[open] Now, let's all agree to never be "creative" again.

[theothermrgray]

Who: A very tired Dorian and YOU
Where: Various bars around Wonderland and the spiffy new lake
When: Immediately after the Mirror catastrophe
Rating: PG13 for trauma and booze?
Summary: Dorian would like to forget that last event please. Thank you.
The Story:

5/20: The immediate aftermath

[The first thing he does after returning to the real side is smash the mirror in his room.]

[God. If that is what the mirror world is like, he really doesn't want to be part of it. Especially after what his Mirror did. Being trapped in the room like that. Thank goodness someone got him out, but still...]

[No, he's not going to relax in his room. He's going to venture out to the closest pub and spend the evening at the bar. Maybe they have absinthe to get his mind off things.]

5/21: Lake!

[The arrival of a beautiful lake is a welcome treat. It doesn't really make up for the chaos from the past week, but he'll visit it anyway.]

[You might stumble upon him and his rabbit near the edge of the lake, just calmly taking in the view. Feel free to say hello. He loves company.]

Comments

5/21

[sweartoyou]

[a rabbit you say

Ray still hasn't bounced back completely from the depression that struck her a couple days ago, so while she wants to want to explore, her way down to the lake is more a mix of sulky trudging and a ghost drifting along. A cute animal is just what she needs.]

Oh... Can I...pet it...? Will it run away?

[You wouldn't deny this sad, tired thirteen-year-old bunny pets, would you?]

[theothermrgray]

[Well, isn't this a beautiful girl. She looks so sad, though...]

Why, of course! Here, let me hold him for you.

[He gently picks up his lop eared rabbit and places it on his lap for her to pet.]

This is Basil.

[sweartoyou]

[She kneels next to the pair with a relieved sigh and reaches out.]

Basil... What a pretty name. Basil leaves can be used to reduce pain from a scorpion sting.

[Fun factoids you just naturally pick up along the way, certainly having nothing to do with considering scorpion-based traps.]

It's a "king of herbs"... Is this Basil a king or a queen?

[theothermrgray]

... So it is. Aren't you a clever girl?

[In all honesty, Dorian named the rabbit after a human being. An old friend who isn't here and probably never will be.]

If you're talking about the rabbit's gender, it's a boy.

[The rabbit is so gentle. So fluffy.]

[sweartoyou]

[She likes it when they're gentle. Likes it even more when they're not fragile and in need of fixing. Ray lightly runs her hand along Basil's back, then back up to his ears.]

King Basil... I'm Rachel Gardner. I'm not naturally clever, like animals are. But I don't suppose that matters by the time you become clever.

[theothermrgray]

[The bunny doesn't reply, because bunnies don't talk.]

[Dorian smiles as she talks to his pet.]

Your name is Rachel, hm? That's a pretty name.

[sweartoyou]

[In her heart, it greets her. He's still got most of her focus, so Dorian really only gets a vague noise of acknowledgement. Her name was her name -- that's all. It was a bit less important than this cute bunny.]

I tried to pet some rabbits in the gardens, but they always ran from me. They were really cute... I'm glad this one is staying.

[theothermrgray]

[Uh... Are you paying attention to him at all?]

... Well, it is a domesticated rabbit. Of course he's tame enough to stay.

[sweartoyou]

[w/e dude you're not a cute animal or trying to kill her]

Domesticated... [Hmn. She wonders if that puppy was domesticated or not.] I guess I didn't think it mattered as much, when they're small.

[Bunnies are always small, so clearly they belong around people to take care of them.]

You're lucky you get a rabbit, sir.

[theothermrgray]

[Rude.]

Well, I did acquire my pet through sheer luck.

[sweartoyou]

[That pulls her focus some -- it couldn't be sheer luck... Situations fall into your lap, but it's how you react that gets the results. There has to be some sort of trick to it she can exploit.]

Really...? How?

[theothermrgray]

[He's happy to explain.]

Well, quite a few months ago, a girl here decided to try pulling rabbits out of the closet. That sort of... Backfired.

Which left her with plenty more rabbits than she knew what to do with. I simply adopted one of them.

[sweartoyou]

[omg]

I...heard that about closets. I tried to get a puppy... It's only given me toys so far.

[Which is good for many reasons, but the most immediate problem would be that whole...not telling her roommate about it, whoops.]

[theothermrgray]

I don't usually take animals out of the closets myself, so you can have fun with experimenting if you like.

[sweartoyou]

I don't know... It hasn't been fun so far. I just want a cute puppy...

[no]

[theothermrgray]

[Dorian has no idea.]

Well, I think you'll manage to find one some day.

[sweartoyou]

...Maybe.

[But for now, she can keep petting the rabbit and fluffing his cheek a little bit with her knuckle. What a good, soft boy!]

...You haven't given your own name yet, sir. [He hadn't denied being called a sir before, so going by the voice worked out for her. He's rather pretty???]

[theothermrgray]

[Congrats! You found the rabbit's sweet spot and now you have his foot thumping against the ground.]

Ah! Where are my manners? [He doesn't correct her, for he is indeed a sir.]

My name is Dorian Gray. It's a pleasure to meet you, Rachel?

[sweartoyou]

[she feels so #blessed]

It is. Uh, but...Dorian Gray...? Really?

[She can't place it juuust yet, but it is pinging her as familiar.]

[theothermrgray]

[... Another one?]

Yes, that is my real name. Try not to overthink it too much, it's only a name.

[Only a name, and nothing more. That's what he wants her to think.]

[sweartoyou]

...I see. Is it alright if I call you Dorian?

[He's aware it's unusual, then... Maybe his parents named him in reference...? Or he's heard this disbelief before? Ray lets her eyelids droop halfway while she thinks, but her attention to Basil doesn't falter. It's important.]

Do you know if things like this happen a lot...? The Lake appearing...

[theothermrgray]

Go ahead, Rachel.

[He's gotten used to the first name basis most people prefer.]

Ah, well... That depends. We don't usually get permanent additions like this, but there are events that alter reality for a few days.

[sweartoyou]

[I still might use it for canon confusion hilarity, don't worry.]

Oh... Can we really be sure this will be permanent, then?

[theothermrgray]

[Oh boy, more Dorian Grays he's not familiar with.]

Well, given that this appeared at the end of the event... Perhaps so.

If it were a more drastic change, I wouldn't be too certain.

[sweartoyou]

More drastic than a lake...? [She thinks about this for a moment.] Like if the gardens became an ocean?