Joseph Gambit

After carefully reviewing the list of candidates who were nominated or volunteered by members of the community, the administrators of TrueLore have decided to appoint Ayastigi Waya as a Moderator for the Chat Section of the site.

Her new responsibilities include maintaining a pleasant and amicable chat experience on the site, while upholding the rules of TrueLore as listed here: http://www.truelore.com/page/rules-1

In order to do this she has been given the power to ban, block, or kick members from the site. She is also authorized to delete comments directly from the chat room, at her discretion.

Of course the Administrative staff will continue to monitor the situation, and will be working with Ayastigi in order to make the transition as smooth as possible. At the same time if any members of the community disagree with any actions she takes in this role, they should bring the matter to my direct attention so that I can resolve the issue.

Finally congratulations to you Ayastigi, this was not a decision made lightly, and I believe that you will be an admirable and effective member of the team.

TrueLore.com is currently seeking responsible individuals who would be able to take over the position of chat room moderator for the site. Those chosen will be given the power to ban members from the chat room for a set period of time. They will not be given the power to permanently ban a member however, and those who are banned will be able to appeal to me directly. This is a moderator position, to help regulate the content that is posted in the chat room for this site. 

This is being posted in order to ascertain both who would be willing to take this position, and who others think should have the role. As such this is part election, and part nomination. 

Using the comments below, post if you are willing to become a chat room moderator. At the same time, post if there is anyone else you think should be given this position of authority. In this way we will be able to ascertain the people who are most respected in the community, and will be able to choose moderators from among that group. 

Thank you for your participation and we hope this has good results. 

Official rules for the TrueLore community have been posted at: http://www.truelore.com/page/rules-1

Violation of those rules will result in warnings, and or temporary or immediate banning. The Administrators of TrueLore reserve the right to pass judgement and invoke those options at any time, with or without warning.

If you see a member who is violating any of these rules you may report them at: http://www.truelore.com/main/index/report 

 

 

 

Dear members

It has come to my attention that there are two completely separate groups that have developed on TrueLore, those interested in role-play and interactive fiction, and those that wish to discuss real supernatural events.

As such I have decided to split TrueLore into two separate websites. From here on out, the website http://www.RolePages.com will be the home for anyone interested in role-playing, writing fiction, creating interactive story lines, and experimenting with the nature of multi-player art.

Meanwhile TrueLore.com will now become a place to discuss exactly what the name implies, the real, true lore that exists in the world. This can include metaphysics, psychics, aliens, reiki, runology, gemology, and the existence of mythic creatures.

The new website, http://www.RolePages.com will not have any limitations. Sign up as any character that you can possibly imagine. Write any story that takes your fancy. Vampires, werewolves, demons, dragons, elves, unicorns, feel free to go in whatever direction you like. You also shouldn’t be afraid to jump in on the stories of others, and get involved helping them to create and further their own ideas.

PLEASE NOTE: The same user name and password that you use to sign in to TrueLore will allow you to sign in to http://www.RolePages.com however you will have to re-create your profile. Feel free to simply copy and paste from True Lore over to the new site.

If you have any questions or concerns I can be reached using the contact information below. Thank you all for your understanding and participation.

Joseph Gambit
JosephGambit@gmail.com
https://twitter.com/RolePages

Scorpio Damascus: Your not doing enough… You have to see the signs… The darkness is coming…

Joseph Gambit: I lean casually against the wall, my eyes twinkling with mirth. One hand is tucked inside the pocket of my dark coat, my fingers fiddling with a small round orb. My eyes never leave the darkness of your own, my gaze is unwavering, my will is unbreakable.

“Scorpio, I see only the light. It blinds even the darkness of our enemies, I will never take the path you council”

Scorpio Damascus: -v- The light and warmth within the room seams to fade replaced by a hollow bleakness that stretches on for eternity. A cold chill permeates all… even as the world seems to collapse in on the dark figure standing before you -v-

I will not lose because of your weakness Gambit…

-v- The robed creature seems to grow in size even as space itself shrinks to an infinitesimal size. -v-

You may stand aside… or you may be eliminated… the choice is yours…

-v- There is a roar and flames engulf the evil being. The fire licks at your face the heat melts the paint from the walls. Then he is gone… and you are left standing in a space of infinite despair -v-

Joseph Gambit: A somber glow rests gently upon me, banishing the darkness, returning the world to its previous state. Slowly time and space reaffirm their tune, and the world begins to gradually remember its own theme of hope, life, and love.

