WELCOME TO WONDERLAND.

[ASHLEYSPRINGS]

December 19th

Ashley was in terrible shape when he returned to his home in London. He was amazed he could walk at the moment. His now faded blue eyesguided him to his room, his body needing rest. Sadly it seemed wonderland wanted him to carry back some sort of illness to his home so rest was little for him as he spent the night and the day being unable to keep any sort of food down. He had to have had a fever and shadows under his eyes as he still fought to live.

When feeling slightly better he set some water to boil, think a sleeping tea could help him recover some. Shaky legs moved through the spacious home, completely avoiding the room his wife died in. The memory brought pain to his chest, as if twisting his heart and trying to rip it out as well. Oh how he wished the master would have just ended him and not just made him suffer all this pain.

[Sid Carlo]

Day had finally arrived. Throwing on clothes Sid had prepared to rush off to Ashley's before realizing that he had to work. Time dragged on as worry gnawed at his mind. Again and again Sid reminded himself it was just a dream. It couldn't be true. Logic said that dreams couldn't effect reality and that he was just imagining things. The look of fear and pain were etched too deeply in his mind though.

At last work was over. In a rush Sid hit the store, picking up some small things for Ashley. He didn't want to look like he was completely crazy. He had to at least look like he was expecting tea, and just tea. He grabbed some spice tea, as well as some grapes and biscuits. Not really paying attention medicine made it's way into his basket as well. An herbal compact to soothe fever. Tablets of tylenol. Even a thermometer made it's home there. Absentmindedly he paid for the items and rushed over.

Stopping at the foot of Ashley's house Sid took a deep breath. He couldn't appear rushed and panicked. That wouldn't help things at all. Calm and collected he came up the stairs, the bag of groceries in home. Nervously he rang the doorbell and looked around. He'd never been over to someone's house before. How was he supposed to behave?

[ASHLEYSPRINGS]

Ashley was nearly unaware that the door had rung as he tried to doze off in a chair. Slowly he rose to his feet. He was a mess, his clothes from yetsterday day still on and rather capsized as if he had been in a fight. His feet partially dragged as he reached the door. Was he expecting guests today? Slowly he opened the door a crack and looked out to see Sid. His eyes widened before he started to cough. Slowly he opened the door allthe way, his face showing how drained he was.

"hello Sid. Seems I forgot our*cough* plan to have tea. As you see I'm *cough,hack, wheeze) a bit under the weather."

He just wanted to be left alone but at the same time needed something dubstantal to help support him as he healed. At the moment he was holding himself upright by using the door and the doorframe, the rest of him wanting to collapse. He needed to just get it over with and pass on already. He had no hopeful Gale there anymore, why fake it?

[Sid Carlo]

Nervous as a cat Sid practically jumped out of his skin as the door opened. He gasped as he saw Ashley standing, there, sick and barely able to stand. A little freaked out by this his shyness still held Sid back. "H-hello. Yes, I came for tea. I-I brought some other things as well." Sid blushed, hoping Ashley wouldn't ask why he'd brought things for a sick person. He couldn't explain it was because of a dream.

When Ashley sagged down Sid reached in, half grabbing half supporting the man. Desperately uncomfortable he looked around for somewhere to put him. Spotting a couch Sid partly dragged Ashley in and deposited him there. He took a seat opposite, and fidgeted. An awkward silence hang in the air until he remembered that the door was still open. Jumping up Sid rushed over and closed it. "S-sorry, forgot about that." He returned to his seat, hoping for some clue about what he should do next.

[ASHLEYSPRINGS]

Ashley was mildly dazed as he was helped into the parlor, not aware that was where he was being placed until he felt the dust fly up off of the sofa. His mind forced his body to remove himself from the sofa and stand against a wall just outside. He looked at how nervous Sid was and his broken smile appeared for a moment before that pain shot his heart again.

"I'm sorry you had to see what you saw last night Sid. And I'm sorry I lied as well."

His head was hung low, his body moving to drag itself to a door where his library was on the other side.

"come...and bring whatever you brought with you. This is where I can*hack wheeze* explain your dreams..."

He was pushing himself until he reached the large comfy chair in the library. There were shelves to the ceiling filled with books, the atmosphere alone relaxing Ashley some. He needed this punishment to stop alreay. He had people to help, innocent lives to restore....

[Sid Carlo]

Utterly confused Sid stared at Ashley. "What I saw last night?" He hadn't seen anything last night. Unless you counted that awful nightmare. But Ashley couldn't possibly know about that.

He startled as the weakened man pushed himself off the couch. Grabbing the bag of groceries tightly Sid followed Ashley into the library. It was a beautiful collection. A sliver of envy shot through him at the sight. Sid didn't have anything as grand as all this. He simply had a couple dusty books and piles of scribbled notes. Ashley's books were much better. He stared around, only startling back to reality as he heard Ashley cough.

"Um, I brought you some things. They might help." Desperately Sid scrambled for an explanation of why he had medicine. "Um, my dad's getting over a cold, so I bought some stuff for him. You can use it though." That just sounded cold, offering Ashley second hand stuff. He'd lied as well. Sid blushed red as a tomato, trying not to react.

His head whipped up as Ashley apologized for lying. When had that happened? Ashley had been trying to help him with his novel and dreams problem, that was all. Yet Ashley said he could explain Sid's dreams. "You can?" He stared in shock. What would Ashley know about his dreams?

