the 89th
the 89th
baekhyun-centric
pg-13; humor/crossover/adventure(?)
"I don't understand."
"It's all very simple, my dear. You find the White Rabbit, and you shoot this lovely bullet here right through his puny little chest."
Baekhyun stared down at the pistol in his hand; it was made of a white metallic material and had a meticulous design etched into the handle. He didn't really understand why he was here, why this mysterious figure in front of him handed him the gun, and how casually he took it into his hands as the latter talked matters of murder. He also didn't understand why he was cloaked in women's clothing. Although, the lacing on his apron wasn't all too bad...
"Got it, Alice?"
Baekhyun's head shot up at the sound of the name. Though he had never been called that name his entire life, he attached a strong familiarity to it. Alice, he whispered to himself. The word was melodic, the way it rolled off his tongue. He could see from the corner of his eye, the figure's lips curling into an unsettling grin.
"Yes, Alice. That is your name."
"Alice." Baekhyun repeated.
"But, in Wonderland, your name isn't just given to you," the figure reminded Baekhyun, "It is earned. Remember, kill the White Rabbit and 'Alice' is all yours."
Baekhyun nodded reluctantly. His voice quavered a little, "But I still don't understand--why am I here? Why am I in Wonderland? Shouldn't I be in South Korea right now?"
He didn't notice it until now, but the man had not broken his smile yet. His lips were still stretched wide, from ear to ear.
"That doesn't matter right now, Alice. What does matter," He stepped closer to Baekhyun until they were only a finger's width apart. "is that you fulfill your role. Become Alice--that is your only objective."
"I don't--"
And before Baekhyun could finish his sentence, the stranger pushed him back into the hole Baekhyun never noticed was sitting behind him. And he could feel himself falling, and falling, and falling some more. He watched the man's smile disappear as he fell into the endless ditch. Falling, and falling, and then...
Baekhyun awoke to the sound of coffee being brewed. He found himself sprawled all over a worn leather couch inside a small, cozy apartment. A rather homely apartment at that, Baekhyun noted. And he wasn't far from the truth. Clothes were strewn about on the floor and furniture, the kitchen counters were slathered in grease and crumbs, and there were crumpled snack wrappers everywhere. Baekhyun eyed a pile of trash in particular that was starting to blanket the piano he hardly noticed was there. What kind of animal was living here? He noticed that he still had his shoes on (and the dress as well), and quickly sat up to undo them.
"Oh, don't even bother with that," A gentle and (slightly) womanly voice rang from the bathroom. Out from the washing quarters emerged a man with the essence of a unicorn. He had a lean frame and radiant ivory skin. Even his posture was elegant. He gave Baekhyun a friendly smile, revealing the single dimple on his right cheek. "It's best if you keep your shoes on, considering the condition of this place."
Baekhyun nodded obediently, withdrawing his hands from his feet. The man smiled again and beckoned him to come over.
"Would you like a snack?" He held out several bagged foods and treats out to Baekhyun, who politely declined. "How about some coffee?"
"Uh, sure. I guess."
There were no words exchanged as the man poured him a cup of Joe and prepared breakfast (which was really just snacks aligned nicely on a silver tray). The man ate in silence, which peeved Baekhyun a little. If it was your house and you had a guest over, shouldn't you be the one initiating conversation? But Baekhyun kept quiet and only tapped the handle of the ceramic mug with his fingers, stopping to take a sip once in awhile.
"So..." He began when the silence was too overwhelming. He tried to pick his words carefully, phrasing it to sound polite but not child-like. "Are you...?"
The man looked up to him and smiled.
"The White Rabbit?"
Several seconds passed by before light laughter erupted from the man's throat; he slammed the table once, twice, before resuming to his 'meal.'
"No! No, not at all," He dusted off some crumbs on his pants before continuing, "I am the Mad Hatter, but you can call me Yixing."
"Oh," Baekhyun crossed his arms and scooted closer to the table. He cleared his throat before replying, "Well, I'm..."
His voice got caught. Alice? Was that it? Was that his name? No, it couldn't be. It was something else, but he couldn't quite put his finger on it. As nice as Alice sounded, he knew himself that it was not the name given to him at birth. Damn, what was it? His face tightened and his nose scrunched up as he tried to recall who he was. Talk about identity crisis.
"--Alice, I know."
Baekhyun winced at the name. He still hadn't gotten used to it. He decided to focus his attention to the dark beverage in his hands.
"Well, Alice," Baekhyun didn't miss the emphasis on Alice. "If we want to make it to the Queen's palace without having our heads lopped off, I suggest we get going. It's almost six o' clock after all, we wouldn't want to miss tea time."
Queen's palace? Six o' clock? Tea time? Standing up from his seat, Baekhyun walked over to the couch to take a look out the window. The sun was well over the blue sky now, and the streets seemed to be quite busy as well. It was nowhere near six in the evening though; if Baekhyun had to guess, it was probably somewhere near high noon.
"It's not six..." Baekhyun said with an accusing tone.
Yixing pulled up one of his sleeves to reveal the diamond-crusted Rolex sitting on his small wrist. In contrary to Baekhyun (and actuality), the time read 5:37 pm. Yixing shrugged.
"You need to fix your watch."
The other man disregarded his words and donned on a fedora. He made his way to the door and looked back to Baekhyun, beckoning him to follow. Baekhyun sighed and trailed after. Off to the Queen's palace it is.