I whisper, knowing my words will only fall on ears made deaf through hate “I know that the slayers are coming Scorpio… We should be united!”

Then I turn and leave the tiny empty room. Plans need to be made. My enemies are mounting. It is time to find some friends

The following represents a form of interactive storytelling, in which two people, A L L E Y and myself, were able to develop and write the plot of a relatively sophisticated tale, by telling it in tandem. We took turns recounting the next step in the story on each others profiles, writing in dialogue and action, and even recounting the actions of others, and incorporating third personalities into the process.

The intricacy of this tale has also been multiplied through the use of pictures, groups, and blog posts, which have carried the story throughout the site.

I welcome you now to enjoy the second major installment in Alice’s Revenge on Wonderland. I further welcome you to join the story yourselves by participating in groups, posting journals, and creating forum threads about these stories, as well as your own. The more you participate the more exciting it can be.

Alice’s Revenge on Wonderland – Part 2 – Allison

A L L E Y:
Dark Greetings, My name is Allison, I come from the dark depths of a realm only very few have any proper

knowledge about. I prey thee all is well, Dark Being?

Joseph Gambit:
Reaching out gently, I take your chin in my hands, and look directly into your eyes. There is a brief flash, and

my pupils widen momentarily, then I drop back, and return to scribble something in a large tome. “I have heard

whispers of you Allison, you are a fascinating individual. I welcome you to this dark land.”

A L L E Y:
I glance at the stranger, greeting me. His cool hands cupping my face as he stares into the emerald pools that

are my eyes. There is a curiosity, one that has begun to thrill me. I see him step away and it feels as though I am

being judged upon, but alas I keep my words to myself until I find the time to speak.

“Dark greetings to you, good sir. Thank you, I find the darkness such an enthralling place to spend my time these

days. These whispers, what have they been telling you?”

Joseph Gambit:
“The whispers tell a story of a dark soul, no stranger to the tortures of the night, but at the core…

goodness, though there is much in blood and lust to pass through before you reach this core.”

I scratch a few more words into the tome, and then close it.

“So tell me Allison, what is it you are searching for?”

A L L E Y:
“Do forgive me, but I am unsure of what it is, exactly, that I’m searching for. But I am hopeful that soon I

shall find what it is that I’ve been searching for.”

My emerald eyes flicker to the marble stone before me, the words echoing across my mind as I then listen closely

as they begin speaking in a kind of indescribable language. I breathe out, my chest constricting as the air leaves

what flesh is left of my lungs.

Joseph Gambit:
I step forward quickly, a curious tilt to my brow. Taking your hands in mine I cup them, then slowly breathe, my

warm breathe falling lightly on the pale skin of your palms. Dropping them I look briefly into your eyes, and then

return to my tome, opening it once more and writing furiously into it.

“Fascinating, it seams there is still something of the human left in you. I believe that you could actually fall

in love, if the conditions were right.”

A L L E Y:
She froze, her body stiffening as he took her hands in his. She wasnt yet accustomed to people touching her yet.

Too many years it had actually been since she had last laid a finger on anyone. Both man and animal alike.

“You think, perhaps, that I am searching for love then?”

Her brows furrowed, unsure of what he meant. Being human, oh how she’d forgotten the means of being and feeling

the way any mortal did. A sigh escape her, leaving her partially breathless once again. Her eyes narrowed on the

elegant scripture being scratched madly into the stone.

Joseph Gambit:
He continues writing, his eyes absorbed in the book even as he speaks.

“No, no you are not searching for love. And if you were you would not find it. I mean only that the potential is

there. That is quite rare in those who have made the transformation to the next stage”

He looks up for just a moment, looking straight into her eyes.

“Sorry for touching you like that. There are certain physical responses which I am trained to interpret. I will

be more delicate with you in the future.”

A L L E Y:
“So then, the potential to fall in love may be somewhere along the track but it would be better if I am to just

wait instead of searching for what it is that I am, indeed, looking for? Is that what your saying?”

Her eyes remain fixated on both the strange, yet admirably knowledgable young man. The corner of her mouth

upturn in a curious half smile. She may have yet been accustomed to the strange ways of this world, but she was

slowly, surely becoming accustomed to this young man. Her eyes close as she listen, the whispers simple voices in

the wind that dance around her. Her smile widen, somehow the words were calming her. Filling her with a sense of

realisation.

