we live a dying dream

video ✠ 11

2011-11-03T01:00:02Z

[he's just lying on his back in some small random field of snow, the Dreamberry held up with one hand and a red leaf twirling between the fingers of the other.]

Isn't it still supposed to be autumn? Haha, I guess I've gotten used to Somarium's more predictable weather. Back home it wasn't that unusual for the weather to randomly change, just like night and day could last several hours or even a few minutes. Weird how someone can adjust after a while, huh?

[and flicking the leaf away.]

Hm, oh yeah. Usually people announce when someone leaves, right? If anyone knew Alice—the older one—she left a few days ago. I guess she was lucky and missed the sudden winter. [there's a small chuckle there.]

(accidental) video ✠ 10

2011-09-12T22:12:04Z

[he actually doesn't realize it's on, but guess who got bored and decided to "punish" a certain someone for falling asleep again for a very long time?

the feed displays the sleeping face of Alice (the older one). except there's something odd with it. very odd. like...

swirls drawn on her eyelids, a tic-tac-toe board on her forehead, random stars and hearts on her cheeks—and is that a drawn on mustache underneath her nose?

really it was the typical prank. though Ace added his own little touch by sticking some carrots in her ears and putting one of those party noisemaker things in her mouth. if she snores, he'll know!]

Hm...maybe I should add something else, but I think this will do for now. Now to take this picture...

[now he realizes that it's on. laughs a bit.] Oh whoops! I guess I accidentally hit the wrong button, haha! [glances at the screen before holding it back to show Alice.] Permanent marker does come off, right? The other types didn't really show as well, and the lady I bought them from said they do. Oh well, guess we'll see whenever she wakes up.

Oh, here's a good question.

[now sitting down on the edge of the bed, holding the Dreamberry so it faces him again, though Alice could still be seen from the side.]

You know that whole dreamwalking thing? Do you think people who are in these "sleep comas" can dreamwalk, too? I mean, they're sleeping after all.

video ✠ 09

2011-02-02T18:36:09Z

[has a rather thoughtful expression as he seems to be looking at something past the Dreamberry rather than directly at it.]

Perhaps someone who's been here longer might be able to answer, but—[holds up the Dreamberry to show the giant rip in the barrier where the yeti had entered through, the edges all scorched and frayed as the magic glyphs that normally stayed invisible flickered in and out around it. sparks could be seen emitting from the spot.]—is this supposed to be normal?

I always assumed the barrier fixed itself, but I think it's having a little difficulty.

video ✠ 08

2010-11-18T17:38:55Z

[in a random field somewhere, a thick blanket of leaves and small piles around him. there's a smaller cleared area where his little campsite was, and he's standing in front of a half dismantled tent, having stopped in the middle of the process to make this broadcast]

It's amazing how many leaves have accumulated over the week. It does make camping out a bit more difficult.

But I realized something as I was setting up my campfire last night. Don't all these dry leaves create a rather dangerous fire hazard? I mean, everything is practically covered with them.

Haha, of course I kept my fire contained, but it did make me wonder since it could be rather dangerous, especially if there were any pyromaniacs around. [a pause before he gives a laugh] Whoops, hope I didn't give anyone any ideas! [he actually does not care if he did]

Maybe we should try shoving all these leaves out the barrier and into the desert.

video ✠ 07

2010-09-02T01:16:47Z

Hmm, has it really been a month since I first started my trip. Haha, I guess I stayed out longer than I planned. [just smiling away ~~yes he was lost out there...plus side adventures due to the recent events~~]

Oh, I almost forgot. Alice, Little Alice, and other Alice? [yes, he means you, PH!Alice] Alice had requested me to bring back some cactus flowers, and I picked a few extras.

[he holds up one of the said flowers for a moment before lowering] I'll be over at Julius' soon, so you can come over and pick them up if you wish. Unless you want me to bring them to you. [and have the risk of him getting lost ~~again~~]

Miss Noel? There's one for you as well if you want it. It's for helping other Alice and I kill those sharks the other day. [~~and he had an extra~~]

And I didn't forget about you, Julius! [biiiig smile as he holds up a small potted cactus. ...it has a flower?] They're pretty easy to take care of. Maybe you should start your own garden. [and he just smiles away~]

video ✠ 06

2010-05-31T17:36:17Z

Hm...well this is a bit unexpected. [is looking down at something, but it doesn't appear on the screen]

Would anyone know what to do with someone who just fell asleep and won't wake up? I tried various methods, but nothing seems to work.

