"Not really. I'm more curious about the dormouse to be honest." She wished she could say, but chose to nod along silently. If he was willing to tell her his issues, she was willing to listen a little.
Humming, he pulled out another pocket watch and began writing down on one of his notes. "It's currently 5:14 in the morning, we have around half an hour to spare before the body arrives, take a seat." He pointed across from himself.
Although it was a bit rude to invade a strongly disliked stranger's home, she made herself comfy. "Normally, this subject would be a taboo, but I don't mind. After all, you're Alice." He said with a smile while continuing to write off his notes.
"It started a few thousand years ago, when I was a mere rabbit. There came a woman, who transformed me into man." He sighed dreamily, as if talking about a former lover of his.
"She was really beautiful, almost as much as you my dear Alice. She created me in her likeness, and gave me a role. The very first role amongst Carneline, the clockwork tower keeper."
"Originally, it was a place for records of everyone she came across, it was her hobby. There I worked happily by her side, filing and keeping records. The tower was called clockwork simply because of a giant disc which told the time above it."
"She was a magician, but no immortal unlike I, whereas days past and she grew old, the man she created who was once a rabbit never grew, forever there to watch the tower as an animal forced with magic." He sighed ever so slightly, his lip quivering.
"You don't have to continue if you do not want to." Alice interrupted, understanding the gist of it. If he was immortal, it must of been quite sad to see everyone disappear.
Shaking his head, he carried on. "Her body withered, but never my role. She bestowed to me the title of the clockwork tower master, and I've been confined to it, never able to leave without repercussions. No, my illness isn't immortality, but rather loyalty."
"With someone gifted with the magic of seeing all, my burden will be to keep records forever. I cannot leave the country for more than a day, and I may not stop writing records for more than a week, for if I do my sense of time, the very thing I am gifted with, begins to vanish." A sad smile adorned his face.
She just told herself not to get sappy, she here she was pitying another person. An animal who was gifted life, forced to write down everything about all he meets, due to being a servant of a weird magician's hobby, unless he wishes to go crazy and lose the sense of time that only he can tell.
Humming happily, he finished up. "All done with your new record, Alice," he winked as he stretched. "I'll tell you the rest some other day, but for now, let's go receive the package for mousey." He smiled before making his way to the door.
Talking about draw backs… or illnesses as he called it was a taboo. And yet, he chose to share his with her, a complete stranger. Why? She wondered.
He was a great actor, of course. He's kept a good mask the entire time since she's come to Carneline, obviously. Could what he told her just be a small ruse to tug at her heart?
He knows her well, the original Alice Hartziene that is. A docile woman who would probably pity and worry for him if she heard that. And yet, she was not that character.
She herself could not find it in her heart to believe it true. Not yet, at least. As the dormouse said, the mad attract the mad. There's no way the white rabbit could be sane, he must be trying to manipulate her to listening to what he says and fulfill her role as Great Magician.
"No. He's trying to convince me there's no escaping your role." She whispered before getting up and chasing after him, satisfied with her own conclusion. Of course, he wasn't telling her because she was Alice the Great Magician, nor because he liked her, but rather because he needed her.
That was the only conclusion which suited such a terribly sketchy character, a man of mystery, and one that seemed unreadable.
At least, it's what she convinced herself.
As they made it to the door, there truly was a package, one labeled with bright neon tape. On top of it was the royal crest, with the written warning "MAID CORPSE" sprawled.
It freaked her out by such an ominous package but on top of that the rabbit casually carried it back inside. Surely, he was abnormal.
As he set out down onto the table, he begun opening it and setting things up, as she watched in horror, wanting to do something but knowing not to intervene.
The dormouse would save Cynthia, she told herself. Even if he was angry and hard to tell, he said he would do his role, at the bare minimum.
Seriously, just thinking of that lazy mouse upset her! He probably went back to sleep again. "I'm going to fetch mister mouse, I'll return soon.." she said while trying not to look at the body.
It was definitely Cynthia. Cynthia's brown hair, grey eyes. It was odd, it doesn't look like rigor mortis had begun, even if it was recent. She could of sworn it had nearly been two hours, or was it?
As she left the white rabbit, she failed to notice the saddest of looks on his face as he tried to reach out to her before shaking his head and going back to what he was doing.
As she cautiously walked into the back room, she saw no one around. She knew it, he was slacking. Walking over the mouse hole, she knocked three times over it before calling out. "Mister mouse, we probably don't get along but please help miss Cynthia." She called, hoping not to anger him.
She heard slight shuffling, and an angry mouse man appeared who once again repeated the steps to become a giant. "Don't stare." He hissed as he begun to make his way through the house.