Joseph Gambit:
“Nobody ever finds love by looking for it. Besides, love is rarely an answer, it is much more often a question”

I suddenly slam the bog book shut and look up at you with intense eyes.

“I would very much like to observe your hunt one eve”

A L L E Y:
“Excuse me? My… hunt?”

She was a little skeptical at first, unsure of what he meant by the term ‘hunt’. She’d never really hunted alone

before and having someone along to watch might have made her just that tad bit queasy.

“Uhh, sure. I suppose you could come.”

She flash him a small smile, her eyes darkening in the ever growing night. The cool air settle around her,

raising goosebumps to her but still she felt nothing. Not even the slightest hint of a shiver.

Joseph Gambit:
“Perhaps I am being too forward. My scholarly curiosity often overwhelms my manners. How about we simply talk

for a while. Then later when your hunger peaks, we can see how comfortable you feel.”

I flash a quick smile, and then point in the direction of a small couch.

“would you care to sit? I would love to hear more about your life.”

A L L E Y:
“Oh no, your forwardness is quite alright. I do admire your honesty about everything, as for talking. I would

love too. But I dont think its my life you wish to be hearing about, the suffering I had dealt with all those years

whilst being locked away it that… prison they call Rutledge Asylum was the peak of my life. It drove me mad and

perhaps that is why I’m here now.”

She spoke quickly, hoping to keep her life away from the spotlight. She watch him smile and couldnt help but

feel her dead heart beat for the first time in centuries. Her long, obsidian black hair fell over her emerald eyes,

the gentle ringlets bobbing loosely around her overly pale face. So pale that, to any normal human, she almost look

sick.

Joseph Gambit:
“The Rutledge Asylum is an abomination!” My eyes flash, my fists clench, and my voice takes on a dangerous tone

that is at odds with the normally gentle timbre of my voice.

“I would tear that place down brick by brick if it weren’t for… well, you know how well connected they are.”

Suddenly the heat is gone, and he turns his gentle gaze back upon her eyes. “I saw the pain there, in your

heart, I could read it there but I did not, I do not see insanity. In fact, you have a clarity of spirit that is

quite rare.”

A L L E Y:
Allison recoils, not from the fear of the pent up anger he now holds so carefully in his tone, but by means of

keeping a safe distance if he were to lash out. She was not looking forward to being one of the first he were to

attack.

“You know of the Asylum? But how, many tend to steer clear of that disasterous place. It brings nothing but

insanity to some and death to others.”

She spoke clearly, her soft voice raised slightly in a tone that sounded almost orchestral. Somewhat like a

cathedral tower’s bells. Others would call it ‘angelic’, but knew different if they were to see the insanity behind

it all.

Joseph Gambit:
“I hear it now, that little maelstrom of madness, I can even see it, just beyond your eyes. I am so blind

sometimes.” he comes forward until he is standing just a few inches from her face, staring into her eyes. “You truly

are a fascinating person.”

Then he retreats, putting a polite distance between them. “I have never attended the Asylum, but I know many who

have been confined there, and I have come up against those that run it in my business dealings several times over

the years. That place is an abomination that should never have been built. How were you ever able to escape?”

A L L E Y:
“That place, I was sent there when my parents died in a horrific house fire. The treated me well, and Alice

also, but when Alice began saying a strange cat kept popping in and out of her room during the night, the Wardens

locked her up in one of the solitary cells. Months it had been since I’d seen or heard anything of her, that was

until a few days ago. The same cat revealed itself to me and told me Alice had broken out and was waiting for me on

the outter skirts until the time was right when she too would break me out…

That, however, didnt happen and I was left to serve out my sentence until finally an older relative of ours came

and collected me. Now I’m here, searching for her.”

Joseph Gambit:
“you have to be very careful Allison. If your friend did break out of there then the Asylum wont let her go

easily, they will be looking for her.”

Rising, he goes to a bookshelf and starts scanning the various tomes that line the wall.

“You should also be careful of this cat. There are a lot of demonic creatures that assume the form of a feline,

and many of these have insidious intentions. You don’t know that this cat is on your side.”

His eyes alight on a particular tome, and he pulls the book out of the shelf, and begins thumbing through it.

“Here, the Odrik Fera is particularly nasty. He appears in the form of a purple floating cat, and his intention

is always to cause harm to those that he appears to.”

Reaching out he hands her the book, which contains a hand drawn image of a purple floating feline.

A L L E Y:
“She’s not my friend,”

Allison spoke barely audibly. Her eyes on the hard ground beneath her feet.

