Of Few And The Many [invitation only]

[Piper Wren]

" Then you must not know me well enough... The piano is my only line to sanity..."

Piper could understand about the piano being his line to sanity...back 'Home' it had been hers too. It was so easy to get lost in and forget everything else for a time even when you couldn’t leave the prison you were trapped in, your mind was none the less free to wander. She listened quietly for a moment before responding to Augusta’s quirk with what appeared to be a shy smile on her face, he wasn’t the only one with a quick wit…

“Fair enough but the other times I’ve seen you it’s been more of a priority to stop you bleeding on the floor.”

She continued to watch him play the beautiful piece but realised that getting the technique right with an injured left hand must be incredibly painful…Piper then did something that surprised even her, she crossed behind Augusta and gently moved away his injured left hand from the keys and quickly taking over, she kept perfectly in sync to what Augusta had started. Piper remembered learning this piece so many years ago, although it had been a long time since she had played it, everything had come flooding back as if she was twelve years old again and hearing the laughter of her family in the background. It’s such a shame such things never last,

[Augusta Davingoun]

“Fair enough but the other times I’ve seen you it’s been more of a priority to stop you bleeding on the floor.”

Augy chuckled at that, it was a light chuckle. He was in a fair amount of pain, nothing he couldn't handle. Augusta was known for having a high tolerance of pain, didn't mean he liked it, he was just used to it. " Touché..." he said happily.

What he wasn't expecting was the Piper would glide around behind him and shoo his injured hand away. His uninjured hand almost stopped but once she picked up the melody, he continued with what his hand was playing. He smiled, " Quiet the piano player aren't you?" he mused, " we should audition for the Orchestre de Paris, we'd get in for sure!" he joked.

And in maybe a month, Augy was actually kinda happy, or at least content. He had never had anyone who could play piano even near his level, let alone have a bit of fun with it. And Piper was kind, and despite her denial, she was smart and pretty and a great person.

" So what else does The Amazing Piper do in her free time?"

[Piper Wren]

"Quite the piano player aren't you? We should audition for the Orchestre de Paris, we'd get in for sure!"

Piper actually chuckled at that comment...it was an interesting thought, imagining both of them playing for huge crowds and being miles away from here...but getting out of Wonderland didn't seem like a likely prospect, so many of the humans here had grown up in this world and had never made it back to their own. She perched on the edge of the piano stool and tucked a lock of dark hair behind her ear to keep it away from her face. Playing in Paris...now wouldn't that be something?

" So what else does The Amazing Piper do in her free time?"

Amazing wasn't a word she would use to describe herself and for a moment she was quiet...until she cleared her throat and snapped herself out of it.

"I sing sometimes...this will sound silly but before all this I...I was going to go to New York and start my music career there, even under a different name so I could just vanish and no one would know who I really am or where I came from, a crowd doesn't look at a Pianist and try to analyse their history because to them you're just there to entertain-Sorry! I'm rambling!"

Piper's skin flushed pink at the cheeks which was quite a shocking change of pallor in comparision to her ordinarily ivory skintone, she hadn't meant to go on and sound like a dreamy idiot, she put her cold hands against her now too warm cheeks to try and make the colour go down.

[Augusta Davingoun]

"I sing sometimes...this will sound silly but before all this I...I was going to go to New York and start my music career there, even under a different name so I could just vanish and no one would know who I really am or where I came from, a crowd doesn't look at a Pianist and try to analyse their history because to them you're just there to entertain-Sorry! I'm rambling!"

Augusta looked at Piper while she spoke, was she blushing? A large and cheeky grin appeared on the ebony-haired boys face. A smile looked so nice on Augusta, too bad his regular demeanor was pretty much emotionless. People always wondered what Kristopher saw in Augy, even Augy thought about that himself. But even thought he two are like oil and water, they seem to fit perfectly. They compliment each other, was the nearest guess.

" No! no, it's fine... really... I'm getting to know you..." he said with a chuckle. He got u from the piano and looked around. He tried to think of something he could tell Piper in return, if they were going to be here for two days, they might as well get to know each other. He rubbed his hand gently, a new habit for him when he was thinking.

" Well, I make watches... if that's interesting at all. I'm considered very good at it, but I suppose I don't do something unless I can do it well. I really don't like to fail at things. I don't know why, it just bothers me..." but the real reason was that he was raised to be perfect, so he subconsciously avoided things he knew he would fail at, and strived for things he knew he would succeed at. " I'm a good mechanic..." he added, " anything that runs like a machine around here, had probably had my hands all over it." he said and laughed.