[now he shows a certain Shiki Ryougi sleeping on a random bench by the street. what should be noted is Ace had taken a pen and had drawn all over her face.]

I guess I should take her somewhere...

[FILTER TO: JULIUS]

I don't suppose you have a spare room, would you?

video ✠ 05

2010-05-14T17:45:38Z

[PUBLIC]

Hmmm, is it just me or do people seem a little different after about Thursday? The floating mountain has also seemed to have disappeared. Perhaps it floated way, haha! [he's sounding oh so carefree and even laughs at that bit at the end]

--------------------
[FILTER TO: JULIUS]

[in his usual carefree, cheerful tone, though he feels anything but that] Julius, what are you doing right now? I need to to ask you something.

Oh, and can you tell me where you are? Looks like I got lost again, haha!

--------------------
[FILTER TO: BORIS AIRAY]

Mr. Cat, I need to have a word with you, if you don't mind. [careful Boris. he may sound cheerful, but his voice has a hint of "I am going to kill you when I see you" coldness to it. you can blame original!Alice and original!Cheshire for that]

[note: Ace is unaffected]

video ✠ 04

2010-04-13T00:34:54Z

[looks like he's climbing something...because he is. some weird tree vine thing on the side of a building. while talking on the Dreamberry. and once again looking like he just came from murdering someone and trekking through god knows where. ...part of which is true.]

Phew, looks like that trip took longer than expected. Gone for just a couple of weeks and this place is overrun with plants! Well it is a pleasant change from the desert, I suppose, haha!

Oh, Rita? Are you still around? I brought back one of those desert worms like you asked, but I had to leave it outside of town. It was actually pretty lucky one of them appeared so close to the city, haha! [looking so pleased with himself :D

and now he grunts a little as he pushes a window open and hops through it]

There we are...Julius? Your door is blocked by all these vines. I tried cutting through them, but they're actually a lot tougher than I anticipated. At least you can leave through this window? It's not that hard of a climb! Oh I also got rid of one of the tigers that was lurking around. Are those new, too?

[yes Julius, he just climbed up a tree vine thing and entered through one of your second story bedroom windows. aren't you so proud of him?]

video ✠ 03

2010-03-05T06:16:23Z

[the screen flickers for a moment before it's held back by a cloaked figure. the identity cannot be determined due to the hood, but there's one thing that could be deciphered: the person was covered in blood.

after a few more seconds, a rather cheerful voice is heard, the hood pulled down to reveal Ace's smiling face]

There we are! I was afraid the Dreamberry had been broken. I tried contacting people for the past week but I couldn't get anything. I guess I had ventured too far out, haha. [it's more of a miracle he managed to find his way back within reception distance]

Julius! Do you know how to properly grill shark meat? [he now holds up the dismembered head of one of the sand sharks by his free hand. the rest of its slashed up corpse could be found behind him, as well as a tent and fire place nearby. it's now apparent that Ace has been and still is out somewhere in the desert] I tried roasting it over a fire last night, but it was still rather tough. Maybe it needed more salt...

[smilesmile] Though if anyone else wants some, there's plenty! I should be bringing it back soon. [read: in a few days if he's lucky.]

dream ✠ 003

2010-02-17T05:10:09Z

[Warnings] None
[Effects] Just a sense of wistful relaxation. Rather peaceful, nothing too out of the ordinary, though there may be some tinges of nothingness.

It was peaceful. Even though he had no idea where he was (somewhere between the Castle of Hearts and the Clock Tower he guessed), he didn't particularly care. With his signature tent set up behind him, Ace was lying on his back on the grass, his arms crossed behind his head. He could feel the warmth of the small fire that burned next to him, a speared rabbit roasting.