“…she’s my sister. The Asylum has already sent men out to look for her and, from what I’ve heard, she’s slain

all of them with a single kitchen blade.”

She took the book from him, the precarious drawing of the purple cat had a slight resemblence to the one who’d

visited her, but it was not the exact cat. The cat she’d seen har reddish-pink stripes covering its body, sort of

the ones you’d see on a tiger. Its ears had pieces of flesh missing, like battle scars or human taggings.

“This isnt the one,”

She reply, pausing for another moment. Her eyes meeting with his as she handed back the old and dusty,

leather-bound book.

Joseph Gambit:
“I still say you should be careful of that cat. You don’t know what his intentions are.” He takes the book,

tossing it carelessly on a coffee table.

“I am glad to hear that your sister can take care of herself. What about you, do you have the strength to stand

up to the Asylum keepers? Because even if you find Alice, they will never stop chasing you.”

A L L E Y:
“They have no need to come after me, they do not know Alice is related to me and also, the wardens released me

into the care of a late relative. And what about me? I believe I’ve done well enough for myself since that old,

barking great aunt of mine finally passed away. The old haggard.”

Allison stood, her green eyes staring intently into his. She couldnt help herself, he was just so rivetingly

handsome. At least to her anyways. As she stood, she brush away the dust and debris from her black and deep purple

corsage. The ties of her blood red bodice corset hanging undone over her prominent and rather perky breasts, the

domes of her cleavage looking as though it were ready to spill over the tight, moulded fabric.

“And what about you, I’ve not yet heard anything of you. Or isnt there anything to tell?”

Joseph Gambit:
He stares back, his eyes matching hers for intensity. Slowly, almost imperceptibly, the brown of his irises

shifts, taking on greenish hints and tones until finally they almost mirror the colors in her own. Then at her

words, the connection is broken, and he turns away.

“There is too much to tell, I am a keeper of secrets. Sort of a collector….if you will, of knowledge.”

He turns back to her, his eyes dead serious.

“Forbidden knowledge.”

He breathes deeply, his chest muscles heaving beneath the folds of his midnight coat.

“And that is why I have such an interest in you. I believe that not only are you a very special woman, but that

you also may be one of the most important individuals in the world.”

He smiles wryly, averting his eyes for a moment, distracted by a fleeting thought. Then the focus returns.

“Of course I could be wrong.”

A L L E Y:
“I dont understand, how could I -of all people- be one of the most important in this world?”

She watch his eyes shift, the green oozing and slowly swallowing away the brown. Thoughts fill her head,

thoughts she should never had allowed in in the first place. Her eyes glazed over, the slowlrising and falling of

her chest stopping momentarily before picking up at its unusually fast pace. ‘Like the thundering of wild horses

hooves,’ one could say. She had no need to breathe, she she simply kept the rising and falling movement of her chest

as a facade for mortals.

“I dont see why I am of such importance if Im not even acknowledged by my own family.”

She raises her brows, listening carefully to his words. Murmuring inaudably every now and then to herself, her

focus on him receeds but only for a spilt second as the shadown of something most unexplainable passes by her.

Again, she’d frozen. Her eyes turning a dark, murky green that was unreadable. The kind of green you’d find

covering the surface of a swampland or some other dark, dank and dirty place that only fools dare tread.

Joseph Gambit:
“I told you, I have heard whispers of you…”

He watches her intensely, his eyes taking in every detail, the way she held her head, the way she forced her

breathing, even though she had no need.

“I get reports constantly, from a variety of sources, and your name has been popping up more and more in these

reports as of late. Your name… and that of your sister, although I will admit I didn’t know about the familial

connection until you told me.”

He crosses back to the coffee table, and lifts a small decanter of blood red wine. Pouring it into a small

glass, he hands it to her.

“Im sure this will be to your liking.”

Picking up a second decanter, this one filled with amber liquid, he pours a second glass for himself.

“What you have to understand is that Rutledge is just one small application, of a much larger and more powerful

organization. The Asylum is like one prison cell in a towering fortress. And I am afraid that you have been caught

up in a conflict that could decide the fate of millions.”

He smiles as he clinks his glass against hers.

“But don’t worry. I have decided to help you.”

A L L E Y:
“I shall have to be more careful not to have my name in any more reports then. As for my sister, she needs to

learn that not everything is believable. Then again, she and I can both see the same strange cat so I dont see what

the difference between her and myself.”