He wasn't called The Handy-Man of Wonderland for nothin!

[Piper Wren]

" No! no, it's fine... really... I'm getting to know you...Well, I make watches... if that's interesting at all. I'm considered very good at it, but I suppose I don't do something unless I can do it well. I really don't like to fail at things. I don't know why, it just bothers me...anything that runs like a machine around here, had probably had my hands all over it.

Augusta was really a guy of many talents...and Piper wondered if they ever made it back to the world they had come from, what things would be like. Somewhere good for Augusta, away from his family.

"Watches? Must be difficult with all the small parts, I'd probably drop everything...you have a lot of talents, if we ever get out of here, promise me you'll use them."

From being a musician to a mechanic...that was quite a jump although Piper could definetly see Augusta doing something like that, he was very precise about nearly everything he did...and it was nice to see him laugh as well, neither of them really did much of that so it was unusual for it to be happening now. Piper smiled back at Augusta and shifted along the piano stool so she could play something of her own, she was so alike Augusta in her manner of playing, appearing as if she simply belonged there but unlike Augusta she sang to hers, her voice high and clear.

I push through the crowd
Without looking back
To leave you behind
Took all I had
And maybe I'm wrong
I might be sorry

But what kind of fool
Would hope for a change
Then write a new word
On a page that stained
and ruined by lie
You shouldn't have told me

I'm the guardian
I am the sole protector
On a heart that's been abused

I won't let love do me in again
I can't just run to the light
Of a fire and jump in
Risk a poison kiss just to have
My thirst unquenched again
Let love do me in...

[Augusta Davingoun]

Augusta was pretty surprised when he heard Piper's voice ring out, it was... amazing. Better then he could ever do. He leaned against the old four-poster bed and smiled, she had a brilliant voice, and could play piano just as well.

He sat there for a good while and listened to her. Then fought with himself over if he should sing or not. Hell, what would happen, it was just him and Piper, and Pier wasn't going to laugh at him for it. At least he hoped not...

Augusta walked behind Piper and put his hand on the keys and played the piano version of ' I Can't Stop Loving You' by Van Halen. He wasn't as great as playing and singing at the same time, but he wasn't horrible either. Actually for a guy like him, he had a pretty decent voice. But the music and his voice seemed a bit more preppy and cheery when he sang, which seemed to be the opposite of his personality.

Theres a time and place for everything, for everyone
We can push with all our might, but nothins gonna come
Oh no, nothins gonna change
And if I asked you not to try
Oh could you let it be
I wanna hold you and say
We cant throw this all away
Tell me you wont go, you wont go
Do you have to hear me say

I cant stop lovin you
And no matter what I say or do
You know my heart is true, oh
I cant stop loving you

You change your friends, your place in life
You can change your mind, we can change the way we say
And do anytime
Oh no, but I think youll find
That when you look inside your heart
Oh baby, Ill be there, yeah

[Piper Wren]

Well well well...Augusta had a voice in him as well, at least they wouldn't get easily bored while being here for two days, Piper hadn't heard the song before and listened with a smile on her face...she looked better when she actually smiled and not just a shy tilt of the lips. She wouldn't laugh at Augusta, she liked his voice even though he gave off the vague impression that he was on the other side of the fence about it, there was a kind of tension which gave that away. Piper waited until he had finished his song and let the last notes floar into silence, she tilted her head back to look at Augusta.

"You have a great voice! But...I take it you don't use it much?"

She could understand why Augusta might not if his issues with being vulnerable were as severe as they appeared to be, Piper patted Augusta's wrist instead of his injured hand and smiled at him. Maybe getting to know a friend better these two days might be fun!

Fun eh?

Jeez, she hadn't used that word in a long long time...at least it felt like a long time.

"Weird question...but, what would you do? If you could get out of Wonderland?"

[Augusta Davingoun]

"You have a great voice! But...I take it you don't use it much?"

Augy looked down at Piper as soon as Piper leaned her head to look at him and he felt the distance between them suddenly shrink and he pulled away quickly. He didn't like being that close to anyone, made him feel like he was cheating or something. " T--thanks, and no I-I don't use it very much... I--I'm not confident in i--it so... yah know..."

