Cheshire Cat Mahiru Tsuyuzaki/Bond Story

*A strange cat who takes pride in being the cleverest in the forest. Free-spirited and elusive. He often says things to confuse people but that's only to hide his lonely, attention-seeking side. An excerpt from "Alice in Wonderland".*

* Chapter 1
* Chapter 2
* Bond Level 15 Talk
* Bond Level 30 Talk

Secret Training

 **Mahiru:****(As Cheshire Cat)**
"Meow—! I'm the Cheshire Cat. This forest's cleverest and greatest cat, meow!"

 **Mahiru:****(As Cheshire Cat)**
"There's nothing that I do not know. Because the only things in this world are things that I know."

 **Mahiru:****(As Cheshire Cat)**
"What do you want to know? I know everything! Whatever you want to know, I know."

 **Mahiru:****(As Cheshire Cat)**
"...Meow? What'd you say? About me? You want to know who I am?"

 **Mahiru:****(As Cheshire Cat)**
"Mwahaha, you've said some amusing things. But I cannot answer that question."

 **Mahiru:****(As Cheshire Cat)**
"Who am I? Your answer is my answer. The moment you answer, my answer will also be decided, meow."

 **Mahiru:****(As Cheshire Cat)**
"What? You don't understand, meow?"

 **Mahiru:****(As Cheshire Cat)**
"If you really want to know, then try thinking. Try guessing, meow."

 **Mahiru:****(As Cheshire Cat)**
"Who am I? Who are you? The answer is definitely deep, deep inside you — somewhere you have to think really hard to reach."

 **Tsukasa:**Tsuyuzaki-san, thanks for waiting!

 **Mahiru:**Ebisu-san, sorry for calling you out all of a sudden.

 **Tsukasa:**It's fine, don't worry about it. If I can help, I'll hear you out. So, what did you want advice for?

 **Mahiru:**Yes, actually... I'm going to be the Cheshire Cat in the next play, "Alice in Wonderland".

 **Tsukasa:**I see, so you will be the Cheshire Cat as well.

 **Mahiru:**Yes, but, you see... Out of all the characters in the story, the Cheshire Cat is particularly odd.

 **Mahiru:**You don't know what he's thinking, right? I've been struggling with how to approach the role...

 **Tsukasa:**I see. So you decided to ask me about it because I did the same role before.

 **Mahiru:**Yeah. Your Cheshire Cat had an unrestrained and carefree personality. It was an interesting way to express it, so I was curious to know what you used as reference.

 **Tsukasa:**Heheh, thanks! I don't know if I'll be able to meet your expectations but I'd be happy to help.

 **Tsukasa:**Now what I used as reference for my Cheshire Cat... It's probably that?

 **Mahiru:**That?

 **Tsukasa:**Hm... How should I put it, kind of like a secret training?

 **Mahiru:**S-Secret training!? Just what kind of training is that...?

 **Tsukasa:**Ah, no, maybe calling it a secret training is going overboard. But...it definitely helped as reference for performing the role.

 **Tsukasa:**That's right. Why don't we go there now?

 **Mahiru:**Huh!? Is it okay?

 **Tsukasa:**Of course! It's been a while since I've seen them.

 **Mahiru:**(Them? What's this about?)

 **Tsukasa:**I'll lead the way — follow me.

 **Tsukasa:**Marron! Long time no see, meow! How have you been?

***Meow!***

 **Tsukasa:**Okay, okay. Just wait, I'll feed you now!

***\*rolls around\****

 **Tsukasa:**Mint, long time no see! This is the toy that you like! Ah, Chocolate! Here's your favorite salmon-flavored treat.

***Meow meow!***

 **Mahiru:**Um... Is this the secret training? This is a cat cafe...

 **Mahiru:**It couldn't be that the secret training is...

 **Tsukasa:**Yes — to play with real cats!

 **Mahiru:**What!? That's the secret behind playing the Cheshire Cat?

 **Tsukasa:**Yes. To be honest, I think the Cheshire Cat has similarities with real cats.

 **Tsukasa:**In fact, I came up with how to play that role by watching how these kittens move.

 **Tsukasa:**That's why, if you're going to understand the Cheshire Cat's feelings, I advice you to spend time with real cats.

 **Mahiru:**R-Really?

 **Tsukasa:**As such... There you go. These are the treats and toys that they like. Now, Tsuyuzaki-san, you try it too.

 **Mahiru:**O-Okay.

 **Mahiru:**Marron-chan, come play with meow!

***...Hmph.***

 **Mahiru:**Huh? Marron-chan, I have food—!

***...***

 **Mahiru:**L-Look, look! Chocolate-chan, let's play with the toys!

***...***

 **Mahiru:**Mint-chan, food...

***...***

 **Mahiru:**They won't play with me at all... Why...?

 **Tsukasa:**Ahaha, that can happen. They wouldn't play with me at all in the beginning too.

 **Tsukasa:**But don't worry. As long as you observe them closely, you'll definitely understand what they want.

 **Tsukasa:**And then naturally, you'll be able to figure out how to play the Cheshire Cat. So do your best, Tsuyuzaki-san!

 **Mahiru:**Yes, thank you... You're right. I have to do my best in order to figure out my role!

Cheshire Cat's Heart

 **Mahiru:**Marron-chan, I have food meow!

***...***

 **Mahiru:**...It's not working. I'm getting the cold shoulder.

 **Mahiru:**Ebisu-san said that as long as I observe closely, I'll be able to see it...

 **Mahiru:**... \*stare\*

***...Meow?***

 **Mahiru:**Looking closely like this, cats have a lot of different expressions. This one looks judgy and this one looks like it's smiling.

