<span style="font-style: italic">(OOC -- No worries, JaLeon!  I know it can be hard to keep track of so many characters.)</span><br/><br/>“I do seem to be alone,” Dumas acknowledged, his tone indicating that this was a puzzling and unusual situation for him.  Why hadn’t Dee followed him through the portal?  Was she alright?  Dumas liked to think that he’d know if his twin was in any serious trouble, yet he wasn’t certain.  Maybe the portals didn’t always drop you in the same location?  “I thought my sister might come, but she isn’t here.”<br/><br/>Despite his concerns, Dumas smiled again when the nice girl offered to help him.  She reminded him of Dee, and he found himself liking her a great deal.  He felt less certain about her companion -- the man’s height and brusque manner intimidated Dumas.  However, the girl seemed to be friends with her companion, so Dumas decided to give him the benefit of the doubt.  “Thank you.  But I know how to get back.  At least, I think I do.”<br/><br/>Would the portal still be where he’d left it?  Dumas hadn’t travelled the worlds enough to understand how these things worked.  Growing more uneasy by the moment, Dumas knew he should get back to Wonderland -- find Dee, tell Cheshire that he was mistaken about the candy trees.  But he didn’t want to just abandon his new friends.  Then inspiration struck Dumas.  Ignoring the man’s further questions, he clasped the girl’s hand in his own.  “Would you like to come to a tea party?  Hatter knows the best riddles and Alix bakes absolutely delicious cakes.  We’ll think of all sorts of fun games to play.”<br/><br/>Without waiting for an answer, Dumas began tugging the nice girl back toward the portal.