Unfortunately more than one creature is taking advantage of the widespread flooding. Several nasties from all sorts of seafaring books (20,000 Leagues Under the Sea, Treasure Island, and The Old Man and The Sea only being a few examples) have set about exploring as the rising sea level opens up new worlds for them. The sorely beset Oz has some relief from The Wonderlanders as they retreat in a frantic search for higher ground.

Various CC have been dispatched to worlds to assess the damage and theorize a cause for the chaos.

Who: Harold + ?
Where: The Monroe's house
When: Sometime around dusk
What: The end of an ordinary day that turns out to be not so ordinary.

( No, it wasn't so much the feeling that perplexed him so much as WHY he was having it. )

Who: Max Brooks.
When: Now; during his conversation with Matilda.
Where: The woods near the post-war Denver, Colorado; World War Z.
What: Max goes to investigate strange disappearances in Colorado and meets up with a few Things he wasn't expecting. Really, I'm just bored and need something to do, folks. Besides, Max has been asking for it for a while. I figure the Wild Things are looking for the Unicorn in other books since she's missing and Max's book has lots of wooded regions for hiding. :D

( Max probably would have been surprised by it's appearance if he hadn't already talked to The Great Gatsby about a similar occurance. )

As is rapidly becoming their MO, the Wonderlanders have expanded their focus, bending other peoples to their will much like they have the unfortunate Ozites. The Canon Corps have confirmed the kidnapping of the boy Max from his book, and the Wild Things are cooperating with the Wonderlanders.

The Wizard was recently captured and tortured by the Hatter himself, who is very displeased at the general proceedings.

Meanwhile the Canon Corps are trying to contain the unexplained presence of Moby Dick in several other bookverses besides The Great Gatsby. Seawater has been leaking in random bookverses, causing flooding and chaos.

Who: Mr Darcy.
When: The morning after he arrives home.
Where: The manor house at Pemberley in Derbyshire -- in Pride & Prejudice.
What: Nat can't sleep. A short narrative: Darcy paces about in his usual fashion and ponders. Open to Georgiana if she chooses, otherwise closed.

( Darcy had chosen the library because he wanted to think... )

[Nat is still sick, and there are several plots in progress, so no new plot points will be introduced this week.]

Political intrigue abounds as the White King and Queen wait patiently for the arrogant Hatter to slip up. The native Wonderland forces have been joined by other fierce creatures, which have just been identified by the CC. Still no news of the Wizard, though he has been confirmed alive and free somewhere. Wonderland agents are spreading out in pursuit of the magical items mentioned previously helped by unwary book characters identifying themselves, and the Cheshire Cat is still stalking his prey.

New enemies and acquaintances continue to be made as other book characters are dropping in and out of increasingly frequent unexplained rips.

Who: Tobias & Jake
Where: The Animorphs' school.
When: Not long before school is out, and just after Tobias has a run-in with The White Witch.
What: Tobias runs off to tell his fearless leader about the... book character... in the woods... that mysteriously vanished. Right.

( 'I feel like I'm stealing Marco's line here, but-- are you insane?' )

Who: Jadis [MAGICIAN'S NEPHEW], Tobias [ANIMOPRHS]
What: Narnia spits out its evil queen.
When: Now.
Where: Tobias's home, or just outside of it.
Rating: PG.

( Is there a convention in town? )

Besides tracking down wayward Ozites and consolidating their position in Oz with the help of large hairy ogres (bookverse unknown), the Wonderlanders are also in search of several items that may or may not retain some of their abilities outside their native 'verses. (Wonderland reasoning, if you can call it that, goes something like: "Well, we should have it, anyhow, since it's there.") It won't be long until they come looking for these items, and woe betide who has them.

• Glinda's Book: Currently in the possession of Fitzwilliam Darcy in Pride & Prejudice, the Book shows the goings on in the 'verse it's in and Oz itself.
• The Unicorn's Horn: Unfortunately still attached to The Last Unicorn in Beagle. The Unicorn has just disappeared off the map with the help of Schmendrick the Magician.
• The Nome King's Belt: Completely useless besides a pretty ornament, but nobody knows that. Wonderlanders will be looking for it while they try to kill Ozite royalty.
• Excalibur: Because everybody's always talking about how if you have it, you can't lose.

Feel free to NPC any Wonderlander concerning the pursuit of these items, with the exception of Played Characters, The Queen of Hearts, The King of Hearts, and The Duchess. Some suggestions are The Gryphon, The Mock Turtle, The Knave of Hearts, The Card Army, and The White Knight. Note that the 'ogres' are not all that smart, so they'll probably be under the direction of a more intelligent character.

Nat is sick, so she will be slow, and is very sorry.

WHO: Glinda the Good, Queen Coo-ee-oh, Edward Rochester, Sherlock Holmes.
WHAT: Holmes, on orders from the Canon Corps, comes to check in with the Ozian refugees and see what he can glean of the Wonderland attacks. Things do not go as planned.
WHEN: Yesterday evening. Ish.
WHERE: Thornfield Hall, Jane Eyre.
STATUS/RATING: Incomplete thread/PG at most. Come on.

