Of Mad Hatter and Truth Serums
Really I'll try to keep this simple: saw the movie loved them, wept because they are not mine.
Love it never considered I would be writing something like this, the Mad Hatter and Alice preposterous! But here I am sitting watching videos in youtube and wondering when is the dvd/blue ray whatever is coming out. Here's a little piece that came to me in dream of Nyquil and vitamin C. Hope you enjoy it!
Tea had been delightful, and the company never better. So much that neither Mally or Hare or Hatter actually wanted to get up and leave. So they continued they tea, as if nothing were wrong; throwing things about, serving tea on broken cups, having scones and buttering them to throw them away.. Yeah, things couldn't get any better. At some point Hare had fallen asleep, and Mally was nodding dangerously close into Morpheus' embrace, and the Hatter wasn't any better. Underland around them had grown greener, more colorful… And how beautiful it was. Since the return of the White Queen to power things only got better and better… like these long tea parties. Gasping awake from some figment of a dream, Hatter blinked quickly several times and looked up. His tea had gone cold, and so had the one in the empty seat to his right. Quickly dumping both teas to the ground he refilled with still warm brew in the kettle on his left.
"Whose tea is that? I see Mally's and Hare's but whose…?" Hatter snatched the tea cup from Chess' grasp and cradled it tenderly in his palms, looking rather disgusted by a pair of foreign hands touching this special cup. The cat's grin grew wider and vanished to reappear at his usual spot at the end of the table. "Really Tarrant, you should let go already. Forgive and forget or whatever comes first." The cat fixed himself a cup of tea as he spoke, and at the end of the table he head the Hatter's breath hitch. Unwilling to suffer the verbal attack from the last time, the cat purred a smirk. "But if it's your wish to wallow in misery, go on."
"What do you want Chess, not that you aren't invited to tea, but you are rather unwelcome right now." His eyes turned, rather quickly, from black to its natural green, a lazy smile plastering quickly on his lips.
"I have a message." The hatter lifted his clock from its hiding place inside his pocket, looking bored, and then turned to the cat.
"Well?"
"Queen Mirana wishes you to know that she'll be dropping by within the next three days. She has some matters to discuss with you."
"Three days, hmm." He said, growing serious all of a sudden, eyes darting away to stare at some unknown point in the sky… "Well that's too bad we are having such a good time here." He served some more tea, and prepared a scone for the dunking in his tea. "Did you mention what she'll come discuss?"
"No, only that it was an important matter."
"If it were important it wouldn't wait for three days. Of course I am glad that she'll take that long to come because my house…." Here he stopped and quickly got up, breaths hitching as he seemed to remember something awfully important. He rambled something about some new tea at home, scone and tea cup in hand, to hurry away.
"Tarrant? What is the matter?!" Asked the cat, still grinning, watching the mad human leave. He knew the answer he just wanted to hear it from the Hatter. The crash of several cups made Hare and Mally wake up, turning to see the Hatter leaving.
"There are some… erh business I have to take care of." And he stopped, returned and picked the cup that was by the empty seat to his right, hurrying to the road again. "I'll be back in a while!" And he vanished into the forest.
"What was all that about?"
"The Queen is coming for a visit and he's off to make his place presentable."
The Hatter's house was a small two story cottage that sat in the most beautiful clearing of the entire forest. Or so his family had thought once, before the Horovendush day. And he'd visited a very few times since it happened. But here he was bound to clean this pigsty before the White Queen could even set foot outside of her marble arch castle. Marmoreal was three days away, and she should be already on her way so without a moment to waste he took a good look to assets the damage done to the entire garden.
"Oh my… This might take longer that I thought."
And the Hatter was fast doing his things; his hats and dresses, and with tea he was even faster but this… Horrendous, hideous, horrifying… "Tarrant." Said the cat, appearing beside his friend with a grin, head rolling slowly clockwise making the Hatter shake his head and wince.
"I'm fine. Thank you."
"You've got quite the challenge before you."
"I can do it."
"I didn't say you couldn't, but it'll take longer than usual." Taking off his hat, the Hightopp placed it over the cat's head.
"Keep it for me alright? I'll be right back for it." And with that he lifted his sleeves and got to work. "The worse part will be outside, the inside should be intact."
