Authoress Note: Yay! One more review! Thank you! Now I left off with a rather humorous cliffhanger last time, and I bet you're all wondering what Etta's reaction will be with the carrot reference, well here it is!
Disclaimer 1: I do not own the rights to Alice in Wonderland. It is purely copyright of Lewis Carol. The original characters: the Mad Hatter, the March Hare, The Cheshire Cat, The Dormouse, The White Rabbit, The Queen of Hearts, and of course an Alice are all owned by Lewis Carol.
However…I have my own character ownership too.
Disclaimer 2: This story I wrote is my original idea, please do not steal it. The original characters in this fan fiction: Harlequin Hatter, Henrietta Hare, Chevalier Cat, Delmont Dormouse, Reginald Rabbit, The Heart of Darkness, and of course the unnamed white heart' all belong to me.
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In less than two seconds, Henrietta's head had shot up and she looked at her good friend like she'd choke the life out of her if she had lied. "Where?"
Harlequin Hatter should have regretted saying that, but she saved the moment by explaining. "I'm making carrot casserole for supper. I made some extra for your brother."
Etta scooted closer to the Hatter woman in her chair before drawling out. "Good, because if you were lying to me I would have HAD to strangle you Harley." Her emerald green gaze briefly skimmed over the sea of teacups and teapots all around the table. "I know you'll never lie to me Harley. You've done too much for me, and I cannot thank you enough."
"Ah…right." Harlequin chuckled awkwardly, always feeling uncomfortable when her dear friend brought up the past issues in their lives. "I wouldn't lie to you Etta. You're my best friend. You've always been there for me. So it's only right that I be there for you." Harlequin Hatter was reliving a rather painful memory at this moment. Her hand clutching over her heart as her chest tightened.
--
"How's my sister?"
"It's iffy. She's with her usual tea party group. Hmph. I'm getting sick of her pretending to do good for this world. This Mad Tea Party isn't fooling the Heart of Darkness…"
Hexavier Hatter wasn't buying into this crap Halviere Hare was giving to him. Just because his little sister and Henrietta Hare were best friends, didn't mean that Hexavier and Halviere had to be. "Your sister…"
"My sister has done nothing to you, so shut your mouth or I shall do so myself." Hexavier warned, pointing his finger at Halviere with a sneer on his cool dry lips, he listened to his battered top hat snarl at Halviere in such a manner that spoke all volumes of 'I will eat your soul'. Halviere's stare, at his much hated rival, was unfazed by this threat and merely swiped Hexavier's hat from his head and threw it to the other end of the room. Hexavier's head spun to look at the living top hat as it scurried around the floor frantically searching for its master. He listened to it whine, whimper, and protest its feelings for being so rudely thrown.
It grumbled as Hexavier knelt down with his hands held out as it loyally, yet reluctantly, crawled back into his hands and he put it on his head. Hexavier Hatter and his sister were notorious for their uncanny nature of wearing strange and well-crafted top hats. One thing about Hexavier's hat was that it was an actual a living thing. Halviere Hare listened to the beastly hat grumble in annoyance on Hexavier's head before he made a threatening motion to knock it off again. "Stop it Halviere." Hexavier growled. "What did Alverace do to you?"
Halviere's stare was unfaltering on the furry top hat that seemed to be lazily chewing on Hexavier's greasy black hair, whilst the Hatter's fingers tapped against the hat to make sure it wasn't eating his head. Standing at 6'2, Hexavier Hatter was only taller than his rival by a few inches that did not flatter Halviere in the least when Hexavier at least tried to make a good joke out of it. He recalled that The Hatters and The Hares always got along to some degree but he'd never met someone as detestable as Halviere. The older Hatter recalled the first time they had met after his younger sister, Harlequin (Harley), had brought Henrietta home when she'd found her new found friend unconscious in her own home.
Ever since, Halviere had detested Harlequin and he elder brother for helping Henrietta's condition of being addicted to aspirin after the very confused Hare parents tried to solve their daughter's slowly adapting autistic state by making her take it everyday. Before long, Harlequin started bringing Henrietta home every day for a cup of tea, a long sit down, and started to ween her friend from the pills that in her confused state she had taken at the order of her parents. Young Etta indebted herself to Harley as her best friend, even though Harley said it was unnecessary because she was just doing what her conscience told her to do. Halviere always blamed the Hatters for his younger sister's condition, even though both brother and sister Hare knew that it all had to do with issues that went on between their own family.
