yonderland but it's not yonderland.

Here Lies Poor, Old Choop

An hour and a half passed, though it did feel like days, dragged out and dark. Evander sat by Choop's side as he lay on his bed, eyes shut, and his voice an intelligible croak. Ho-Tan and Vex stood beside Evander, Vex's hand resting on his shoulder, Ho-Tan mumbling under her breath.

"Ho-Tan, what did the letter say..?"

The silence was broken by Choop's cough-ridden question. Evander stifled more tears, and Vex's grip on his shoulder tightened measurably. Ho-Tan obviously cringed at the question, and shrunk back.

"Really, I should have told you.. earlier. I'm so sorry. My fault entirely," she mumbled, looking away. "For it is extremely important."

Vex sighed, disappointed in Ho-Tan.

"What did you want me to do? Shout out the message as we were running down the halls and alert you even more?" Ho-Tan grumbled. Vex looked away, and Evander looked up to her. "That's what I thought too. Anyway. I might aswell tell you now. Negatus is planning an attack on Yonderland. Most specifically our land of Maddox."

"You bumbling idiot, waiting till the last minute!"

Ho-Tan groaned, and in came Pressley, limping and shaking his head, leaning upon his walking stick, staring Ho-Tan down with eyes of pure venom. Vex looked away, disapproving. Choop coughed into his hand.

"Whatever happened here? Why is it, you always get into trouble whenever I'm not here?" Pressley grumbled, his voice low and growling. "You're like children."

"Well, instead of focusing on that-" Evander started before being cut off abruptly by Pressley-

"Shut up, boy!" Pressley's chin wobbled as he yelled, and Evander whistled lowly, looking away. Pressley's cheeks were bright red, asif he had a wine flush. Evander wondered if he was drunk.. Choop cleared his throat weakly.

"Do not talk to my son in such a way," he narrowed his eyes as he spoke, only though Pressley was a misty figure above where he lay. "He is not yours to demand about."

"I can do what I like, old man," Pressley leaned in close to Choop, snarling. Vex wondered if he should pipe up to actually make a point that Pressley was older than Choop, but turned the other cheek. Ho-Tan felt like crying - she hated situations like this, they were so tense and cold. But not wanting to seem weak and be picked on even more by Pressley, she sucked it up and stayed standing straight, blowing her lank, hazelnut-coloured hair out of her face. Evander looked around awkwardly, wishing Pressley would leave soon. As soon as possible - he could see Ho-Tan getting extremely uncomfortable beside him. Pressley withdrew away from Choop, sighing deeply, and turning away to walk back through the halls, his walking stick bouncing on the ground and making an odd clicking sound, like a beetle purring.

The Elders remaining in the room let out small sighs of relief, even Choop, who also chuckled. Ho-Tan looked at him questioningly.

"Such a funny guy-" and without finishing his sentence, Choop burst into a coughing fit. Ho-Tan frowned, concerned. Vex left the room, and Ho-Tan followed, head down, tears starting to form in her eyes. Vex half-expected to hear Evander shouting after them sarcastically for leaving him yet again, but nothing came. The halls were now silent apart from Vex and Ho-Tan's clackering footsteps.

"We shouldn't leave him like that, Vex," Ho-Tan stated once they were out of earshot. Vex turned and looked at her, shaking his head.

"I didn't ask you to come, Tana," Vex replied, obviously irritated. Ho-Tan frowned at the nickname - she liked it as it made him feel more loved and petted, but Vex wasn't the exact person she wanted to call her that.

"Don't call me Tana, Vex," Ho-Tan growled. "I've told you that a million and one times! But that's not the point I guess-"

"Yeah. It's not the point. I left the room to start preparing for the rebellion as quick as anything and to contact Flowers, seeing as someone told us so stupidl-eh late! You're supposed to be a Scribe and tell us what's going on! But, no, you're just a failure!" Vex yelled. Ho-Tan recoiled, feeling smaller than ever. The last, fragile bit of self-esteem she had left had been destroyed, by her own friend. The friend she had called the closest to himself. In a small period of threateningly fast time, tears spilled over Ho-Tan's mottled cheeks. And as Vex stormed off, Ho-Tan fell against the wall, sliding down into a sitting position, and started to cry her heart out, piercing the quiet like a crow's calling.