After being dragged into the room, the scene that awaited her shocked Alice. "Is she… alive?" She asked shakily, confused and scared.
Cynthia sat in a chair completely upright with a bloodied and semi-torn dress from the spears. Her eyes were blinking and her mouth slightly agape, however there was still a large hole in her chest, where she could see pierces through the heart.
"Of course, I did my damn job." The mouseman growled while the white rabbit begun to unload some papers onto the table.
She wanted to ask more, like why he didn't fix the gaping hole, but he slumped down into a chair and begun ignoring her, turning over to the rabbit. "She's going to be here soon so hurry."
He seemed nervous, for the very first time. Was the March Hare really someone to be feared? So much so that even the apathetic dormouse would want to run?
"Righty Mousey. How many corpses have there been this week, how long has it taken you per body, your illness progression, and your medicine amount please." The rabbit asked, shoving a paper to him.
Pulling out a pen, he begun writing down as Alice peeked over his shoulder, still trying to observe how Cynthia was even living despite her own heart puncture.
The paper read three corpses within the week, around half an hour to an hour per body upon starting, more tired than usual, and low to empty.
"What kind of medicine do you take?" She asked, tilting her head to the side as the dormouse aggressively shoved the paper back to the rabbit, glaring.
"Has anyone ever taught you manners?" He asked clicking his tongue and putting some more cheese into his mouth. When she looked now, it seemed like he managed to eat all the cheese around his belt, surprisingly.
Shaking his head the white rabbit flicked the dormouse's head. "Awe be nice to Alice! She doesn't know it's taboo to talk about it. Anyway, Mousey receives medicine from the Mad Hatter, in the form of snacks and drinks." He explained.
So it was similar to her. She ate something and drank a weird thing and she felt better. In his case he probably takes a lot of medicine since he's already almost empty.
"Hey! Don't go telling her things she doesn't need to know." He barked sitting up straight and trying to throw a punch to the rabbit, who finally dodged.
Snickering, he sounded proud. "Hah, I won't fall for that one again, Mous… ouch!" He yelled out when his foot got stomped on.
So it looks like that cheese was actually medicine, but what about the drink? "I don't think I've seen him drink anything but tea." She noted while the rabbit clutched his foot in pain.
"You remember the gold vial? It helps him grow to normal size for awhile, but only for a few hours at most. He can turn back to tiny any time though, it conserves his.." once again he let out a cried pain as his other foot was stomped on, hard.
The dormouse truly was aggressive. What's up with the small animals trying to become the crazy predators? All of a sudden, Cynthia begun moving her hand.
Gasping, Alice immediately focused all of her attention onto her. "Is she okay?" She asked unsure of whether it was safe to touch her with her evident wounds.
"She's fine, I only restore her life, the March Hare will fix her body, so long as she arrives on time." The dormouse sighed and ran a hand through his hair.
"Could I sleep now? I'm tired. My energy will be drained even further if that Mad March Maiden Hare sees me." He groaned, what a negative person to be around, Alice thought.
Teasingly, the white rabbit looked up at him from his crouching position on the floor. "You say that but if you truly hated her you wouldn't address her so fondly.." once again, he was kicked but this time in the stomach.
He should really stop running his mouth to people who are willing to hit him, Alice thought. He was so lucky she was a weak child in a foreign place or she too, would be kicking him.
"I demand compensation! Urgh… you like the hare, so why not me. We both have cute ears." He mumbled before completely curling into a ball on the floor.
"I do not like the Mad March Maiden Hare!" He said getting up, and trying to leave once more. Unfortunately, the white rabbit was quick when it came to his job.
Pulling him back and assigning more paperwork, he checked his pocket watch. "Five minutes late, you need to hurry the paperwork! If we are five minutes late it may make my meeting with the March Hare ten minutes late and it may make me taking Alice to the library hours late! We can't have that, especially not when we have a meeting for a meal, for her to sleep, and even to pick up her tool." He exclaimed like a panicked school girl.
Rolling his eyes, the dormouse continues working. "Just shut up." He murmured writing down answers… to a list of possibly invasive questions.
Ear size.. sleep schedule… house keys… and even whether he was willing to provide a blood sample. She hoped she'd never answer this questionnaire.
"Why does he not like the March Hare?" Alice whispered to the rabbit. Although annoying, untrustworthy, and also very annoying, he was the only one willing to answer her whether it be truthful or not.
Turning to her, he had a proud expression. "Mousey actually likes her! Before she became the March Hare, he had always acted like a big brother to her." He grinned, dodging a saucer to his head with ease.
"I remember watching him, Hattie, and the March Hare playing as kids. They were so cute!" He chirped as he dodged a whole teapot.