 **Mahiru:**...Huh? This one's expression... I feel like I've seen it before...

 **Mahiru:**...That's right! Could it be—?

 **Mahiru:**Marron-chan! Is this what you wanted to eat...?

***...Meow!***

 **Mahiru:**That's it. This is what you wanted to eat, isn't it?

 **Mahiru:**Mint, here you are!

***Meow meow meow!***

 **Mahiru:**Chocolate... You want to play right now. Then here, let's play with this toy.

***Meow!!!***

 **Mahiru:**Okay, okay. So you like this rubber ball...

 **Tsukasa:**Wow, Tsuyuzaki-san! You won them over already.

 **Mahiru:**Yes, once I observed them closely, I could tell what it was that they wanted.

 **Tsukasa:**Ah, which means... Have you also realized the true nature of cats?

 **Mahiru:**I think so... I can see myself using this to understand more my role as the Cheshire Cat.

 **Tsukasa:**Right?! That's also what I thought when I could finally understand their feelings.

 **Tsukasa:**I realized that I could use their fickle and carefree nature in my performance.

 **Mahiru:**Fickle and...carefree?

 **Tsukasa:**Yes. What I mean is that to win over cats, you don't force them to match you, but rather you match yourself to how they are.

 **Tsukasa:**So I channeled that into my acting and came up with a carefree Cheshire Cat who isn't bound by anything or anyone.

 **Mahiru:**I see... I didn't see that perspective.

 **Tsukasa:**Huh? Wait... Isn't this also what you came up with?

 **Mahiru:**No. To be honest, I got close to them with a method that's slightly different from yours.

 **Tsukasa:**Oh, really? What method is that?

 **Mahiru:**That's still...a secret.

 **Tsukasa:**What!? Now I REALLY want to know.

 **Mahiru:**Hehe, I'll use it when I play the Cheshire Cat on stage, so I'll tell you then.

 **Mahiru:****(As Cheshire Cat)**
"Hey, we meet again. Maybe it's destiny, meow?"

 **Mahiru:****(As Cheshire Cat)**
"Meow? You know the answer now?"

 **Mahiru:****(As Cheshire Cat)**
"Meow, let's see then. Who am I?"

 **Mahiru:****(As Cheshire Cat)**
"Meow? You don't understand? ...Well, of course. That's a difficult problem that even I, the smartest in this forest, have a hard time with..."

 **Mahiru:****(As Cheshire Cat)**
"Huh? ...You think I'm actually lonely?"

 **Mahiru:****(As Cheshire Cat)**
"What!? How dare you! I'm not an attention seeker..."

 **Mahiru:****(As Cheshire Cat)**
"W-What!? I give strange riddles because I'm seeking attention?"

 **Mahiru:****(As Cheshire Cat)**
"D-Don't be stupid! If you keep saying these preposterous things..."

 **Mahiru:****(As Cheshire Cat)**
"..."

 **Mahiru:****(As Cheshire Cat)**
"You might be right... I...know that I only want...to spend...time...with everyone..."

After the performance...

 **Tsukasa:**Tsuyuzaki-san, good work! Your performance was really good!

 **Mahiru:**Ah, Ebisu-san! Thanks for coming!

 **Tsukasa:**I was surprised! I didn't expect you to emphasize the Cheshire Cat's loneliness in your acting.

 **Tsukasa:**Just what did you find in the cats at the cat cafe?

 **Mahiru:**Truth be told, when I looked at their faces, it reminded me of my younger brother and sister back home.

 **Tsukasa:**Oh, you have siblings!

 **Mahiru:**Yeah. All my siblings are carefree and oftentimes unpredictable.

 **Mahiru:**But when I can't give them attention because I'm helping my parents out...they have those same lonely expressions.

 **Tsukasa:**I see. So that's the connection that you made with cats at the cat cafe and the Cheshire Cat.

 **Mahiru:**Yeah. When I was spending time with them, I started to wonder if they don't actually feel lonely often.

 **Mahiru:**And then the image of the Cheshire Cat came to mind.

 **Mahiru:**Couldn't it be that his elusiveness is an act to hide his loneliness?

 **Mahiru:**That's why he was pretending to be fickle... I wanted to try adding that bit.

 **Tsukasa:**Wow, this is an interpretation that only you could come up with.

 **Mahiru:**Heh heh. Thank you.

 **Tsukasa:**The role of the Cheshire Cat sure is deep. Depending on one's interpretation, the acting can differ so much.

 **Mahiru:**Yeah, it seems like there is still room for more interpretations.

 **Tsukasa:**Hehe, I was thinking the same thing. Don't you feel that we still need more training?

 **Mahiru:**Training? ...Oh! Hehe, indeed. We do need more training.

 **Tsukasa:**I thought so too, so I've already contacted the staff!

 **Mahiru:**Wow, you're a fast worker. Shall we go then?

 **Tsukasa:**Yes. To our training spot — the cat cafe!

 **Mahiru:**My Cheshire Cat performance will be different from Frontier's Ebisu-san's so I hope you'll enjoy it.

 **Mahiru:**What surprised me the most this time was Cheshire Cat's wide range.

 **Mahiru:**We thought about the acting for the same role and from the same references... I can't believe that the direction of our acting came out to be so different.

 **Mahiru:**I talked about it with Ebisu-san too but it's a role that makes you want to try out a variety of other possibilities.