Her lips pulled back over her teeth, revealing two very white and two very sharp fangs. Like a porcelain doll on

its stand, she sat so silent and immobile that, if anyone dare approach, they’d certainly think she was one. Her

pale, porcelain skin shone with a luminescent glow as it reflect the moons soft beams as they spill through the

open-curtained window behind her.

She notices the glass, the red liquid sloshes but never spills as he hands it to her. She lift the cup to her

nose, taking in the most glorious of smells. Blood. Thick, rich and still wartm as she held it in her hands.

“Are you sure you know what your doing? One sip of this and I may become uncontrollable.”

She raised an eyebrow, still listening to the inkling words that spill from his mouth. She had to say, he

definately knew alot more about the Asylum than most people, that included her and she was one of their most valued

patients.

The classes clinked together, snapping her out of her trance-like state a smile then upturn the corners of her

scarlet lips.

Joseph Gambit:
“I’m not worried about you.”
He smiles, his eyes warm, comforting. Then suddenly they change, hard and intense they bear down on her.

“I want you to think of me as a friend”
His voice is serious, as he takes the glass from her hand, and places it on the table with his own.

“As a friend, you should want me to know as much about you as possible. Those reports I have been getting about

you have allowed me to… maneuver things in your favor once or twice, even if you were unaware of my actions at the

time.”

He takes her hands in his own, and as he looks at her, his face softens.
“I want you to trust me.”

A L L E Y:
“I do trust you… to a certain extent. These reports may have helped me in the past, but what about now? We’re

not doing anything and my sister is still out there somewhere. If the Asylum gets a hold of her, I dont know what

I’d do.”

Allison took a deep breath and swallow, the forming lump in her throat making it rather hard to breath. His

hands, however, felt warm. Perhaps too warm, but she didnt mind. Her finger, by this time, had gone numb and were

shaking lightly around the tea cup as she brought it to her lips and took one long, slow sip of the crimson

contents.

Joseph Gambit:
Smiling sympathetically he raised one his large hands to her shoulder, leaving the other cupping her much

smaller and more delicate digits. Then suddenly, he removed his hands from her body completely and stood.

“You are absolutely right. We have to find your sister, immediately. I wouldn’t mind a chat with this demon cat

of hers either. ”

He returns to his bookshelf and pulls out a large atlas. Returning to the couch he slams it down on the cocktail

table.

“Alright, do you have any clues as to where she might be hiding? Anything you can tell me will help. Once I have

enough data I will be able to bring it to my…people, and they can probably point us in the right direction.”

A L L E Y:
“Hiding? Dear fellow, my sister would never run nor would she ever hide. She’s much to proud and much too revenge

filled to bother with such stupidity. I believe she’s on her way back to Wonderland. It seems this Cat of hers has

invited her back. Something to do with the Red Queen having taken the thrown.”

Allison shook her long, obsidian black bangs fell loosely across her porcelain face as she stare down at herself in

the crimson reflection of the tea cup. Her eyes darken to a deep purple colour, that same familiar sickening feeling

returning to the pit of her stomach.

Joseph Gambit:
“ahhh Wonderland. I hadn’t quite counted on that.”

He purses his lips, looking thoughtful for a moment.

“Alright, there is only one way into Wonderland. We will have to find the rabbit hole. I have a couple of

divining devices. We can leave within the hour. Will you require anything for the journey?”

A L L E Y:
“There’s nothing we need, for I already know the way. My sister showed it to me once before she fell in. After

that, I swore never to go back. Alice hadnt returned for days before that one day when she showed up on the back

porch looking all dirty, as you are when falling through a rabbit’s hole.”

Her eyes lit up, if only for a brief second before dulling down quite a bit. Her pointer finger went to her

chin, tapping lightly on the creamy pale skin. Her mind went off, her thoughts going with her as she suddenly then

saw herself back in Wonderland. Only this time. Wonderland had changed, dramatically. Wonderland had… grown up.

Joseph Gambit:
He looked at her for a moment, realizing something…startling. Then he shook his head, waving the forbidden

thought away.

“Alright then, lets get going. Lead on m’lady.”

A L L E Y:
Allison’s eyes met his for a brief moment before she spoke, her tone kept low for cautionary reasons. Perhaps

something was wrong? Maybe he wasnt going to help her now that he knew she was Alice’s sister.

“Is something the matter? I would dearly like for you to tell me if you have anything.”