He slinked away from her to go stand by the bed again. Someone was flustered. He thought about her next question for awhile before sighing, " I know this sounds stupid but, It's complicated... a long story... a very long story..." he said softly and walked over to the wall, running his uninjured hand across the carved out dirt.

" Unless you really want to hear it..."

[Piper Wren]

Piper immediately leaned forward once again as she and Augusta ended up just a little too close, she was slightly flustered the situation was easily remedied at least as Augusta moved to the four poster bed. The young woman cleared her throat and fiddled with her silver locket which still hung around her neck on it's narrow chain.

" T--thanks, and no I-I don't use it very much... I--I'm not confident in i--it so... yah know..."

It was a shame he didn't have the confidence to use it much...even now Piper wouldn't sing in front of certain people in Wonderland but if she was alone or with someone she trusted she found it easier to let go. Her younger self would have had no self conciousness about her talent and simply used it to the best of her abilities but Piper didn't see that girl in her anymore...and she found that slightly depressing. Must the little girl inside her die to help the woman she was now move on?

"I know this sounds stupid but, It's complicated... a long story... a very long story...Unless you really want to hear it..."


Piper smiled at Augusta and turned away from the piano keys to give him her full attention, folding her hands into her lap, she was interested to hear what Augusta would do if he could get out of here...everyone here must have a similar dream, right?

"We're here for two days...might as well get to know eachother better while we're here...and you listened to my rambling earlier."

A slightly self concious laugh followed that statement...

[Augusta Davingoun]

"We're here for two days...might as well get to know each other better while we're here...and you listened to my rambling earlier."

Not the answer he would have liked, but Piper made a good point. They were going to be here awhile. They might as well talk, pass the time better. Augy sat down on the old bed, at first he thought the thing was going to collapse on him, but it didn't, amazingly. He sighed, rested his broken hand on his knee and shook his hair so it would fall in a way that wasn't in his face.

" I grew up in a wealthy family, okay more of a ridiculously wealthy family. My father runs a bank chain, he was the corporate manager and president of 39 different banks across Europe and Asia... He's a very smart man, good at his job, but he's also strict and doesn't accept anything less then perfect." Augy chuckled at that, " he wouldn't even let me attend the best Private school in Europe because it wasn't good enough. So, I've never been to school, I had a private tutor... So really, my whole life was decided when I was born, I had no choice. It was do or die in my household. And I was my fathers only son, which means I would be able to obtain, (1) His whole company and (2) his entire fortune..."

He paused and ran his healthy hand through his hair, " So really, If I go back now... Then I have to take over my fathers company, either that or get disowned and have my name scratched from his will... and despite how much a detest banking and accounting, I have to do it for my father, he's the only one back home who really loved me."

He chuckled, " but in truth... I'd really love to start a watchmaking business, a little shop on the East Seine next to the Musée d'Orsay... It'd be wonderful..." He said it in such a pleased voice, like it had been a dream since he was little. But really this dream started here in Wonderland, when he started making watches.

[Piper Wren]

" I grew up in a wealthy family, okay more of a ridiculously wealthy family. My father runs a bank chain, he was the corporate manager and president of 39 different banks across Europe and Asia... He's a very smart man, good at his job, but he's also strict and doesn't accept anything less then perfect. he wouldn't even let me attend the best Private school in Europe because it wasn't good enough.
So, I've never been to school, I had a private tutor... So really, my whole life was decided when I was born, I had no choice. It was do or die in my household. And I was my fathers only son, which means I would be able to obtain, (1) His whole company and (2) his entire fortune... So really, If I go back now... Then I have to take over my fathers company, either that or get disowned and have my name scratched from his will... and despite how much a detest banking and accounting, I have to do it for my father, he's the only one back home who really loved me.

But in truth... I'd really love to start a watchmaking business, a little shop on the East Seine next to the Musée d'Orsay... It'd be wonderful..."

Piper listened carefully to everything that Augusta told her...it sounded like a lot of pressure but it was nice to see him talk about his Father, he hadn't really gone into detail about him before...he sounded like a good guy, strict but underneath a decent man. She crossed one leg beneath the other and leaned on one knee while she thought of a response.

"I can understand why you would want to make your Dad proud...he sounds like a good guy even if he was strict, he wanted the best for you even if it was a lot of pressure...but you look so much happier when you really answered my question, what your dream is, not what you think is your obligation...Don't laugh at me for this, it's just something that Dad told me when I was about twelve, 'Shoot for the Moon, even if you miss you'll still land among the stars.'"

