re like well he’s cute so it’s not the worst thing that could happen, which sucks because i’m supposed to dethrone this guy

but then everyone else in the room who knows the queen and knows what he’s like know that... he doesn’t do that

the red queen wooyoung loves presents and gifts and getting things from other people

never once has he said someone didn’t have to give him a present

jongho is standing in the corner watching this unfold and thinking oh no,,, he really likes them

but same though you’re fucking great

and you can sort of see jongho just looking sick to his stomach and you’re like,, what’s that about

but anyway tea time ends eventually and it’s time to fucking party

honestly for only 1-2 hours to plan everything get everything set up and invite everyone, hongjoong did a fantastic job

because he has experience lmao this isn’t the first time something like this has happened,, this ain’t his first rodeo

but yeah there’s a bunch of people already at the party and a bunch of people lined up outside the gates to get in still

wooyoung comes out with you on his arm and jongho trailing behind you

and you’re like shit this is weird and uncomfortable i look like i’m his date when in reality i have to defeat him

lmao awkward

yeosang acts like he wasn’t just sneaking around the castle and joins the party, along with the hatter, the hare, and the cat

they’re all dressed exceptionally nicer than when you saw them before, but they don’t look comfortable at all

gone are the mismatched suits, soft sweaters, and noble coats, replaced with uniform red and black suits

you almost don’t even recognize seonghwa without his top hat

they all look miserable until they see you

at first they’re like,, fuck dID THEY BETRAY US for a hot minute

but hongjoong, who has seen the whole thing, is quick to let them know that this is all part of some plan

hopefully

which it is, you’re just making it up as you go along

some of the party’s festivities include the giving of presents (of course), the eating of cake, croquet, etc.

really you can obviously tell that no one likes the red queen, but they’re forced to come or else it’s disloyalty you know?

you don’t stay by wooyoung’s side the entire time, nor does he make you even though he wants you to and thinks you should want to

but because of that you are able to talk to the other boys

yeosang is still small but he has a cake with his name on it when you say go

mingi’s nerves are on high alert because holy shit we’re doing this we might die but at least we’ll die for a good cause

yunho is there to reassure you all and help ease your nerves with his nice smiles and melodic laughter and just him in general

seonghwa with his crazy red eyes is uncharacteristically quiet

the only thing he says to anyone is

“the dove is out of its cage”

and you’re like what and the other boys are like what but hongjoong is like oH

jongho has been hovering as well and the boys are suspicious about him but hongjoong explains to them that they can trust him, that his allegiance is changing as well and he doesn’t agree with the queen’s politics

something you already knew hehe

anyway hongjoong asks seonghwa when the dove will be returning to its cage and he just says very soon and suddenly hongjoong’s nerves are through the roof

because the dove is the white queen

san is on his way to wooyoung’s castle right now

and no one else knows that until san is literally at the gates of the castle trying to get in

and it’s a lot more chaotic now because there are a bunch of card guards shuffling to the gates and jongho has to go too since he’s the captain

and so when jongho comes back he’s got san with him striding in quite elegantly dressed in all white, completely unarmed

and wooyoung’s head feels like it’s going to explode because goddAMNIT I BANISHED YOU YOU’RE NOT ALLOWED HERE AND IF YOU’RE GONNA COME AT LEAST FOLLOW THE DRESS CODE

but san is unbothered, simply smiling as if wooyoung wasn’t about to threaten to chop his head off

wooyoung flat out asks what the hell san is doing there

to which he replies with “i was invited”

and wooyoung is like ahaha no i make it extremely clear to my advisors never to invite you because you’re not allowed here

and san’s just like “huh... well then what’s this?” and pulls out an extravagant invitation, the same one everyone else got

wooyoung’s eyes widen in fury and he whips around to hongjoong because who else would it be i guess but he literally looks like he’s gonna murder hongjoong then and there

but before anything else can be said, san keeps going

“before you go around pointing fingers, woo, you should know that your time here is coming to an end”

wooyoung simply laughs, “hA you and what army? i don’t see any of your chess pieces around”

he snaps and all of the card guards are surrounding them, jongho included

and he also brings you closer because yeah he really does like you and he can’t have himself be threatened or anything in front of you

he has to be powerful because he is powerful and he wants to show off

“you see, san, i never liked chess. i much prefer cards,, they’re much more reliable”

the guards are grabbing san by the arms ready to take him away to be executed and literally everyone’s like !!!! FUCK THE QUEEN OUR ONLY HOPE IS ABOUT TO DIE WHERE’S ALICE WHEN YOU NEED THEM

