From: stolethetarts	Date: 08/07/2007 23:25:52

Knave's walk today took him toward the edge of Ozland, nearer the border of the Sleeping Woods. He'd had little opportunity to go exploring anyplace outside Ozland, and this still was not an opportunity to do so. He paused where he was, against a tree, and leaned back, arms crossed over his chest, gazing out at the people and creatures hustling back and forth. It was an odd mix, to be certain, odder even than had been in Wonderland alone, for there were such strange beings already living here when the Queen moved in. Knave shook his head. He was certain the Queen would soon make Ozland into a Wonderland replica, and that wasn't sitting well with him.

	From: frightfulsmile	Date: 08/07/2007 23:26:42

Taking only a cat nap, The Cheshire Cat noticed when a tall rather muscular man leaned against the tree he was sleeping in. The Cat lazily opened his eyes a bit more and noticed and old acquaintance of his from Wonderland: The Knave of Hearts!

"Hello Knave." The Cheshire Cat smiling his eery smile.

	From: stolethetarts	Date: 08/07/2007 23:27:23

Knave knew that voice. He stood up and craned his neck upward, looking up into the tree from whence it had come. Oh hells, he knew that smile too. "You," he responded sourly, clearly not at all pleased to see the Cheshire Cat. "And what are you doing here?"

	From: frightfulsmile	Date: 08/10/2007 15:52:47

With a broad smile he replied "is that anyway to greet a fellow countryman?"

With that he stood up and stretched, his back legs and hind quarters extending high while his front paws stayed close to the branch. After his back was suitably more malleable he lightly jumped out of the tree, presumably to nowhere and vanished.

A moment later (after having adjusted his mass to that of a feather) a tail appeared around the left side of Knave's neck, while only a smile and two yellow eyes appeared in the vicinity of Knave's right shoulder. There did not appear to be a body connecting the eyes and smile to the tail.

"The question should be how come one of the Queen's own is looking so disconcerted after such an expeditious takeover? Takeover is such a strong word though...how bout appropriation? Annexation? Perhaps our Knave of Hearts isn't all in?"

	From: stolethetarts	Date: 08/10/2007 16:34:35

Ugh. Knave hated when that damn cat pulled his no-body smiling act. It made so many people uncomfortable, which was why Knave was certain the furball did it. Knave narrowed his eyes. "I'm disconcerted because you're here," he responded sourly. And added, "I wasn't before you showed up. I'm doing my job. Patrolling. It's not exactly a cause for bodiless smiles, unlike some people."

Knave chose not to point out that the cat had in fact pinpointed something. Knave wasn't all in. In fact, he felt very little in the way of support for the Queen of Hearts, but he wasn't going to let that be well-known.

	From: frightfulsmile	Date: 08/17/2007 10:44:30

"What a hurtful thing to say. Here I was just trying to lend a sympathetic ear, well when its visible. I get the feeling you don't seem to like me very much, especially when I am like this. I suppose for your benefit I'll let you in on a little secret."

The cat fully visible now leapt from Knave's shoulders. Twisting, almost flipping in the air the cat began to change: paws became hands and feet, his tail disappeared and a moment later having landed on two feet a short distance from Knave stood a human man dressed in a black double breasted suit with a black tie complimented by silver stripes.

"Perhaps this is a bit more acceptable. Now I do know something is wrong. Having been the cause of so much "fun", I can tell when something isn't as it seems. Shall we have a seat and talk? I promise I'll stay visible." Smiled The Cat.

"Oh in this from please call me Napier. Call it my alter ego if you will."

	From: stolethetarts	Date: 08/17/2007 16:45:23

Knave eyed him warily. "How in the hell long have you been able to do that?" He'd known the Cheshire Cat for some time and never once had he seen him shape shift into human form. His human form was still disturbing looking, that stretched smile too large for his face.

Knave shook his head. "Listen, Napier," Knave began, "there is nothing wrong - nothing wrong here that wasn't already wrong in Wonderland. I'm on duty, and it's been a long and not the best of days." He was looking forward to it being over in fact. Hmm. He needed something sweet. He wondered if there was a sweet shop he could trust not to shrink or grow him about.

	From: frightfulsmile	Date: 08/17/2007 16:46:43

"This is something I've been able to do for quite some time actually. I had to learn how to adapt to an ever changing Wonderland. I decided not to use this ability in our world since it would look far too strange for a random person to be wandering around. Look at all the fuss Alice caused."

Oh the hand I had in that. She was such fun he thought. I relished every moment that naive little girl almost met her demise. She would always narrowly escape. What fun!

"Now that we are in a new world, I feel a new attitude and appearance would be in order. After such a long nap however I am famished. I wonder what there is to eat around here. A glass of milk across these lips, would definitely not be amiss. You see I think about Alice and I break into cryptic rhymes. Are you sure you can't get off some time? A little dinner exploration is called for wouldn't you say?"

"All work and no play..."

	From: stolethetarts	Date: 08/17/2007 16:51:00

"Interesting ability," Knave replied, still eying him. And he had to agree. When that little blond girl had come to Wonderland, she'd thrown the entire place into an uproar. It was a wonder things managed to settle back down, as it were. And then Wonderland started fading and they came out to Ozland anyway... Knave wondered if Alice's visit to Wonderland had anything to do with it starting to fade away.

"I get off work, Napier, when I get off work. Which, unfortunately for you, isn't now." Fortunately for Knave though. He had little intention of spending his free time in the Cheshire Cat's company. "But if you're so keen on a it of milk you'd be far more likely to find it in town than on the outskirts."

	From: frightfulsmile	Date: 08/22/2007 12:34:16

"Well if that is your feeling on the matter then perhaps I'll see if I can't find the Hatter. Not really I just thought that moment deserved a rhyme."

Within a moment the tall well dressed man standing in front of Knave was replaced by a big bushy grey and white cat. Extending his front left paw up slightly seeming to check the air for something, he started to climb the air as if slinking up stairs. When he was eye level with Knave he smiled that indomitable smile and before slowly fading from view said "Perhaps there is some other amusement to be had elsewhere. You are less than fun lately."

From a decent distance away The Cheshire Cat's disembodied voice could be heard saying more to himself than to anyone else "I think I'll say hello to Queenie."

	From: stolethetarts	Date: 08/22/2007 13:01:43

Knave couldn't help but roll his eyes. "You do that, Cat. Keep an eye on your own head though. She's in a mood, as usual," he called after him. He shuddered just a little, after the cat had finally gone. He had to admit that damn cat always left him unsettled. Well. Enough of that. He needed to get back to work.