[ASHLEYSPRINGS]

Even in his tired state he was able to make some sort of mock expression by quirking his brow. The man was far more nervous than he should have been. The illness that plagued his body was not contagious, just a punishment from the "collector of souls" as Ashley now called him.

"Now I know*cough* you are lying on your father being ill...Your dream had me fall ill in it an-*cough-wheeze*d you awoke worried..."

He rose to his feet and stumbled about to the kitchen to try his best to prepare himself tea. Returning carefully with a simple pushing cart with tea things on it, he slumped back into his chair and shakily took in a breath. Why did he need to be self reliant all the time? Oh right, he was alone....

"I had lied about the book being the source of*cough* dreams. You aren't just asleep, you are traveling to a wh-*wheeze* orld where innocence and creativity thrive...It was all real, including my sickness getting stronger*cough, hack* when you tried to heal me."

His eyes looked heavy but the ache in his very being prevented him from dozing off. Shakily he took a plain cup of tea and took a small sip, the hot liquid a welcome.

[Sid Carlo]

He'd been caught. If it had been possible Sid would have turned even more red. Instead he just stared down at the carpet, hoping that Ashley wouldn't ask why. Instead, Ashley started talking about his dream, about how he'd dreamed that Ashley was sick. How had he known that? Sid opened his mouth to ask as Ashley pushed himself to his feet. He half rose as Ashley left, worried for the sick man. Muttering to himself Sid forced himself to sit back down. He didn't need to make a bigger fool of himself.

Sid's face regained it's normal color in the time it took for Ashley to get the tea and bring it back. He stared, embarrassed that Ashley had done that. He shouldn't force his sick friend to take care of him. "You didn't need to do that." That sounded rude, as if he was scolding Ashley. Desperately he tried to backtrack. "I mean, I brought some tea things." Reaching into the bag Sid brought out his simple collection of tea things. A pouch of flavored tea that was supposed to sooth and relax, and a small tray of cookies. It wasn't anything like what Ashley had brought. Shakily he placed the cookies on the cart, hoping Ashley would accept them.

Ashley spoke then. He said Sid wasn't just dreaming. Instead of the sensible explanation Sid had expected to face, Ashley told him that his dreams were real. That Sid was traveling to a world in his dreams where innocence and creativity thrived. Sid would have laughed it off, but Ashley even knew the part about Sid trying to heal him, and making it worse. "...How?" How did he know about the dream? How was such a world possible?

[ASHLEYSPRINGS]

Ashley gave a slight wave of his hand followed by a weak nod at accepting the biscuits placed on the cart.

"No need to worry. I*cough* have been so alone, doing things on my own is na*wheeze, hack* tural."

A touch of amusment filled him followed by a sharp pain to his chest, this making him tense and make a slight grunt in his pain. He took another sip of his tea as he explained more.

"Did I know your dream? I was there in the flesh. You met Miss along t-*couch* the way before I arrived. Your weapon is a pen and should be highly *chokes, coughs* regarded by you...."

He suddenly went into a coughing fit, a hankercheif pressed over his mouth. Once it subsided he pulled it away, the cloth splattered with a mix of blood and one or two flecks of black. He didn't seem to be doing any better now than he had when he first obtained his illness...

"I best explain my being this way. My wife was*cough* killed and our home destroyed. I couldn't live with it. It's so*cough, hack* painful I can't even go into the parlor where she took her last breath...I didn't want to hurt, so*cough cough cough wheeze* I sold my soul to rid the pain and have my Gale back..."

His head moved slightly to look at the picture frame now face down on the table. Looking at the picture was still to painful.

[Sid Carlo]

His poor friend. Ashley was so sick because of this darkness inside him. It seemed his dream was indeed real. Ashley even spoke the same way, referring to the as Miss. Quietly he absorbed the information. There was no way to deny what was being said. Too much proof had been given to him, as desperately as he wanted to explain it away.

"Please. Tell me about this place. What is it called? I know I've asked before, but I never have been able to hear the answer."

[ASHLEYSPRINGS]

Ashley's eyes were starting to grow dull in color. The sleeping tea was finally starting to set in. He placed the cup carefully back onto the cart, his body seeming to gain some of its usual pale color back from the near transparent look from before.

"It is called wonderland. the woman you*cough* met is someone who can save it. The corruption flowing through me*hack hack wheeze* is trying to kill her and wonderland. It must be stopped. I'll do my best to help but*cough cough* I still have to serve master."

His eyes were growing closer to closing but before he could he spoke in a loud whisper.

"Go talk with the diamond ballerina..."

he then fully dozed off, face almost peaceful as he was finally able to rest.

[Sid Carlo]

Wonderland. Sid finally knew the name of the world he wandered, and was glad. It made sense, giving such a whimsical name to such a whimsical place. After all, he returned there as a child, sweet and innocent like he'd never been growing up. Well, not that he'd had a particularly bad life. It just had been very lonely. Having made his first friend in a very long time Sid didn't want to lose Ashley now.

Apparently there was a corruption attacking the land. As Galiad maybe Sid could help do something about it. Ashley was chained down though, unable to help the way he wished. Ashley drifted off, leaving Sid to wonder what he should do. Ashley had said to go see the dancer, but was it really alright to just leave like this? After a moment of fidgeting Sid decided it was alright and left Ashley as it was. It would be too awkward to do anything else. Silently he slipped outside.