entranceway | M e s s a g e 4 4

[When the camera turns on, Alice is just out of frame, revealing an empty tea room.]

Everyone! I have something very important to tell you! The next event, I'm not entirely certain why or what else is going on but--

[--Alice pops up from the bottom of the screen, dressed up as a cat! It is quite literally the cat's pajamas.]

We get to wear costumes all weekend! It sounds like so much fun that I decided to dress up too to tell you. I think I'd want to go as my cat Dinah. I like to think she would appreciate the tribute. After all, I'm her biggest fan! What would you dress as? Or who?

[That seems to be most of the announcement, but then Alice looks a bit sheepish and glances downward, hiding some of her face in her hood.]

...I wanted to apologize too. For the seance, and for everything that happened because of it. I promise, I had no idea that would happen or I wouldn't have done it. And I absolutely won't do it again. I'm...I'm really sorry for messing everything up.

[With that, Alice shuts off the camera.]

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

When did it happen the first time?

I was Queen the first time.

[She's looking down. Maybe this is a shock or a surprise, or maybe it isn't. The whole thing still feels like a horrible dream in a lot of ways.]

The Queen of Hearts had been overthrown, and I was given the task of being Queen of Mirror Side. I had a royal adviser, the White Rabbit had...he'd come back to advise me, but. It wasn't really him...it was the Jabberwocky. I'd thought if I could volunteer as adviser, perhaps that wouldn't happen to the White Queen, but I just got tricked all over again.

[ Alice as Queen seems like a potential disaster, but that isn't really her fault. Sometimes, it felt like Wonderland was setting them all up to fail - hostages and queens included. ]

You tried to do the right thing. It's the best anyone can expect of anyone else in this place.

[ She does manage a smile. ]

Bet you were still a better queen than the Queen of Hearts ever was.

[Alice laughs a little at that.]

A suspect a rock might be a better queen than she was. But...thank you. It means a lot. I'm not cut out for Queenly duties by any means, but she's really the worst of the worst of the worst.

Maybe one day. You just need some good Queenly guidance, which seems to be something we're short of here.

[ Sure, the Red Queen is fine, but Julia still suspects that Alice could be getting a better education, all things considered. ]

[Alice shakes her head.]

I'm not sure I'd want to be Queen again. It's an awful lot of pressure and no one likes you very much when you're in charge of them, no matter how nice you try to be.

[ Julia lets out a long, sad sigh. ]

I understand that. I don't know if I want to be a queen, either. [ It's been a long time since she thought about herself as the Monarch and what that even would mean back home. Mostly because she doesn't really want to deal with it. ] People don't like being bossed around, even when you're doing your best or trying to help.

They don't like that even when someone isn't Queen! Being Queen only makes that worse, really.

[Or at least, that's been her experience with the Mirrors.]

M e s s a g e 4 4

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