The Ninth Gambit

[alltheways]

[The Red Queen is not smiling. Her hands are folded in front of her, her expression serious, almost hard.]

My dear Real Things, I have a request.

[She raises a hand as though reaching out for the hand of another, appealing to anyone watching.]

It seems that my sister’s battle lust will not be satisfied without a fight. Despite my wishes otherwise, I must implore you to help me. However, I do not want to force you.

[And she could, one way or another, if she had to.]

I would like volunteers to assist me. But I must be honest: this time, I cannot guarantee your safety. This is not a challenge to take on lightly. As much as I abhor the idea, I may need you to fight for me.

[She folds her hands again, her expression saddened.]

I will do all that I can to protect you, whether you fight for me or not.

[Note: If you have volunteered your character, you can either respond here to ICly volunteer or handwave a conversation with the Red Queen about volunteering. Characters who were not OOCly volunteered within the allotted time frame can still respond to this post; just be aware that late volunteers will not be accepted.]

Comments

[alltheways]

It is sometimes simple to discern. But it is a thing that must be done case by case. There is no hard and fast rule.

[burntvideocassette]

Guess that makes sense.

[Still not convinced.]

When you're...discerning, like, do you just have to figure out the same way as the rest of us, or do you, like...get...more?

[alltheways]

What kind of "more" are you thinking of?

[burntvideocassette]

I mean...do you know more about us than what we tell you? Like, when we're talking, not...some other...way. Whatever that'd be.

[alltheways]

I know a bit, yes. But not an intrusive amount, I don't think.

[burntvideocassette]

[Jay Merrick is the absolute last person you should ask for a reasonable definition of 'intrusive'.]

[Which is, in part, why he asks the next question:]

D'you...

[This is a stupid idea. He keeps going.]

...know about what happened to Tim and me? Back home?

[Because if they've just spread it to the goddamn Queen--if that's how it even works in the first place--that'd be bad. Monumentally bad.]

[alltheways]

I do not, except that you were not in an...ideal situation.

[burntvideocassette]

[Jay deflates, his neck hanging limp. She doesn't know. Thank christ.]

Not ideal, yeah. [He doesn't quite manage a smirk, doesn't even manage a smile, but his lips stretch back in a sarcastic grimace, eyebrows raised.] That's us.

[alltheways]

You certainly aren't the only ones. It seems that many of my guests come from such situations.

[burntvideocassette]

[Hm. It's not exactly a surprise, but it's not like Jay's gone door to door asking for everybody's tragic backstories (no matter what Tim tells you).]

[This place isn't quite hell, and it sure as hell isn't heaven, but maybe he wasn't too far off. Like, maybe it's not how bad you were that sends you here; it's how bad your life was.]

You think that's got something to do with, like...why we're here?

[alltheways]

Perhaps in some cases. But I think there are people who are not in that situation.

[burntvideocassette]

[That's not a no. And that's unsettling as hell.]

D'you know...I guess, do you have any theories about why some people end up here and some don't?

[Why couldn't Brian stay? Why not Alex? Why isn't Jessica here?]

[alltheways]

Theories? I don't have much use for those. But on that particular topic, I have no answers, theoretical or otherwise.

[burntvideocassette]

Great.

[Don't be a smart-ass. At least, not to the Queen.]

D'you know how you ended up here?

[alltheways]

I have always been here.

[burntvideocassette]

Wait--wait, don't you have to reach the...the square, to, uh...?

[God, if only he just had a second to scroll back through the archives.]

Eighth Square. Didn't you have to do...whatever that means, to be a Queen?

[alltheways]

Some people must. Some of us have been Queens since we came to be.

[burntvideocassette]

Oh.

[So, if she's to be believed, she's always been like this. She's never been anything but the Red Queen.]

[Interesting. Now to figure out what that entails.]

Have you always been queen of the same thing? Like...like the Real side? That's it?

[alltheways]

Of course. This side--what you call the "Real side"--is my realm. It always has been.

[burntvideocassette]

[Jay has to think for a moment before formulating his next question.]

Your sister was in charge when I first got here. Was it not...like, officially hers?

[He's not convinced.]

[alltheways]

My dear, my sister has never been in charge of this side of the glass.

[burntvideocassette]

[Jay squints.]

...But she was in charge on the other side, though, right?

[alltheways]

For a long, long time she has been.

[burntvideocassette]

Okay.

[That was some very delicate wording.]

A long time, that's...Was there somebody else before her?

[alltheways]

Why do you wonder these things, my dear Jay?