But what he was really paying attention to was the star filled, night sky. The funny thing about this was that it wasn't really nighttime. If he had to guess the time, it was probably mid-afternoon, so he wasn't really going to sleep just yet. He might take a nap if it lasted long enough, but for now he would enjoy the quiet moment.

Unfortunately, this wasn't going to last long. Even though it was still night and he could see them, he could feel their presence.

"Another job, hm?" he said in a lofty tone before letting out a small sigh as he sat up. He waved a hand. "I'll be there in a bit."

There was a soft rustle of leaves, and the Afterimage was gone.

Ace sat there for a moment, the once pleasant expression replaced by a more colder, vacant look. But just as quickly as it had appeared, it was gone in the next instant as he stood up and dusted his hands off.

"Well I better get back to work," he said in his usual cheerful voice, though it was to no one in particular.

------------------------------------------------

And that's the third. Well that wasn't so hard.

But now I have to wonder, other than getting the Desert Pass, are these "credits" really that important? And where do they come from?

dream ✠ 002

2010-01-17T11:28:58Z

"Off with his head!"

Tick tock -- A clock face. There is no hour hand or minute hand. Just the second hand. With each tick and tock, it appears.

A cold woman's voice, and her face briefly appeared. Queen Vivaldi in all her fury.

The faceless head rolled past, the blood leaving a trail back to its slumped over corpse. Above it was the calm Knight of Hearts, his sword still dripping with blood as he looked over his work. "At least it was quick," he said in an all too cheerful voice.

As he turned to walk away, dark shadows emerged to engulf the headless corpse, their blackness growing until it absorbed everything but the knight.

Once again the order rang out -- Off with his head! -- and another head rolled.

Tick

And another.

Tock

And another.

Tick

And another.

Tock

Bodies lay before him, and he simply walked over them as if they were nothing, his expression calm and that eerie smile never leaving. It was as if he did not see the blood or the bodies before him, as if he was just taking another walk through the park.

Tick

Slowly the bodies started to rise, their heads still faceless as they moved. They jerk and twitch, contorting this way and that as parts of them change. A male turns to female, a teenager to a child. Those whom had lost heads and limbs regenerate. When each finish their transformation, they suddenly lunge at Ace's unguarded back, guns and knives appearing out of thin air.

Tock

He turned and his sword immediately plunged through the nearest body before it slid out and slashed through two others.

Tick

A head rolled, an arm dropped.

Tock

He was staring right into a faceless person.

Tick

A loud bang. An explosion of flesh.

Tick

The body fell backwards to reveal two things:

Tock

The once faceless canvas was ripped to shreds, the flesh torn back to reveal a gory mess of tissue, muscle, and bone.

Tick

Smoke slowly rose up from the barrel of a shotgun. Though in truth, it was more like a shotgunblade. Despite it having a shotgun barrel, there were sharp sword blades attached above and below it which helped conceal the opening. Until one looked straight down in it.

Tock

He was bloody, particularly his face. It was splattered with blood and bits of flesh. There was no smile on his face as he stared down at the corpse before he shot again. His weapon then changed back to its original form as a normal sword and was sheathed. The body disappeared and there was only one thing left on the ground.

Tick

A small, gold watch.

Tock

He stared at the watch in his hand, the face slightly cracked and the gears stopped. It was lifeless, broken. Ace then looked up, a small, hollow smile on his lips.

Tick

An ocean of broken clocks lay before him. And bodiless shadows were descending on them.

Tock

--------------------------------------

Hm...two down, one to go.

[that same smile from his dream will be the one he's wearing right now, and his tone is rather pleasant. perhaps too pleasant.]

Hmm, I'm curious. What happens when a person dies here? [take that however you want it to mean |D]

ooc ✠ character relationships

2010-01-08T01:10:26Z

This is probably confusing as hell, but this is what happens when I'm too lazy to right out blurbs. Basically there are four different ranking systems going on xD: card deck, like rating, kill rating, chess piece position. If you are confused, do not worry. Just focus on the like/kill rating for your character :D

Key: ♡: like rating / ✖: kill rating / ☺: if there, will tease/torture :D

Card deck: Everyone is split into four decks:

Spades (♠): these are the ones Ace treasures the most. It takes a lot for him to actually really like someone, and it means they have earned his complete trust. In general, he likes hanging around them. Guaranteed no killing :D ~~Will only be Julius for a very long time.~~

Hearts (♥): these are the people Ace really likes and are pretty good friends. He still keeps some distance, but he likes them or at least doesn't mind their company. If he teases the person a lot, even if they don't have a high ♡ score, there is a chance they may get put in this section.