Apparently the Dormouse does not like talking about his friendships in the past, noted. "Wait," she suddenly said, pausing the fighting duo. "Hattie? As in the Mad Hatter, the one he gets medicine from?!" She suddenly exclaimed.
Pushing his glasses up while on the floor, held up by the dormouse's grip on his shirt, the rabbit smiled. "Ah, you noticed at last? Even if Hattie's faction isn't with the red queen, it's not his role to kill Mousey, a member of the Joker's faction."
After explaining, it felt like she was more lost. "Doesn't he work for the red queen, according to his task?" She asked, recalling how he needed to follow the order of the red queen to stay sane and healthy.
"He works under his majesty's order, but he does not work for the people of the faction. He is free to save anyone, even with a toll on himself, but if the final judgement from his majesty is no, he may not revive them!" He explained, she understood a bit.
Nodding, she confirmed. "He has free-range so long as the queen says nothing. The Dormouse has the power to restore anyone, even the white queen?" She asked, tilting her head.
"Oh everyone knows he revived her. Four times actually! This cycle's Hattie sure is quick! So quick that his majesty can't give the order to leave her dead quick enough!" He laughed as he got kneed in the throat.
"Stop telling everyone when the queen revives, damnit! It's annoying to have to keep saving her and getting a yelled at notice for doing it." The Dormouse sighed and scratched the back of his head.
So the Dormouse was apart of the Joker faction… who was the that person, though? Weren't the political parties only the Red Queen, White Queen, and no one else? Is the Joker their sibling or…?
"Don't call me a person in the Joker faction, it's beyond annoying to call myself someone who belongs to him." The Dormouse hissed.
She couldn't help but ask, to the Dormouse everyone was annoying, so perhaps his personality was just nice and he thought it bad? "Who is the person you're talking about, mister?"
"Trust me, Alice do not stay alone with him under any circumstance. As the Joker, he is above most roles and is one which rivals your's the Great Magician, Alice." The white rabbit warned, only for the Dormouse to nod along. The only time she'd seen them in agreement.
The room grew gloomy and it nearly felt like she was suffocating as the Dormouse picked up the thrown items, and the white rabbit went back to time-checking.
"Oh she'll be here soon! Too soon!" The white rabbit suddenly said as he begun organizing all of his folders, pulling some out.
Bending down, he whispered in her ear. "Alice, dear. Do me a favor and block the exit if you wanna see something fun with Mousey." He said smiling, one with pure mischief.
Well… it would be fun to see the apathetic mouse-man flustered, she figured there's no harm. Walking towards him, she tried her best to distract.
"I'm sorry about earlier, thank you for saving Cynthia." She started, something she genuinely wanted to say. Even if it were his job and not free will, he did help her save and see Cynthia.
Glaring, he shook his head. He looked annoyed, was her presence really something which angered him? All she's done is thank him!
He tried to move, but she blocked and tugged on his poncho, not forgetting her initial task. "Move it. It's my job as the Dormouse to save." He growled.
Oh how for once she wished time were fast, and not so slow. "Please, wait. My name is…" she tried to say but he cut her off.
"The Great Magician, we know. There were rumours about your arrival these past few days." The Dormouse stated, seems like she was already known.
She wanted to yell at him, but held it in. "Actually, I am Alice. It's my name, you never told me your's." She tried to respond calmly.
Looking to the side, she couldn't see the conflict within his eyes. "The Dormouse is my name, title, and role." He said.
"Well everyone has a name, including mister rabbit. He said he was called mister Cecil." She said thinking he evaded her question because he disliked her.
Pulling the poncho out of her hands, he begun to storm off. "The Dormouse is my name, and it always will be till the next." He yelled as she grabbed him from behind.
She wasn't strong by any means, but she really did want to know why he refused to answer her and avoided her so openly
"Let go. Heed my warning once more, the mad call the mad, or will turn everyone mad, you too will perish, I'm unsure what part of the country you came from to be so insolent, but as the next chosen role holder, fulfill it and succumb." He turned and aggressively left.
She didn't understand. Was that a warning or a threat? The mad makes others mad… is he trying to tell her to just shut up and go mad and fulfill her role she doesn't even want?
Why was everyone so obsessed with roles!? If everyone has a medicine for their illness, and were under orders, couldn't they just pass with the bare minimum and not act so carefree about the pain around them!
Unfortunately, as soon as he reached the door he bumped into a woman. A tall woman in weird attire once more, and floppy rabbit ears.
The Mad March Maiden Hare in the flash, a woman that Alice was not expecting. Based off depictions or the actual novel, she expected something else, but knowing this was the kingdom of Carneline, she shouldn't of been surprised.