Joseph Gambit:
Joseph’s eyes soften, the pigment melting into a gentle green. He smiles, a small nervous smile, then he coughs,

shaking the rare case of nerves from his system.
“Nothing is wrong, I just never noticed your eyes before… its… they just remind me of someone I once knew.

Its not important.”

He crosses to his desk, where he pulls out three small velvet bags, which he tucks into a pocket inside of his

coat. He also removes an aged parchment, which he folds carefully and places in another pocket.

“That’s all I can think of. The rest is madness. I am ready to go whenever you are my dear.”

A L L E Y:
“I… remind you of someone?”

Her green eyes swept once across the room, making sure she had everything she needed in her long, lightly

billowing cloak. Her fingers feeling over the smooth of the small crystals given to her earlier that day. She shook

her head, trying to sweep the hair from her eyes without having to use her hands. That was always one of the main

bothers for her, trying to keep her hair tied back enough without it being either too tight or too loose in which it

was usually somwhere in between and fell out anyways.

“Was she someone close to you?”

Joseph Gambit:
I pull my coat around me defensively, as I look away from you. In my mind a thousand images flash, each one

burning me with an exquisite pain of the memory. I close my eyes for just a moment, and when I open them, the pupils

have turned an ashen gray.

I speak quietly, my voice cold and emotionless. “Nobody ever gets that close to me.”

I turn back now, and stare straight into those soft green eyes of yours, and for a moment its as if I am

drowning, as if I am being pulled down into the depths of the ocean by a great weight. But the moment passes, and

the great stone facade grows back over my heart, allowing me to regain my composure.

“You have to understand, I am the keeper of many secrets. Some of them I keep for myself… and some… I keep

for others.” I look at you pointedly.

“It is a delicate position to be in. You never know if a secret should be told until it has already been told,

and then, its too late.”

I shake my head dismissing the entire thread of thought.

“Enough of this! I decided I would help you before I even met you, and so I shall. Lets get started. You lead

the way.”

A L L E Y:
“It seems like your trying to hide something rather than keep secrets.”

Her eyes narrowed momentarily, the soft green now becoming sharp and almost crystal clear. Her hands move down

her body, starting from her head. Her hands flow simply over the now fiery red curtain of ringlets shadowing her

green eyes. Her once slightly pale complexion becoming more pasty and sickly looking against the fiery red of her

hair. Her shoulders were bare, her dress having changed whilst he was busy scuffling through his desk draws for

whatever it was he was searching for.

“Why wont you let people in? Having someone close to you doesnt mean your going to reveal the secrets you hold

within. It just means you have someone there whose able to support you and look after you the way you are doing with

me.”

Joseph Gambit:
I put my head in my hands, rubbing eyes exhausted from too many nights spent worrying over reports. “Listen

Allison, if I do try to hide things, it is only to protect those I care about.”

I rise now, noticing for the first time your new dress, the way it hangs loosely from your almost translucently

pale shoulders. I walk to you, putting my gentle hand on that shoulder, feeling the icy cold skin beneath my

fingers. I look deeply into your eyes, trying my best to convey the sincerity of my words. “When the time comes, I

will tell you everything. I promise”

A L L E Y:
Her hands came up to cup either side of his face. Her skin was smooth, cold and marble hard. Her lips painted a

red scarlet, not from cosmetic products but from her human life. The same with her eyes, the remain the same

electric emerald green as they once were when she was human. For a brief moment, they close. His body at such a

close proximity to her own left her feeling breathless. “but why?” she thought silently to herself. “if there was no

reason for me to breathe in the first place then why is it I feel so light headed?” her thoughts seemed to ponder,

giving her a pretty face a rather far away expression.

“When the time comes, heh. What if the time never comes? Then what?”

Joseph Gambit:
I turn my head into your hands, allowing myself that momentary weakness, indulging in the cool rapture of your

hands. But then, as I always must, I turn away.

“If the time never comes, then you will never know.”

The words are harsh, but they are spoken in the most gentle, compassionate tone possible.

“The problem here is not secrets. It is a lack of trust. ”

I fiddle with a silver chain that lays loosely against my wrist.

“No before we go, we must have trust, and there is only one way for that to happen.”

I take off my jack, laying it over the side of my desk, and then I unbutton the collar of my shirt, revealing

the strong masculine line of my neck.

“You are going to have to taste me”

A L L E Y:
“As it is, it shall be done.”