hongjoong is literally looking back and forth between you and san like ?!?!?!?!?! IF YOU’RE GONNA DO SOMETHING NOW IS THE TIME

but san is still smiling. he’s not afraid

“i didn’t mean me”

you think that if there was ever a cue to spring into action, that was it

you get a hand on wooyoung’s sword and pull it out, immediately pointing it at him

everyone is completely silent

for once, so is wooyoung

he says your name, the first time anyone in this wonderland has said your name

and for whatever reason, it makes you feel terrible

“you know the prophecy, wooyoung, and you know the laws of this land”

he can hardly hear san’s words, only focusing on you

you have his weapon, his vorpal sword

if anything, that’s yours now

but he doesn’t want to think about what san is implying

wooyoung turns around to san again and waves for his guards to stand down

he walks toward san until they’re inches apart staring into each other’s eyes

“fine. i’ll show you the crown is mine”

so the red queen’s unbirthday party turns into a challenge

the laws of wonderland state that if the ruler is ever challenged to a duel for the crown, they are obligated to accept so they can either prove they are worthy of the crown or that someone else is

the rules are a bit fuzzy since you are the one fighting wooyoung for san, but i guess it’s allowed since wooyoung probably didn’t win the challenge himself at the beginning of his reign

but i digress, literally almost all of wonderland is crowding around a circle for you and wooyoung to duke it out for the crown

he takes jongho’s sword since you took his

for a while, it’s wooyoung who is winning because you don’t have the most experience with a sword

but after a while, you get used to it and wooyoung’s fighting style (which is very inconsistent on purpose) that it becomes close

everyone is watching in awe because first it was like shit you aren’t doing too great that means wooyoung’s gonna win fuck time to pass away

BUT THEN WHEN YOU START DOING BETTER THEY’RE LIKE OH SHIT WE HAVE A CHANCE CMON KEEP GOING

and yeah for a while it’s really close until finally, FINALLY YOU DISARM WOOYOUNG AND KNOCK HIM TO THE GROUND

AND EVERYONE AGAIN IS ABSOLUTELY SILENT BECAUSE HOLY SHIT DID WE JUST WIN?

YES THEY FUCKING DID

sorry i just got really excited ok? you did it!

everyone unloyal to the red queen erupts in cheers and applause and utter happiness

but wooyoung, on the ground in front of you, has one last question

“who are you really?”

“i’m not sure. i’ve changed so much since this morning. but they’ve all been calling me alice”

wooyoung’s eyes widen in horror as he realizes his fate

this really is the prophecy

alice has come to defeat him and steal his throne and his crown

and they succeeded

he has lost

he expects you to just slice his throat right then and there, but you don’t

instead, you stick the sword into the grass beneath you

you never agreed to kill anybody, nor would san want you to

wooyoung saw it as a chance he would never get back, so he took it

he scrambled back a bit and whistled, a very loud and shrill sound that came out of his mouth

suddenly everyone around you is in chaos, trying to run away and shouting because they know what is coming

you don’t, but you find the sudden loud pounding footsteps oddly familiar

you look over to the other boys and make eye contact with yeosang, and you can’t hear him over all of the shouting but you can just make out the word coming from his lips

“bandersnatch”

your stomach drops

that’s what you were running from when you first got to wonderland, and you were about to come face to face with it

the footsteps get louder and louder until they stop, and right in front of you stands wooyoung’s bandersnatch breathing heavily and awaiting his orders

even san is kind of scared because he’s seen what wooyoung’s “pet” can do

but when you see it... it almost looks like a pet

the best way you could think to describe it at the moment was a cross between a cat, a dog, and a bear

as inappropriate as it was, you thought it was kinda cute what the hell

but again, i digress

wooyoung, who is still on the ground, shouts at the bandersnatch and points to you, “GET ALICE”

the animal in front of you digs its foot into the ground multiple times like it’s about to charge

everyone watching the scene is filled with fear

and you

just

walk up to it

and bop it

on the nose

almost immediately it cowers backwards and shrinks in on itself like it was ashamed it had done something wrong

everyone else: shocked pikachu face

because what??? the hell?? that WORKED????

but you just get even closer to the bandersnatch and see that he really is like a pet,,, he’s really not scary

you start to scratch him behind the ear and he definitely likes that

you turn again to face san and wooyoung just like :/ yeah, what about it?