( In an hour or two, she would be as disshevelled and unkempt as she had been on arriving at Thornfield. )

Who: The Unicorn (Amalthea), Schmendrick the Magician
Where: The Last Unicorn, in the unicorn's woods.
When: After the latest Wonderland scare.
What: Fearing for the unicorn's safety in the wake of the latest Wonderland War scare, Schmendrick decides to pay the magical creature a visit. He has a suggestion to make, but he's pretty sure she won't like what he has to say. Convincing is in order, and if he's lucky, he'll get to cast one more spell.
Rating: G/PG.

( It feels like dying. )

Who: Mrs. Coulter, Lord Asriel and Lancelot
Where:  A forest in Medieval England
When: The Once and Future King's Chapter 8
What: After a decisive battle, a couple of non-Ozite refugees unexpectedly find themselves in another world...and another life and death situation.

( Alive. We're alive, aren't we...? )

Ozite refugees are being directed by Canon Corps agents into The Secret Garden and Jane Eyre. The Yorkshire manor of Garden is being used as a temporary command post for the remaining Ozite leaders, and Thornfield Hall remains an asylum--figuratively, of course. The surrounding moors are being prepared and stocked as best as possible.

CIVILIANS may find themselves accosted for help with this venture, whether for supplies or housing, particularly those native to Jane Eyre. Other CIVILIANS may still be dealing with fleeing Oz refugees, or worse, their pursuers. CORPS in the Resources Department will be trying to manage supplies, which is difficult considering the large number of beasties from Oz, like the Hungry Tiger. CORPS in the Intelligence Department discover from different sources that The Cheshire Cat has discovered the location of his next target. Any and all CORPS who can get there in time attempt to fend off the Cheshire Cat as he targets The Nome King.

• Feel free to have your characters post about the housing and refugee situation at will.
• Intelligence Dept. characters should get in touch with the mod and/or each other to figure out how they come across the assassination information.
• Slots are available for characters (at least one CORPS agent and one CIVILIAN) who want to participate in the Cat/Nome thread.
• Oz characters will likely panic once they hear about the Cat.

Who: Don Quixote, Schmendrick the Magician, The Hungry Tiger (NPC)
Where: Don Quixote's bookverse
What: Schmendrick takes a wrong turn at Albuquerque and winds up in the wrong part of Don Quixote's bookverse. He's seen jumping in, and has to do some quick thinking/explaining to keep from winding up on the business end of Don Quixote's lance. He gets more than he intended out of the bargain: specifically, an enthusiastic escort on his quest to find the Oz refugee.
Rating: G/PG

( Hold, trespasser! Move no further, or taste the cold steel of my lance. )

summary! After stumbling through a mirror, Alice finds herself in an entirely new world. Also, there is some lizard cruelty in this narrative, so you have been warned.


( Oh hello. I am Alice and it is a pleasure to make your acquaintance. )

Who: Edward Rochester, Jane Eyre
Where: Thornfield Hall, the study
When: Sometime after dinner
What: Rochester has some things to get off his chest. Surprise, surprise.


( By my word! There is something singular about you. )

Who: The China Milkmaid from Oz (NPC) & Jonas (blueyedlad)
Where: The Giver, outdoors.
When: Early evening, and following the conquest of Oz.

A sound that did not belong broke through the evening. It was a high, scattering sound, a sudden cascade of tinkling that left a peculiar emptiness behind. It was the sound of something shattering, and it was not far away. A few moments later, the silence was again disturbed by the soft, fraying voice of a girl. "Oh, help," said the voice, unmistakably female and on the edge of tears. "Please help. I've broken. Oh no. Oh help." She was not calling out, only asking uselessly into the gentle cooling air, and as she did she sounded very like someone who had misplaced something important.

Bits of white china crunched underfoot and as one neared the scene bits of color showed on the larger pieces no bigger than the length of a finger. A pretty blue ruffle of a china skirt here, the toe of one yellow china shoe there, and nearby a curl of dark china hair. Whole the china doll had been no higher than a knee, and in so many pieces she was surely beyond repair. The largest piece (that could fit neatly in the palm) was most of the poor china girl's face. She had pretty blue eyes and red cupid's bow lips. The eye blinked and the lips moved. "Oh help," she said. "Help."

Oz is lost. The Emerald City fell two months ago, and small pockets of resistance are being rooted out as we read. The Canon Corps agents were unable to aid the Ozites in the defense of their land, as there has never been a massive mobilization of bookverse aggression of this kind before. Stories of Wonderland's appalling treatment of the conquered are being spread by Oz refugees as they attempt to escape their their world into others.

CIVILIANS: Help or hinder Ozite refugees, or deal with the confusion in their wake as they flee through your bookverse with the Card Army on their heels. This is a good way to introduce your character to the concept of bookworld and bookverses. You may write narratives, thread with others in your verse as you NPC a refugee, or apply to the mod for an NPC to thread with.

AVAILABLE:
• The China Milkmaid. [Jonas, pending.]
• Chief of the Flying Monkeys.
• The Hungry Tiger.
• The Nome King. [Mod only.]
• The Saw Horse.

CORPS: Brave Canon Corps agents can volunteer for a mission across the border into Oz and The Red City (formerly the Emerald City) to help rescue The Wizard from the clutches of the Knave of Hearts and the Card Army before the Hatter arrives. This mission is being coordinated by the Canon Corps Chief, Matilda (matildareads). See her journal entry.