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For now, I resigned myself to watching from the sidelines, focusing on the smoke from my magic cigarette as it twisted into intricate patterns.
"First," the Mad Hatter announced, "we must teach you how to manipulate your surroundings. Observe!" With a wave of his hand, he conjured a small teapot that floated gracefully in mid-air. Alice stared at it, wide-eyed, as if she'd just witnessed the impossible.
"Now, you try," Chess prompted, his voice low and encouraging. "Focus on something simple and imagine it coming to life."
Alice took a deep breath, her brow furrowed in concentration. Slowly, hesitantly, she raised her hand, her fingers trembling ever so slightly. And then, before our very eyes, the sugar bowl on the table began to float upwards, its contents swirling around like a miniature tornado. She gasped, a mixture of shock and delight written across her face.
"Amazing!" the Mad Hatter exclaimed, clapping his hands together. "You're a natural, my dear."
"See, Alice?" Chess said with a smirk. "I knew you had it in you."
"Beginner's luck," I muttered under my breath, though I couldn't help but be impressed by her progress. I steeled myself as I watched Alice trying to keep up with the peculiarities of it all.
Emboldened by her success, she continued to practice, her powers growing stronger and more refined with each passing moment. She conjured teacups that danced in mid-air, their fragile porcelain bodies twirling gracefully like ballerinas.
A procession of cakes materialized out of thin air, each more delectable and decadent than the last. Even the table itself seemed to come alive, its wooden surface undulating like waves on a stormy sea.
As the other guests marveled at her creations, laughing and cheering as they drank tea and devoured cake, I found myself begrudgingly captivated by Alice's newfound abilities. She was not only surviving in this twisted Wonderland—she wasthriving, embracing her newly discovered powers with a sense of wonder and determination.
"Watch closely, Alice," the Mad Hatter instructed as he waved his arms about in a flourish. An intricate puzzle of gears and cogs appeared before our eyes, interlocking and spinning in a mesmerizing dance.
"Go on, give it a try," Chess encouraged, giving Alice a playful nudge.
"Alright," she said, squaring her shoulders and narrowing her eyes in concentration. With a flick of her delicate wrist, Alice manipulated the gears, making them spin faster and more fluidly than before. The air around her seemed to crackle with energy, and I couldn't help but feel the hair on the back of my neck lift up in anticipation of whatever might come next.
"Very impressive," I admitted grudgingly, my tone dripping with sarcasm. "You've learned the most basic control of magic. Congratulations."
"Thank you, Callister," she replied sweetly, though her eyes flashed with mischief. “Let’s see what else I can come up with.”
With that declaration, Alice began to unleash a torrent of imaginative creations that left the tea party guests gasping in awe. Wine glasses filled with thick red liquid sprouted from twisted vines, each glass accompanied by the intoxicating scent of roses. Gossamer-winged butterflies fluttered through the air, their wings adorned with intricate patterns of gold and silver.
"Enough with the pretty shit, Alice," I sneered, masking my growing admiration for her abilities. "What can you do that's actually useful?"
"Useful?" she echoed, raising an eyebrow. “What’s wrong, Callister? Don’t you think pretty things can be useful?"
"Beauty doesn't get you far in Wonderland," I replied, my voice low.
"Fine," Alice snapped, her eyes narrowing with determination. She took a deep breath, and as she exhaled, she summoned a menagerie of grotesque creatures, their twisted forms a stark contrast to the delicate beauty of her previous creations.
"Is this more to your liking, Callister?" she asked, a wicked grin playing at the corners of her lips. "Or do you need something more... explicit?"
I couldn't help but grin at her audacity. This pampered party girl from Los Angeles had some bite to her after all. I took a drag from my hookah, the raspberry smoke swirling around me as I exhaled.
"Alright, Alice," I conceded, nodding towards her monstrous creations. "You've got my attention. Show me what else you can do."
"Only if you promise not to be such an insufferable prick," she retorted, her eyes narrowing into slits.
“I’ll try,” I grumbled, rolling my eyes. "But only because I'm curious about the extent of your abilities.”
"Deal," she replied with a prim smile, and with that truce in place, we continued to watch as Alice pushed the boundaries of her powers, bending the magic of Wonderland to her whims in ways I'd never seen before.
And as much as it pained me to admit it, I found myself becoming increasingly intrigued by this infuriating, intoxicating woman who had stumbled into our twisted realm.
“Hey, Callister," Alice taunted, her voice dripping with sarcasm. "How about a friendly little duel to see just how far my powers have come? Or are you afraid of having your ass kicked by a girl?"
“Oh, you can fuck right off," I growled, although I couldn't help the wicked gleam that filled my eyes at the thought of battling this infuriating woman.
"Come on, Callister," she continued, her grin growing wider as she saw the interest flicker in my eyes. "Afraid I'll make you look bad?”