She whisper, allowing her hands to fall back to her sides, her eyes leaving his when he turn away from her. The

feeling strange to someone other than her ‘victim’ turn away from her. She was beautiful, yes. Any man would want

her, yes. Everyone except him. “how is that possible?” she thought to herself. She listen carefully to him, nodding

only once when the mention of trust was spoken.

“Trust is important, yes. But why do I need to bite you?”

She could hear ever precise beat of his heart, the echoing like thunder against her sensitive ears. Her eyes

darken, only momentarily when she thought she was going to lean forward and sink her fangs into his soft, creamy

skin but instead she simply turn away.

“I prefer… the vegetarian kind of blood drinking,”

Joseph Gambit:
“This time things are different”

My fists clench, as my body catches up with my mind, and I feel a wave of revulsion rush over me at the thought

of such an act. But then I control myself once more, with the quiet mantra that keeps me sane.

“Its not about need or want, it is about trust. I need you to know that you can trust me because, one day it

might mean both of our lives.”

I turn to face you now, my eyes straining to convey the seriousness of my words

A L L E Y:
“As you wish.”

She step forward slowly, one hand coming to rest on his cheek whilst the other smooth over the skin of both his

neck and shoulder. A shudder ripple through her, the intoxicating scent of being this close to someone fill her

flared nostrils until she was satisfied she found the perfect place to puncture. Her head moved in, her lips kissing

over his collar bones until the came to rest in the hollow just below his throat. She wasnt ready, she hadnt bitten

a human in centuries and her nerves were really getting the better of her when the hand on his shoulder began

lightly shaking. Not wanting to waste anymore time, she quickly found the place she’d been searching for and once

having lick across the small area of exposed skin, her fangs elongated and puncture directly through the surface.

Two punctures where all that could be seen, apart from the small rivulets of blood that had now pooled and stained

her lips. The hot, crimson liquid flow swiftly into her mouth, leaving her with a most satisfied smile on her face

as she drank in slow gulps.

Joseph Gambit:

So familiar

The puncture pinches, and then is replaced by the most spectacular pleasure. We are intimate almost

instantaneously. The steady rush of thoughts feelings and emotions that normally accompanies the taking of a victim

is reciprocated, in that I too can feel all of your life flowing through me, even as you devour the essence of my

physical body.

We stand there for an eternity, centuries pass as you feed on the steady flow of my life, until you are unsure

how I could have so much blood within such a limited capsule. Slowly a glow begins to pervade my body, growing

stronger, and more powerful the more you feed. Soon the blood becomes almost, too rich, too potent. You feel a heat

coming off of my skin, like the glaring scorch of the sun itself. The feeding becomes too painful, too pleasurable

to bear

A L L E Y:
Sha can bear it no longer, both from the intensity from his overly warm illuminated skin and the pleasure of

which his blood was now creating. Her eyes close tightly as she then tore herself from him, her breathing heavy as

thoughts of devouring his flesh as well came to mind. But she didnt not want anymore from him, that first taste of

mortality had sent her senses into a frezy and made it hard to keep herself under control. But somehow, she’d done

it and, after wiping the dribbles of blood staining the corners of her mouth and lips away, she turn her back to

him.

“You will have to forgive me, I will need a minute to compose myself.”

If that was what eternity felt like, then she was lost to it. Her mind now a swirling mess of images and

thoughts, all of which were pain-filled and… his. She shook her head, not wanting to see those images any longer

but because she’d drunk the essences of which filled that meaty sack of his, the memories would linger.

Joseph Gambit:
My skin is pale and drawn, my eyes are sunken. But almost immediately the color begins to return to me. A flush

hits my cheeks, and soon I am able to stand fully upright again. Even as that blinding painful glow dissipates from

my skin, I look at you, deep and penetrating, my eyes showing a brilliant luster that you have never seen before.

” Now I think that you understand things a little better. More importantly, now I think you know that you can

trust me”

A L L E Y:
She turn back to face him, her brows furrowed into each other to create small creases upon her perfectly smooth

forehead.

“An understanding? Thats an understatement.”

She spoke simply, her tongue lapping at the still drying blood smeared across the back of her pale,

skeletal-like hand. Her green eyes werent as vibrant as they usually were, perhaps that was one of the side affects

of drinking a mortals blood? She wasnt quite sure but the pains in her stomach were a definate sign that the mortals

blood was alot richer than any animals.

Joseph Gambit:
I frown as I notice your discomfort. Pulling a napkin from my jacket I gently wipe the blood from the corners of

your mouth. “I do have to apologize, I do not exactly have a ‘normal’ humans blood.”