Diamonds (♦): these are the people who have interested him in some way. This does include high kill rating. So you can either be a decent person or high on his hit list :D

Clubs (♣): lowest ranking; basically these people are like the faceless cards back in his homeworld. He may have met them once but doesn't particularly care about them at the moment. Though they might not have a high kill rating, he would have no qualms offing them if he had to :D

The Blanks (♢) are just for people who I have no idea what to do with >_>; When you see who is in there, you'll see why xD

Chess Pieces: Everyone is also assigned a chess piece position (♔ ♕ ♖ ♗ ♘ ♙ ♚ ♛ ♜ ♝ ♞ ♟), which can either mean how they're ranked or just a symbol for them. The majority will be Pawns (♙/♟). There is no particular reason as to why one person is white or black, it's just a color he associates with them.

Also, the higher up in the deck you are (more left), the more interest he has/higher rank you are. Again, this could be either positive or negative 8D Top row will always have the people he dislikes the most :D IE; top spots on his hit list ^_^ They'll have no ♡'s at all.

* note: There is no real official/symbology I'm using here >>; Just my own personal system xDa;

♠ spades ♠

spades

ace

♡
♠ ♞

julius

♡ ♡ ♡ ♡ ♡
♠ ♚

♥ hearts ♥

alice

♡ ♡ ♡ ♡ / ✖
♥ ♕

sir peter

♡ ♡ ♡ / ✖ ✖ ✖ ☺
♥ ♝

little alice

♡ ♡ ♡ ♡ ♡
♥ ♕

♦ diamonds ♦

blood

✖ ✖ ✖ ✖ ✖ ☺
♦ ♚

elliot

✖ ✖ ✖ ✖ ✖ ☺
♦ ♛

boris

✖ ✖ ✖ ✖ ✖ ☺
♦ ♞

kefka

✖ ✖ ✖ ✖ ✖ ☺
♦ ♜

judith

♡ ♡ ♡ / ✖ ✖
♦ ♞

??? (maka)

♡ ♡ ♡ / ✖ ✖ ✖ ☺
♦ ♘

??? (soul)

♡ ♡ / ✖ ✖ ✖
♦ ♜

danny

♡ ♡ / ✖ ✖ ✖ ☺
♦ ♜

saber

♡ ♡ / ✖ ✖ ☺
♦ ♔

ryu

♡ ♡ / ✖ ✖ ☺
♦ ♙

♣ clubs ♣

pierce

✖ ✖ ✖ ☺
♣ ♚

naoya

✖ ✖ ✖ ☺
♣ ♛

raidou

♡ / ✖
♣ ♙

rena

♡ / ✖
♣ ♙

ty lee

♡ / ✖
♣ ♙

kagura

♡ / ✖ ☺
♣ ♙

rita

♡ / ✖ ☺
♣ ♟

gareki

♡ / ✖
♣ ♙

beat

♡ / ✖
♣ ♙

heather

♡ / ✖
♣ ♙

mordred

♡ / ✖
♣ ♙

kyon

♡ / ✖
♣ ♙

stein

♡ / ✖
♣ ♙

luc

♡ / ✖
♣ ♟

♢ blanks ♢

santa

✖ ✖ ✖ ✖
♢ ♙

cat

✖
♢ ♙

* In the case of Kyou, he's only seen the cat form >_>;; When he meets real!Kyou he'll get stuck..somewhere.

If you want to know what Ace really thinks about your character or why they are in a certain place or have a certain rating, feel free to comment here o/ Also, if I've forgotten anyone, let me know @_@

video ✠ 02

2009-12-23T04:30:14Z

Hm...this is odd. I thought this was the way...

[notices the Dreamberry on, and anyone watching would notice he's on top of a very high skyscraper overlooking Somni]

I don't suppose anyone could direct me to the lake?