For a mouse, he seemed more catlike. Maybe the cheshire cat would be friendly, then. Knowing the story, likely not, but at least they couldn't be worse than her current lot. An apathetic mouse, a tyrant queen, and a manipulative rabbit. All who were fine with murder.
As the reached the operation room at last, he turned towards her with a glare "There's no escaping your roll, so if you are going to bother me don't come in. If you do, I'll get rid of you myself." He told before entering, slamming the door behind him.
That was extremely rude, Alice thought. How could he act like that towards her like she's just some nuisance? Even if she weren't a child, she'd still be upset!
Soon out came a rabbit who was actually thrown and slammed into a wall face first. "STAY OUT YOU DAMN FURBALL!" She could hear the Dormouse yell. Well it made her feel a little better that he's only been calling her brat and not trying to fling her.
"Yowch I demand compensation if I need to take leave for injuries while working!" She wanted to laugh, but tried her best to hold it in. She didn't take his assailant would find her laughing outside to be appropriate when operating.
As the rabbit approached her, she mentally prepared herself for spending more time with him. "Are you curious as to how she's doing?" He asked, concern evident in his voice.
He was a good actor, too good of an actor, she will give him that. "Will Cynthia be alright with someone like him?" She asked, she knew the Dormouse could do it due to how everyone spoke of him, but she was still afraid.
Maybe he'd fix Cynthia half-heartedly! Maybe he'd do it just to spite her? He seems like that kind of man to eat candy in front of children and laugh to himself.
"Hmm… you don't have to worry. The Dormouse does his role perfectly, even if he complains. He's one of a kind, he reminds me of you, actually, Alice." The white rabbit smiled and pushed up his glasses, giving her head another pat.
This was the white rabbit she knew from the story. Not a shady individual, but someone who always smiled and talked great about others, especially with concern. In the novel, he was much more human…
She still couldn't completely trust it, but the only thing she could do was wait. It felt terrible. How would the real Alice cope? She could understand how such constant negativity and numbness to this everyday life would make her mad, but she wasn't going to submit easily.
"Oh look at the time! It's nearly six and that's practically nine… we're going to be late! Mousey better hurry, if we want the meeting by seven. If he's late the March Hare may arrive." The white rabbit frantically mumbled as he begun writing down.
She knew he was dedicated to his records, but couldn't he take at least a few hour break? He said he could take off for a week, which seems to be the most down time for an illness so far.
"How come my illness is constant, just like mister Queen's? While your's is a build up.. and mister Dormouse's is only when he uses his magic." She asked, interested.
The white rabbit's ears twitched slightly, and contemplated how to explain it. "The queen's magic is constantly active, much like your's whether you realise it or not. Meanwhile, Mousey and I have the same kind of illness." He said with a smile.
"You cannot escape your role. If Mousey does not fix a person's psyche when the Queen orders him to do so, he faces the consequence of his illness." He stroked his chin thoughtfully.
It was relatively silent for a long time, with her not sure what else to ask, and he busy checking all his watches and doing work.
Suddenly clapping, he turned to her as an idea formed in his head. "After our meetings, how about I show you to the library?" He asked, already writing in his schedule.
"I'd love to mister, but could I ask how many meetings there are?" She asked. When did she agree to follow him through the day? And what about sleep?
She already was tired from staying up for so long and adjusting to all this information, but it seems that didn't matter. "About three? There's Mousey at seven, March Hare immediately after, then there's the tweedles… oh dear I forgot they rescheduled since they're under mission…" he mumbled before fixing his schedule once more.
"The tweedles?" She asked, tilting her head to the side. She thinks she may of heard her friend talk about them once, but she couldn't recall them in the novel. Perhaps they were a scrapped idea?
Happily, he took to explaining. "They're twins who worked for the Red Queen. But they're often away trying to deal with the White Queen's loyal followers, so you may not meet for awhile." Just then, a large thud was heard in the operating room.
As Alice tried to rush in, the white rabbit shook his head and held her up through her arms. "It's just Mousey, he probably fell asleep, give him a few minutes to come out." He told while checking his pocket watch.
Peeking, it read 6:49am, how time flew while she waited for Cynthia to be fixed again. Within just a few minutes, she'd be able to see the happy smile on Cynthia's face once more!
After two minutes of listening to the nonsensical rambling of the rabbit, the door finally opened up. "Take her before the Mad March Maiden Hare arrives." he groggily groaned as he stuffed a whole square of cheese in his mouth.
"No no, Mousey. You took such a long time we'll be late for the meeting, we absolutely cannot do that! We already rescheduled four times, any more and you'll be in trouble!" He said while dragging Alice with one hand, and the Dormouse with the other into the room.