I stare transfixed into your eyes. “But this was necessary. The time will come when, well, you will understand,

this really was the only way.”

I finish wiping your mouth, then tuck the small handkerchief back away into my pocket. “Don’t worry, it may feel

a bit strange, having all of that, all of me, inside of you but…”

I turn away, a slight flush hitting my cheeks “Well, I have the same feeling of you, inside of me now too.”

A L L E Y:
She stood most perfectly still until he’d finished wiping away the excess blood, when she was finally able to

use her tongue to clean her fangs and tained lips. Her dulled eyes seemed to stare at him, just… stare at him.

Nothing more.

“How is anyone supposed to do anything when it feels as though their being burnt from the inside out? This isnt

strange… this is torture, if I’d have know it was going to hurt this much then I would have simply have said ‘no’

to begin with.”

Her brows furrowed deeper, the creases becomming more noticably spread across her pretty face. Shed noticed his

cheeks flush but thought nothing of it until he simply stated that she was not within him the way he was within her.

“What is that supposed to me?”

Joseph Gambit:
As I recover from the dark embrace I breathe deep, the complexities of your mind and soul settling into my own,

becoming part of me. The essence of you wraps itself around my core like a comforting blanket. Although I never

tasted of your body, I now know the intimate details of your heart, and yet for some reason, I still long to know

more.

Noticing your pain I rush to you, grabbing you, leading you gently to the couch, placing my warm arms around

your cold little frame to comfort you from the pain. “It really hurts? I had no idea. I knew I was strong but I

didn’t know, it has been a while since anyone fed off of me. I can be quite intense. Perhaps you need to rest before

we proceed?”

A L L E Y:
“I’m fine, lets just go. I dont wish to remain here any longer.”

She spoke harshly but that look in her eyes, the soft swirling of tonal greens was soft. Allison had heard the

whispers, but spoke nothing of them or of how they wished to know more about her. For now, she wasnt going to say

anything more for fear she would, once again, be left to fend for herself and that frightened her.

“Uhm, do you mind telling me where exactly we are so that I might be able to find the Rabbits Hole much easier?”

She stop when she spoke, the harshness of her words having dissipated once they were back in the fresh air of

the outdoors. The wind swept across her face, making her sigh at its warmth due to her skin having already been icy

cold to begin with. Her hair dance around her face, whipping at her marble skin gently.

Joseph Gambit:

Suddenly all of the emotions, all of the weak willed moments of the last half hour come crashing in on me, and I

feel like a fool. Finally truly regaining my composure, I recoil from you, even if only slightly, and stand.

“Well you will be happy to know that we are still in the northern hemisphere. That should make it easier” I scribble

a few geographical coordinates on a stray piece of paper, which I hand to you.

“I am ready to leave whenever you are.”My stance is distant, my words are emotionless, yet on the inside I am happy

to finally be free of the emotional stress. My feelings, my hesitation, my emotions towards you are all put on the

back burner, replaced by a powerful stoic silence. I am like a cold concrete statue on the inside, ready to to do

whatever it takes, whatever I have to, to keep you safe.

Narrator:

There is no flash of light. The world does not shift. They are siimply there. The world doesnt change, only we do.

In that change, everything becomes different, strange, wonderful. Within a breathe, a blink of an eye, the world has

changed again, and they are in that place known as Wonderland

You don’t get anything for nothing. Even in magic, you will only get out of a spell, the amount you put into it. This includes both energy and thought.

Energy is the power that makes something happen. This may come from an outside force, harnessing a demon or some other spirit, but you still have to use some kind of energy to control them.

Thought refers to the knowledge or wisdom to do things in an easier way. It is being able to see past a situation, in such a way that you can determine a route around all of the obstacles that you might encounter. In this way, you can take a shortcut. However you have to be aware that a shortcut, will always have consequences.

This is true of everything in life. The laws of cause and effect, ignition, action, and circumstance, are universal, whether your talking about the engine of a 67 Chevy, or the details of Transfiguration Hex Symbology.

So my question is, whats the point? Why bother with magic? Technology works just as well. So does transcendentalism. Why not just follow the beaten path of other humans.

But the answer is simple. It is because that is who we are. We were not born engineers, or doctors, or aesthetic monks, we were born to be wizards, workers of the unseen arts. It is simply who we are.

Every path to enlightenment adds unique color to the tapestry of life.