[center][img]https://i.imgur.com/244XMJ0.png[/img] [color=Red][h2][b][i]Chapter Three- Making the Most out of Fortuitous Opportunities[/i][/b][/h2][/color] [color=Red]Not one fucking word...[/color] [color=888888]-Kate[/color][/center] After collecting the bounty on the unconscious Tina, it was time for Kate to begin the most unpleasant part of her assignment. Although she’d been somewhat curious as to what the individual who’d posted the bounty planned to do with the curator-turned-cowgirl, when they had produced a pair of pink, fuzzy handcuffs, the photographer figured she was better off [i]not[/i] knowing… Indeed, her impending trip to Wonderland promised to be unnerving enough. While the dimension wasn’t particularly difficult to locate, entering it without being detected was another matter entirely, to say nothing of resisting the bizarre brainwashing effect it had on those who stayed for too long. Fortunately, Kate was nothing if not resourceful, and with the network of connections she had access to, finding solutions for each of these problems was a fairly simple matter. Thus, a special enchanted jewel, crafted by Gem Maiden Margret, at the request of Snow Maiden Sarah, would fully protect her from any forms of mental manipulation Wonderland or its inhabitants might attempt, while a favor from the enigmatic Lesser Force known as The Lady of Doors would allow the plucky photographer easy and unnoticed access to the dimension itself. However, the young woman who emerged from the sentient cottage and into the light of Wonderland’s smiling sun was quite possibly the complete antithesis of the usual Kate Carson. Bedecked in the most outrageously elaborate wedding dress one could imagine, with a train almost as long as her golden, rapunzel-esque hair, which flowed behind her like a silky river, the young woman was a perfect fit for the fairy tale and nursery rhyme inspired world that she had entered. Always mindful of the importance of blending into the background, Kate had realized that, paradoxically, her impractically extravagant transformed self would actually stand out [i]less[/i] in this strange realm than her nondescript mundane appearance, much to her considerable annoyance. [color=Red][i]Holy shit…[/i][/color] the golden-haired maiden thought as she took in the singing villagers and various sentient objects and structures of the small town in which she now found herself. [color=Red][i]And I thought [b]MDP[/b] was bad…[/i][/color] Indeed, Kate wouldn’t have been surprised if the whimsical girl had been the one to [i]create[/i] this childish dimension, and even if she hadn’t, she’d certainly feel right at home within it. [i]Kate[/i] on the other hand… “Buzzy buzzy buzzy bees~!” a swarm of honey bees happily sang as they buzzed by her. “Let’s greet the flowers and the trees~!” they added before finally noticing the newest arrival to their town. “Your hair is golden, like the sun~! Why don’t you dance with everyone~?!” [color=Red]“Oh, uh, I am so terribly sorry,”[/color] Kate hastily apologized, affecting a far more formal and archaic manner of speech than she usually employed. [color=Red]“But I have a very important appointment in the Capital, and I must not be late!”[/color] “Then you need a cabbie, that’s for sure!” a jovial bearded man declared, as his pumpkin carriage pulled up beside her. “Just mind the steps beside the door!” “Hellooo there, lady fair,” the pair of rainbow-maned unicorns hitched to it neighed a greeting. [color=Red]“Greetings,”[/color] Kate replied with a graceful curtsy. [color=Red]“I am Lady Katerella Carsonia of fairest Fae Creek, and I must reach the Capital as soon as possible. Thus, I would be most grateful to make use of thy services.”[/color] “But of course!” the cabbie replied with a hearty chuckle. “Tis’ Royal Portrait Day, after all! Why, painters and photographers are comin’ from all over Wonderland, they is, so we’ll get you an’ that lovely camera o’ yours right to Her Majesty in two tlifs of a tizzle!” [color=Red][i]Royal… Portrait Day…?[/i][/color] Kate couldn’t help but wonder as she climbed aboard the carriage and attempted to pull both the train of her dress and her golden tresses inside with her. [color=Red][i]Well, [b]that’s[/b] certainly convenient…[/i][/color] Moments later, the carriage was off, the residents and structures of the village singing a cheerful song to commemorate its departure. As they went along, Kate saw the events of over a dozen fairy tales play out, all while the smiling sun serenaded her with a cheerful tune. “What a wonderful world we live in,” the golden orb sang as fluffy, fair weather clouds provided a backing chorous. “When we live in the land of make believe~” Soon enough, they had reached the Capital, the carriage coming to a stop in front of the gilded gates of the queen’s grand castle. “Here we are, m’lady!” the cabbie announced. “Right on time, we is!” he added, holding up a golden pocket watch. “Right on time!” [color=Red]“I thank thee kindly,”[/color] Kate told the cabbie with a dazzling smile as he helped her step out of the carriage. [color=Red]“And thee as well,”[/color] she added, giving a curtsy to the pair of unicorns. “Oh goodness me!” A dapper servant exclaimed as he approached, flanked by two club guards. “Might you be here for a portrait session?” [color=Red]“Yes, that is most correct,”[/color] Kate confirmed. [color=Red]“Lady Katerella Carsonia, Royal Photographer,”[/color] she added with a demure nod and yet another elegant curtsy. “Oh, how wonderful!” the servant declared. “Right this way! Right this way!” he added, gesturing for Kate to follow him into the castle. As they proceeded down a maze of corridors, various protective sigils and wards deactivated, allowing their passage deeper into