[note: he's over at the business district >___> lake is in the residential district]

dream ✠ 001

2009-11-28T07:56:07Z

At first there is nothing. Everything is dark; pitch black. This lasts for a few seconds before there is a soft ticking sound like a small watch.

Tick. Tock.

Tick. Tock.

It grows louder with every passing tick, and more and more clocks join in until there is a multitude of them. It becomes too overwhelming -- a deafening crescendo of time.

Tick. Tock.

Tick. Tock.

TICK. TOCK.

A black shadow. A cloaked figure. A flash of a sword.

TICK--

A loud crash before the screen explodes with the image of hundreds of clock pieces -- gears, hands, numbers, glass, metal, plastic, everything. The pieces shower down, glistening in the light. The glass fragments catch the reflections of black shadows that lurk somewhere within the darkness. Some show blank, eyeless faces with only their mouths and noses could be seen, the hair covering everything else.

And then they are gone, the last bits and pieces falling into the dark abyss.

[filter: private || 100% unhackable]
But there is one piece that falls last. The tip of an hour hand. In its reflection is a face with a broken mask. It is blurred, but what can be seen from the uncovered half is the dull, empty red eye of the owner staring out into nothing. It is blank, unfeeling.

Until the eye changes into the face of a clock, slowly zooming in until it covers the screen.

--------------------------------------

Hm...so this is how the dreams work here. [doesn't sound that perturbed considering the dream he just had]

video ✠ 01

2009-11-14T21:03:05Z

[he has no idea this thing is recording since it's clipped to the side, and really all you can see is the outside scenery of the village]

Well this is strange. I was sure this was the way to the clock tower. I guess I'll see if I can find someone in this village.

[and now he's walking to the view is swaying. fyi, he's heading toward the city, not deeper inside the village. ~~hope no one has motion sickness~~]

ooc ✠ profile meme

2009-10-27T19:13:27Z

[Character name] Ace (Knight of Hearts)
[Canon] Heart no Kuni no Alice
[Point in time taken from canon] In the time lapse between Chapter 21 and 22

[Age] 23~26
[Gender] Male
[Sexual Orientation] Het

[Eye Color] Red
[Hair Color] Brown
[Height] 180~190 cm
[Other] None
[Clothing] WILL GET BACK TO THIS.

[Background]
Like the rest of the HnKnA cast, there actually is not a lot known about Ace. In his world, Ace is not only a knight of hearts for the Castle of Hearts, but he is also what is called a “role holder”. What a “role holder” actually is is still unknown other than that they hold important roles in the world.

In terms of canon timeline, he first meets the main heroine, Alice, while trying to find his way to Julius’ clock tower and wandering through the bushes. He offers to lead her to the castle to see Peter White, but due to his lack of sense of direction, they wind up at the Hatter’s mansion instead. It is there that he learns Alice is a foreigner and exclaims how he’s never seen one before. After a brief fight with Elliot that is broken up by Blood, they finally reach the castle. From there, Ace leaves to go to Julius.

When Alice returns to Julius’ clock tower, it is revealed that Ace is actually working for him; and it’s a bloody job. Though it is not revealed at the time, Ace’s real job is gathering the clocks of those who died so Julius can repair them. This usually involves fighting and killing shadows called “afterimages”. Under Julius’ command, he doesn’t tell Alice at the time, saying that he and Julius were good friends.

It is also during this conversation that he says he wants to be free from being a “role holder” and the watches. The want to be free is one of the core characteristics for Ace, and he is always looking for ways to escape. Even if it means using people like Alice.

While everyone else in the world is in love with Alice, Ace doesn’t feel the same way. In fact he can’t really understand why people are so fond of her and often asks people this whenever they show a lot of interest in her. He is interested in Alice, but not in the same, genuine way the others like White – something he admits to envying.

After getting lost (again), Alice and Ace wind up setting camp. After Ace asks her if Alice doesn’t mind being alone with him in such an isolated and secluded place, he tells her he loves her and tries to kiss her. Alice stops him, saying he’s not telling the truth, to which he responds that she’s a foreigner. He then hugs her and mentions how he can hear her heart beat. When he places Alice’s hand over his chest, it is revealed that it’s not a heartbeat she hears, but a ticking clock. Ace tells her that while he doesn’t love her, he does genuinely like her.