"I'll just wait on the porch for you, with this sweet, sweet hat." And he flew away, in the general direction of the house. It took a good four hours for Tarrant to finish the garden, even cutting a large hat of a rather angry bush that had overgrown in the very middle of his land, and to free the flowers from the ivy. Soon he was walking into the porch, to sit for a moment beside his resting hat, the cat snuggled close to its inside and purring. "Well that was easy." He said with a little smile and turned to look at his garden, fitted for a Queen. And so she was visiting, so he lifted his hat, cleaning a bit of broken leaves that had fallen over it while frowning and stood.
"Done for the day?"
"Hardly. I have a lot more work inside. Now if you excuse me."
"I was really enjoying myself, but well…" And the cat vanished. "I'll be visiting soon, old friend." He said softly as Tarrant pulled an oddly looking set of keys and opened the door. Inside the air was cold, and a little stale. The whole house was dark, because outside the sun was falling, and because (he now remembered) he went to Marmoreal to get some candles and returned without them. So he'll have to improvise. Closing the door behind his back, and setting the hat on its safe spot over the sofa, the Hatter looked around for some wood for his fireplace. He found some ancient matches and lighted the darkening house.
The place was messy and dirty, but overall in good condition. The far wall was a deep pink, the one leading to the other side of the garden purple and colors splashed from wall to wall. The stairs were ble, the carpet red, the ceiling yellow, the hallway green… He still liked the overall decoration and only though in changing the china sitting over the table because it only had one serving; he ought to get a bigger table, who could serve two or three more. After all he could get visit at any time. He spent the night cleaning the living room, and decided (once he was done) to have some tea before proceeding… But fell asleep sitting down, without even pouring a drop of tea. It was a good thing too because it turned in his tired state he'd brewed some guava seeds for tea. When he woke up, a few hours later, the Hatter felt silly; it's been a long time since he felt that silly…
By suppertime he had the house sparkling clean. And so it was time to get himself clean. After that he could have some tea and then hurry find some candles for the queen's visit and then more tea. Could even try and find Hare and Mally… Mm, apple crisp sounded good at the moment. Happy to have a menu (or at least some of it) in mind (surely it was a joke, he lost his mind a long time ago!) the Hatter continued his day while whistling. Bath ready and warm, always a bit warmer than the water for tea, Tarrant slid his naked body into the tub. His thought mixed quickly as they usually did, and hands worked the soap over his body.
" And hast thou slain the Jabberwock? Come to my arms, my beamish boy! Oh frabjous day! Callooh! Callay!" He suddenly said, to no one in particular and stopped. His hair wet and dripping warm droplets to the still waters around him. She propped into his mind with surprising speed, only to leave equally fast. Faster than the jabberwocky's blood could carry her, eh? His mind responded, mocking him. But that was what he should have done, right? He should have lifted Alice in his arms and danced, danced because the Red Queen was no longer in rule and they had won their freedom. He should have lifted her and spun her around, just for the sake of spinning her lovely golden locks. He should have kissed her for the sake of kisses, for the joy of love. But he didn't, and now here he sat water cold and body drenched trembling as the sky above him shed tears of snow.
Wait, snow? He was sad but he only begun thinking about Alice, the weather wasn't suppose to be this affected until he was more depressed right? It didn't made sense. But at least it snapped him out of that reverie of thought that usually ended making him do something crazy; like get good manners. Anyway he got up quickly from his cold tub and drained the water. Within fifteen minutes he was dry and properly dressed, and brewing some decent tea. He'll go out later, if the snow permitted, and find himself some apples for his apple crisp, and probably some pears as well to mix in. Happy to finally sit on the new table he set yesterday (that now suited more than one person) he fixed tea for two. Served his tea, buttered a scone and sat happily to sip away. Outside the sun mixed with the falling snow and for a moment he had the vague idea of a memory; a child cradled in his lap blonde and blue eyes looking up at him as he fixed a slightly cooled but still buttery and nice scone for the child, while his mother, the champion of the Queen sat and smiled at them. Tea would be perfect that way, beside the ones he loved more than tea itself. Or hats. He held the cup for longer than usual staring out the double door that lead to his garden and remembered what had never happened.
But if he had been half mad to dream that particular non existing memory up, why wasn't he mad enough to make it true? Right the subject of his affections was far away. Letting out a sigh Hatter turned back to the table and sipped his tea. Outside the snow started falling harder, and for a moment he wondered if he was the one affecting the weather. But it couldn't be, he'd been careful not to upset himself for long, and for this kind of snow to fall for only a second (or couple of minutes) of Alice in his mind?
Oh the apples!
OMG! Would you look at that! The letters are no longer green they are now blue and expecting to be clicked so you can review to your hearts content… But be gentle I am not feeling well…