Baekhyun watched from behind as Yixing's slim figure strode across the streets so slyly and gracefully. He envied it, honestly. Baekhyun's short stature resulted in him executing quick, choppy steps which could easily be mistaken for a cocaine addict's skip. Really, his coordination was terrible. He tried jogging and walking at the same time to keep up with Yixing. It only resulted in embarrassment and a face plant to the cement. Yixing glanced back and smiled at him, "Having trouble catching up?"
"No." Baekhyun replied in a condescending tone. Except not really, because he could never be mean to the Mad Hatter. That man was too nice and gentle for his own good. Which reminded Baekhyun...
"So, Ee-shin--"
"It's Yixing."
"Oh. Uh, so, Ee-shing--"
"Yixing."
"Yee-sheeng--"
"Yixing."
"Yee-sheen--"
"Yixing."
"Ee-sheeng--"
"It's Yi--"
"Okay, you know what?" Baekhyun stopped abruptly, his hands on his hips. "Ee-sheeng is too hard. I'm just gonna call you..."
Yixing cocked an eyebrow at the younger male. As Baekhyun stood on the side of the street thinking of a nickname, an empty bag of Lay's tumbled near them and dropped by Baekhyun's feet.
"Lay!" Baekhyun knelt down, snatched the garbage and waved it in front of the Hatter's face. "From now on, you are Lay because... because this bag of chips says so! And plus you like eating snacks a lot, so..."
Yixing's--now declared 'Lay' by Baekhyun--face seemed unfazed, his eyes concentrated on Baekhyun. He just remained standing on the same spot, in the same position.
"So..."
There was still no response from the other boy; he was still staring at Baekhyun with that stupid expression on his face. And for a good thirty seconds or so, Baekhyun was thoroughly convinced that he had managed to somehow stop time. He crumpled the bag in his hand into a small aluminum ball and tossed it into a nearby wastebasket. He coughed and cleared his throat in an attempt to break the awkward silence.
"So, um.. yeah."
Lay finally nodded his head and resumed his walking. Baekhyun followed suit. Lay was sure a strange boy. A little slow, too, Baekhyun thought to himself.
"Uh, Lay, I was wondering," He quickened his pace to a small jog to catch up. "Where'd you find me? And why'd you take me into your apartment?"
Lay didn't speak for a moment, and when he did his words were chosen very carefully. "Someone told me... Alice had come back. And then I got really excited and they told me she got lost in the woods. I got there and I found you asleep on the ground. So, I took you in."
Lay's face seemed to ashen, his lips pursed and his eyelids had a heaviness to them. His voice audibly lowered at the words, Alice had come back. Baekhyun made sure to keep his voice as equally gentle. "But why?"
"Alice, the Mad Hatter's job is very straightforward," Lay directed Baekhyun to a bus stop; they sat down on the benches there. "He protects Alice from any potential threats, while she goes on doing whatever."
Baekhyun snorted (so much for being gentle), "You're telling me that all my life, you're going to be following me? Protecting me from these 'threats?'"
"Well, only until you succeed in killing the White Rabbit. If you accomplish that, I'll be free of my contract." Lay glanced at his watch before pulling out a Choco Pie from a hidden pocket.
"I guess I should get started on that White Rabbit hunt, huh? It must be a pain to be tied down by a contract.." Lay shrugged, and offered his companion a Choco Pie. Baekhyun accepted it this time, incidentally getting chocolate crumbs all over his clothing. It wasn't until he picked the food off his apron that he realized he was still dressed in women's clothing from head to toe. He turned to Lay and asked with the most serious face, "Do you know a place where I could get some pants?"
His hands shook a little as he set the tray down on the table.
"I brought you brioche and tea, Alice. I added extra honey and milk--just like you usually have it."
He stooped to one knee, taking 'Alice's' hand in both of his. He laid his head in 'Alice's' lap and cried quietly. This moment belonged to him and him only. If only 'Alice' would wake up...
"White Rabbit, you should really stop doing this to yourself~" A deep voice rang throughout the darkness. It continued, "You of all people should know better~"
The White Rabbit stood up and shot a piercing glare toward the voice's direction. He drew out his sword and scowled, "You have no right being here, Cheshire Cat."
"Ah, but Sehun-ah--"
"That is not my name."
The deep-voiced individual stepped into the dim light. Though the only light in the dark room was a burning candle, the man's features seemed to illuminate and stand out. The toothy smile, the wide eyes and baby face. It was all a stark contrast to his masculine voice.
"I've only come to tell you of Alice's arrival..." The Cheshire Cat said, pouting, "The new Alice is an odd one--I hear he came to Wonderland of his freewill."
Sehun pointed his blade to the taller boy, his expression still hateful. He whispered sharply, "This person here is the only Alice in Wonderland. Whoever claims to be Alice is just one of the countless runaways you dragged into this hellhole."
Cheshire Cat chuckled and peered over to the figure in the chair, "You can't hold onto him forever. He'll just waste away someday and a new Alice will take his place."
"You shut your mouth," Sehun held the sword up to his neck.
At this, the other male raised his hands in defeat and backed away.
"I'm just saying--watch out for the new Alice; he's different."
The Cheshire Cat left afterwards, leaving Sehun and his beloved 'Alice' alone in the room. He dropped his weapon to the floor and buried his face into 'Alice's' lap once more. In between his sobs and distress, he murmured a string of words like a secret mantra, "Please wake up. Please wake up..."
A/N: I wrote this in celebration of all the cute BaekLay pics I found in my tracked tags, haha~ I'm surprised no one has written about those two yet. Also, note that the Alice in the last paragraph is not Baekhyun. I think you can guess who it is though. Also, sorry for the fast paced and choppy transitions. I'm still a budding writer. ;0;