Ace shows Alice his job firsthand when he is sent out to collect clocks. Here it is revealed that Ace doesn't really care about killing people when he has to, and that the roles of the person are more important in that world, not the lives.

When Boris and Ace are together, Ace tells Boris he had killed in front of Alice. This angers Boris, which just amuses Ace. The knight then says he will kill Alice since foreigners don’t really matter for the game. They then fight, with Ace owning Boris hardcore. Ace then heads to the clock tower…though it’s in the wrong direction.

I'm taking Ace from this point, but I'm going ahead and filling in some of the information we learn about Ace's background from the next two chapters.

Ace had discovered through observing everyone's reactions to Alice that they have changed. However, when he tried to become close to Alice, he found there had been no change whatsoever. It’s also revealed that he is trying to leave his role as a knight for the queen by moonlighting as Julius’ helper via collecting the clocks. It goes against the rules, but he does it anyway in an attempt to change the game. This is why he also wants to kill Alice: to see if anything would change.

Though this happens after the point he's taken, it's probably worth mentioning. He does not kill Alice, saying he prefers to hear her beating heart. So while he may think about killing her, he wouldn't.

[Personality]
Ace is a very complicated young man. On the surface he seems to be the polite, slightly airheaded knight. He always has a smile on his lips and is always helpful to those who need him. He will carry out his duties to the “T” and will do it efficiently. He’s also friendly, giving him a bit of innocent charm.

However, beneath that “nice” mask lurks a bit of a psychopath. He’s not exactly one, nor is he a killjoy. When he does fight or kill, however, he is completely detached to the situation. He has grown so used to it; he doesn’t have any reason to feel any remorse. Ace has also grown “accustomed” to the rules and logistics of the game, even if he hates it. In a way, he’s grown numb to those kind of feelings. He can also be rather harsh and unfeeling, but it’s masked with the smile he always wear.

He seeks change, and will try anything he thinks might help bring that about and eventually get him out from the game. If this means breaking the rules or doing something unconventional, he’ll try it.

Ace isn’t necessarily crazy or evil; it’s just how his thought process works and he’s just a little off in the head. One could argue that he is just wearing a “nice” mask to fool the others, but there is some genuine quality to those nicer personality traits. Everything is a part of his character.

[Specialties/Abilities]
Ace is an excellent swordsman and can wield his weapon with great dexterity and expertise. He is also very agile. For example, when Elliot tries to shoot him from near pointblank range, he is able to dodge it and swing his sword up so that the hilt is against the hare’s neck, proving that he could have killed the other man easily.

He also has a great knack for getting lost. Whether it’s on purpose in hopes of finding an exit, or he really is directionally challenged, it is a 100% guarantee he will get lost before finding his way to where he needs to go.

His sword can also transform into a gun. A gunblade. A shotgunblade. It's one scary looking weapon and he probably uses it when he's really serious.

[Affection] He's rather friendly so he really won't mind anything.

[Fighting] Go for it! But he's a really skilled swordsman and good at dodging. Of course he can still be caught by surprise and he's not invulnerable. Just don't be surprised if he kind of acts it's all a game and smiles the whole time :D

[Other Facts]
His blood type is O and he likes the outdoors.

Wasn’t sure where to stick this, but when Ace does his clock collecting job, he wears a cloak and mask. He also states that the Queen does know about his side-job, but she pretends to not notice and still makes him play his role. It's also later revealed in Joker that he also helps the Jokers, but no one would know that anyway. Just some personal information, and in case the Jokers ever do show up.

Edit: SOME IMPORTANT KUNI INFORMATION: SPOILERS
The Country of Heart is really a country of clocks and time. The role holders represent the twelve hours on a clock, and each one has a time. It hasn't been explained what the hour each character is, but the fact that they are in essence time is essential in understanding how they understand their life.

Without a clock, their life is meaningless. They have no significance unless they have some kind of physical attachment, which is why they have clocks as hearts. That's also why they love Alice and other foreigners: she sees them and give them meaning.

Ace realizes this and this is why he hates his role.