+ The Moral of the First Story +

[pig_and_pepper]

[ A transmission, you see, must be like a song: Voice and instruments alike, playing its tune. Her instruments are the pans and pots, the clinking and clacking, the bubbling and boiling, the rustling of pages from the book of recipes in her hand. Truth be told, this particular song may be a little out of tune. ]

Mustard, custard, cream of eel. Salt and pepper, same old-- herrings?

[ Her eyes frantically dart across the pages- ] No, no, no! [ -searching line after line for the origin of this atrocity. ]

Here. 'Twas the wrong page in the right book, and you-- [ The Duchess turns sharply and glares, glares at-- at you. ] --could not even think to tell me sooner!

[ She rips page after page from her book, and stuffs them all into a big pot. ] Of course I'll start again, what choice do I have? But you had better do better this time!

Comments

[pig_and_pepper]

That is what they say! That is exactly what they say, and I thank you ever so kindly for pointing it out. Double, yes, double double the cooks as you so correctly explained, only--

[ She stirs the pages a few times until they disappear in the pot. ]

Only how many ounces of toil now, I wonder, and which measure of trouble? Not too much I should hope, even if such times of trouble are when friends show their love. Then, yes, then, and not in times of happiness, and that is the moral of the recipe, mhhh...

[oversight]

Sensin' a theme here. Mind tellin' me what brand of trouble you're usin' there? Kinda prefer name-brand, but I realize sometimes substitutions gotta happen.

[He's trying to see where she is from her surroundings. What if he were to just show up? He didn't get much of a chance to learn from Alice, so maybe he can learn something here.]

[pig_and_pepper]

[ Why, she is in the kitchen, of course! Now, which kitchen, that may be a different question... ]

Then you are aware that necessity is the mother of invention? Of course you are, I'm rather sure of it, 'tis a mother that knows best, after all, and so necessity knows what is best, and that is what you must keep in mind.

[ She punctuates her advice with a wave of her spoon, and turns to pull an egg from her pocket, professionally balancing it on her head. ]

[oversight]

So, no idea what this is 'bout? Somethin' 'bout recipes. Components? Ingredients? What's goin' on behind all this?

[He'll aimlessly wander toward the kitchen he knows. Doubtful she's there, but he's not beyond trying. Not in the least.]

What're you makin'? Or makin' again?

[pig_and_pepper]

I know it. Oh, I know it precisely, but I needn't tell you, do I? You of all people, my good and clever fellow, you must have known what to make of it, the first time, surely, why, if not the second and third as well!

[ The kitchen is empty. His kitchen, anyway. On the other side the smells and sounds fill it, and the occasional reflective surface on the Real Side might even be steamed up a little from its Mirror counterpart.

On one such surface the Duchess draws a little heart. ]

But what makes, you might wonder, and what breaks instead? I had, I should think, a moral to explain it quite well the last time, but this time? Oh, that is a tricky one, mhh, a tricky one indeed...

[oversight]

[Blake smirks. He actually has a couple thoughts now, if her words are any real indication, but they won't really be of any assistance to him in the long run.

He steps up to the mirror, up to that heart, and draws a crack down the middle with his finger.]

Guess time'll tell if what breaks does so as easily as that.

[And he'll be done with the Duchess now, knowing that he can't reach her in her own little world. It's a shame, though, because he'd really like to meet all of the residents of Wonderland in person some day.]