Piper chuckled slightly awkwardly and a slight tinge of pink coloured her cheeks again.

"Corny I know but kinda true...if we get out of here there's nothing to stop you making your dream something real. Hell, one of us could write a book about this place and make a fortune! The thought of making a life that's mine for a change keeps me smiling."

[Augusta Davingoun]

"I can understand why you would want to make your Dad proud...he sounds like a good guy even if he was strict, he wanted the best for you even if it was a lot of pressure...but you look so much happier when you really answered my question, what your dream is, not what you think is your obligation...Don't laugh at me for this, it's just something that Dad told me when I was about twelve, 'Shoot for the Moon, even if you miss you'll still land among the stars.'"

Augy smiled, he wouldn't of laughed at her, she didn't laugh at him for his horrid voice. It was only polite to give what you get in return. He sighed, she was right he was happier when he talked about his dreams, but in reality, dreams didn't always come true. And he was scared of that fact only, not only would his father be disappointed and mad, but he didn't even know if he could do it, let alone keep that business running.

"Corny I know but kinda true...if we get out of here there's nothing to stop you making your dream something real. Hell, one of us could write a book about this place and make a fortune! The thought of making a life that's mine for a change keeps me smiling."

He looked up to see her face go pink and he looked away, Piper had it so much better then him. She had a family once, she had moments of happiness, things Augusta would never have with his own twisted family. Piper could go out and do something she loved, she could become a brilliant singer, But Augusta would be stuck in a rut, one too deep to climb out of. But, maybe one he could be pulled out of.

But something hit him then, like a light bulb above his head just turned on. He stood up slowly and sat down on the dirt. He took his finger and started drawing things in the dirt, and when looked at close enough, they were equations, both mathematical and scientific. He was forming something in his head, the memories of killing that boogie before had planted a seed for something greater... and Augusta just now figured it out.

[Piper Wren]

She had expected Augusta to laugh at her but it was a relief to see him just smile instead...although there was something behind that smile that made Piper wonder if there was more going on behind that smile that she was yet to know about...

'I can't help if you won't tell me...'


When Augusta began drawing in the dirt, Piper wasn't sure what he was doing. She got up from the piano stool and wandered over to where Augusta was working, when she crouched down and examined the markings...they looked like equations, not that she had the slightest clue what they meant. But from the expression on the frenchman's face it seemed like Augusta had just had a sudden epiphany.

"What's all this?"

Something profound must be going through Augusta's mind...wait, it couldn't be about that Boogie earlier? They could die just like a human could...Did that mean there really was a way out of this Madhouse? That having lives of their own weren't quite so out of reach?

[Augusta Davingoun]

Augusta was absolutley crowded with ideas now, things he wanted to know, thing he allready knew, and things he knew he'd never know.Things ran through his mind, some of them he didn't ave the chance to get down. But at the speed he was working, it didn't matter. He was full of ideas and had the perfect ways to get there. But one things for sure, he was having an epiphany. A huge one.

"What's all this?"

Augy smirked at that comment, he didn't say anything for a second and then looked at her. With a smile that looked very prideful he said, " call it what you want, but really it's an act of nonconformity to say it lightly..." The ebony-haired man moved over a bit to contuinue writting. After another minute or two he stopped and stood, looking at his brillant peice. He smiled, " or a way back... if things go well, of course... but who am I to control fate hm?" he said to himself. Some of it not make sense to Piper, but everything was clear to Augusta, but of course, he was a genuis, and most genuis's were barely understandable, and none of them reasaonable.

But all were brilliant. And Augy wasn't very far behind.

[Piper Wren]

"Call it what you want, but really it's an act of nonconformity to say it lightly...or a way back... if things go well, of course... but who am I to control fate hm?"

For a moment Piper didn't understand what Augusta was talking about and fixed him with a bemused look...then it suddenly hit her, did he mean what she thought he meant? She wandered over to the bed and sat down, anxiously fiddled with her sleeve for a moment before speaking. If this was a way out..

"Do you mean...a rebellion? Against the boogies?"

If that was true then...there could be a chance of getting out and having a life that was actually hers! Piper pulled her legs up and leaned her arms on her knees, the result could be life changing...but could it be done? The Boogie's weren't going to sit back and let the humans take over and leave Wonderland, this could end up as an all out war if that's what Augusta's plan was.

"You really think we could pull that off?"