wooyoung is at a complete loss of words, absolutely mortified

damn, that usually works

but now wooyoung really lost and is really defeated officially

after the confusion passes though the crowd is once again cheering and happy because NOW they did it

san walks forward between you and wooyoung, and the celebration quiets down because omg it looks like the RIGHTFUL QUEEN is about to say something

san announces to everyone that wooyoung will stand trial for his crimes and receive a fair sentence despite everything, and that if anyone so pleases, they don’t have to see the same fate as him

meaning whoever would like can renounce their loyalty to wooyoung right now and not be punished

the first one to do so is jongho

he unsheathes the dagger at his hip, and while most everyone believes he’s about to attack san

you know better

rather, jongho holds it tight to his chest and takes a knee

he bows his head before the white queen and says “i serve the crown, your majesty. i serve the rightful ruler of wonderland”

hongjoong steps forward then too and bends the knee, since he is wooyoung’s advisor

everyone is watching in absolute awe because that is wooyoung’s left and right,,, they never expected those two to be disloyal to him

but they serve wonderland, not wooyoung

wooyoung is feeling mf betrayed dude

that’s the example most everyone else who was loyal to the red queen needs before they renounce themselves as well,, all so they can serve the white queen

and you are just... astonished

you did it

you really helped them to reclaim their throne and their land

you fulfilled the prophecy

you can go home

that realization hits you harder than you thought it would, and you are honestly kind of disappointed to go

at the arrival of his chess piece guards, san orders them and his new guards to take wooyoung away so he can stand trial

not before taking the crown from his head, and it practically transforms before your eyes to white gold

wooyoung gives you one last betrayed look before he’s gone from sight

while everyone is talking and celebrating and rejoicing san turns to see you looking very forlorn, and he knows exactly why

he approaches you, followed closely by the other boys

because all of the other boys have been so impacted by you that they just... have to be by you again and talk to you

but they all see that you are kinda down and are like :(((( why??? we won thanks to you!!! this is a happy moment!!!

but you just look at all of them, all of these boys that have impacted you just as much

and you say “i can go home now”

and suddenly they all remember

they all jump at the opportunity to tell you NO YOU DON’T YOU CAN STAY HERE WITH US AND BE HAPPY

but you can’t, as tempting as it is

you have a life in your world, and while you know you can just pick up and leave it

should you?

san sees the decision in your eyes and tells the boys “they can’t, though. they must go home”

and finally, finally, he says your name

not alice. you

the boys still want to protest, but they can see it in both of your eyes,, they know what’s going on

so they all come to terms with the fact that you are leaving

but before you do, you make sure to share some words with each of them individually

you know, just so they can fall in love with you even more hehehehe

you look at all of them and say “i want to thank all of you, from the bottom of my heart

“jongho, thank you for sparing my life,, i’m so proud of what you’ve become

“mingi, thank you for being so sweet and taking the time to tell me things, and for putting your own life in danger when you didn’t have to

“seonghwa, thank you for being the best mad person i’ve ever met, and i hope you don’t stop being the same kind, pleasant, mannerful, strange, and mad person you showed me

“yunho, thank you for always being able to put a smile on my face,, you truly helped me to not feel doubtful, and i know i will never be lost because of you

“yeosang, thank you for doing everything in your power to make sure i’m safe,,, you are the bravest person and mouse i have ever met, no one will ever come as close

“hongjoong, thank you for finding me. if it wasn’t for you i would have never found this wonderful place with all you wonderful people,, i am happy you are safe and turned out to be right”

the boys are all borderline crying now because you’re just so amazing,, they all love you so much, even in the short time you’ve known them

but finally, you turn back to san

you’re prepared to bow, getting on one knee and saying “my queen” because that is truly how you see him now

but san simply smiles and tells you to stand, that as long as you are here and san is ruling, you never have to bow to anyone or fear anyone

and you just smile back and say thank you

san laughs because he should be the one thanking you

he leads you and the boys inside the palace so you can go home

which makes you kind of confused because huh how does that work

san explains “wooyoung was always afraid of the prophecy, so he made sure the only door to your world was locked and sealed away for no one to find”

so he leads you all to said door, and it’s huge

there are gold gears and locks all over it, and it stands taller than anyone of you

san takes his crown off and places it in the center of the door, as if it acted as a key

and the gears begin to turn and bars unlock until finally, the door opens

looking through it, it’s a bit distorted because it’s kinda like a portal that’ll take you back to your world

and san extends his hand toward the door so you can go, and everyone is looking at you teary-eyed and expectant

you take one last long look at each of them to memorize everything that has happened

and so, looking back with a look that screamed the promise of return, you walk through

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