the castle. Before long, they had reached the opulent throne room, where several painters were already hard at work on a series of portraits. At the center of the chamber, the Queen of Hearts herself sat upon her gilded throne, her expression one of regal impassiveness. However, as imposing as the Ruler of Wonderland was, Kate’s attention couldn’t help but be drawn to a small table beside the throne, where, along with various assorted items, a small notebook had been placed. [color=Red][i]Damn, I really hit the jackpot…[/i][/color] The servant gestured for Kate to take up position between two of the painters, before announcing, “The Lady Katerella Carsonia, Royal Photographer, your Majesty.” The queen gave the smallest of nods in acknowledgement, at which point the servant quickly retreated into a far corner. For her part, Kate began preparing her ornate, bejeweled camera for this most important of photo opportunities. Although others might have been petrified at the thought of standing in the queen’s presence, Kate was a professional, and her delicate hands never so much as trembled as she went about attaching a special lens, adjusting the focus, and selecting a configuration on her holographic display’s settings menu that had been prepared for just this specific occasion. Once all was in readiness, she raised the camera’s viewfinder to her eye and took a quick snapshot of Wonderland’s monarch. [color=Red]“I thank thee most humbly for permitting me this great honor, thy Majesty,”[/color] Kate told the Queen with a curtsy as she prepared to depart. Moving to the exit in a calm and stately manner, she was met once more by the servant who had previously escorted her. “Shall you be needing to use the Royal Darkroom, Miss?” he inquired. “Or perhaps an enchanted computer terminal instead?” [color=Red]“I am most grateful for the offer, but, as it happens, Her Majesty’s photograph is ready right now,”[/color] Kate replied, even as she retrieved a printed copy of the photo from where it extended out of the lower portion of her camera. [color=Red]“I do hope that it is to her liking.”[/color] “Oh, I’m sure it will be, Miss!” the servant assured her. “Thank you so very much!” he added, taking the photo when Kate offered it to him. With her objective complete, Kate made her way out of the castle and back to the small village she had arrived in. Employing the two-use-only key the Lady of Doors had given her, she stepped through the door of one of the cottages, only to emerge in the back room of A Taste of Heaven tea shop, in the Overcity. [color=Red]“Phew… Glad [i]that’s[/i] over…”[/color] the photographer sighed in relief as she reverted to her mundane appearance. [color=Red]“Now, let’s see what we’ve got here…”[/color] Opening several additional screens on her camera’s holographic display, she scanned the relevant pieces of new information her photograph of the Queen of Hearts had gleaned. Apparently, the Queen was originally an English woman who lived in the Victorian Era. She had a daughter, named Alice, who died under mysterious circumstances, circumstances that only taking a photograph of the girl herself would reveal. However, one of the interesting features of Kate’s camera was that it could combine info sets. That is to say, if multiple photos were taken of people and/or objects related to a single item of interest, the information they provided would be pooled together. Not only that, but each additional piece to this proverbial puzzle would unlock new insights that would otherwise be unknown, had said piece been kept separate. Thus, by combining the information gained from the photographs of Mariette and her parents with that provided by the Queen’s photo (which also included the monarch’s notebook), Kate was able to delve deep into the past, and find a possible connection between the Portal Witch and the Wonderland Sovereign. While Mariette was not the queen’s daughter, it appeared as though one of the girl’s distant ancestors was named Alice and bore an uncanny resemblance to her current appearance. Much like the queen’s daughter, [i]this[/i] Alice [i]also[/i] died at a young age for reasons unknown. Piecing these disparate facts together, it was clear that this girl and the queen’s daughter were one and the same. Thus, while not the original Alice, Mariette still carried her bloodline, and perhaps, even her reincarnated spirit. Yet, although this was a major discovery, Kate had also found another, considerably more concerning detail. According to the queen’s notebook, every girl named Alice that the Wonderland Sovereign had investigated as potentially being her lost daughter had come to a decidedly unpleasant demise… [color=Red][i]Yikes… I better tell Sarah to let her friends know they need to keep a close watch on [b]their[/b] Alice.[/i][/color] After texting the snow maiden a quick heads up, Kate sent all the info she’d gathered to Nykannis. [color=Red][i]Welp, mission accomplished! Gotta say, that was a LOT easier than I thought it’d be,[/i][/color] Kate reflected as she opened up her interdimensional data feed. [color=Red][i]I think it's time for a little vacation. But where to go…[/i][/color] she mused as she scrolled through the list of various items, before stopping on an event with a particularly over the top header. [color=Red][i]The World Fighting Carnival, huh? It’s been a while since I’ve visited that universe, and the thought of relaxing on a sunny beach sounds awfully appealing…[/i][/color] With a smile, the photographer tapped the item, which opened a small interdimensional gateway. Whistling the first notes of [url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ABloypYsPgo]a cheerful melody[/url], she strolled through the portal, which promptly closed behind her.