"My apologies, I lost my temper and threatened you when I should not have. It was wrong of me." Hexavier bowed politely in regret, only to have Halviere kick him in the gut because...well, Halviere didn't accept sincere apologies as well as he should have. Hexavier's tall, muscled frame, doubled over with his blazer lopsided and he fell on the ground clutching his stomach in pain. His ivory colored skin boiled with anger at Halviere, but he composed himself and sat on his bottom with a frown on his face. "I feel sorry for you..." He said softly, almost ashamed to be admitting it to the man that he disliked. "Because you don't take compassion and good will well."
Halviere Hare was a disagreeable man, not even her majesty, the Heart of Darkness, would have any use for him because he was so detestable. His detestable nature was so great that she decided Halviere wasn't worth sending to the guillotine when he was put on trial for some obviously absurd reason. So the Hare boy walked free without a single, ahem, hair harmed on his Hare head. Hatter and Hare were both tall and lanky men, each well built with muscles and athletic capabilities they failed to show to each other in case they anticipated a fight and one of them pulled something sneaky on the other.
Halviere was tan, almost like that romance novel model...what was his name...Fabio? Fabian? Fago? Halviere didn't care. He knew what he looked like, and he was no handsome Italian boy. He wasn't any kind of boy. Halviere and Hexavier were men. Well...they were very different men. Hexavier's features were far different from his adversary's. He was obviously tall with a muscular built, but he was horribly pale. Up close, Hexavier looked like he was a full on anemic. Though, the doctors didn't find a medical reason why because Hexavier refused to go to one when his younger sister insisted it.
Hexavier had some dirty scars and secrets to hide under his long-sleeved white dress shirts, cravats, and blazer. He didn't want anybody seeing the scars of his torment in Dungeon of Jackals at the castle. "...How close are they to finding the Legendary White Heart?" Halviere asked as he started out the window of the kitchen they were standing in. Hexavier had invited the Hare to his home, to the kitchen than to the dining room. Hexavier and Halviere never sat down in the same room together.
When the two were in the same room together, they stood as far away from each other as humanly possibly. Hexavier shrugged, playing with the buttons on his blazer in a bored fashion while checking a pocket attached to some kind of brace strapped around his left wrist. "Harley says that their philosopher Delmont Doormouse...he started reciting things in his sleep. He studied up so much on this legend he started taking various stolen medications from the 'Grey Area' to keep him awake as he read. I wish he'd just get a decent amount of sleep and wake up early." He took of a pair of crooked glasses on his face to clean them off.
"Delmont is a valuable asset to them?" Halviere asked.
"Oh, no doubt about that. He's a philosopher. He's there secret weapon."
"...I thought that wretched flea-bitten cat was." There was skepticism in the Hare's voice.
"Careful Halviere, your hearings sharper than your sight." Hexavier chuckled; he ducked when one of his own hot piping pots of tea crashed into the sink beside him. Hexavier winced. "...It was just a figure of speech."
"You keep insulting me I'll have the Heart of Darkness recommend your head for the guillotine." Halviere turned on his heels, his steel-toed boots making distinct 'clunking' noises as he walked away. His brown bunny ears twitching on top of his head while his cottontail made crooked movements from his tight denim pants.
"But Halviere..." Hexavier grinned at him. The light coming from the window had made Hexavier look eerie and dangerous. "Don't you get it?"
He took a step towards the Hare. "...We're all mad in the Tea Party, You were once part of it too."
"...Don't count on it. Two Mad Tea Parties would look suspicious."
--
It was so many years ago that Harlequin and Henrietta had first met. At this time the Hatters and Hares were becoming reacquainted with the newest generations of each other's families. Harley and her mother had made an assortment of cakes. Some were teacakes, shortcakes, cupcakes, side cakes, bunt cakes, and a numerous amount of other bizarre treats and sweets that couldn't be explained in thorough detail.
Harlequin Hatter was 9 years old at the time when she and Henrietta had first met. The day the young Hatter brought the cakes over to the Hares' house, she found a frightening seen of Henrietta stumbling around the house with her elder brother, who was older than her by at least 7 years, trying to steady his sister in an empty household. The parents weren't home, which came as a shock to Harlequin The Hatter family had always been around with their children unless their mother was running errands or their father was handling mercury in the basement to deliver to the Queen of Darkness' castle. Henrietta seemed to be incoherent in her speech and babbled on about something she ingested.
Her elder brother, Halviere Hare kept shouting at Harley to get out of their home or he'd kill her. It wasn't until Hexavier Hatter; Harlequin's own elder brother had stepped in to remedy the situation. Halviere and Hexvier were both the same age ironically to the surprise of the other neighboring individuals in their town. Harlequin's first reaction was to leave the cakes behind and help Henrietta because it was what her conscience told her to do. She tried to help the poor Hare girl in the right direction. In lieu of the unfolding scene, Halviere tried to pull Harlequin from his sister with fury, he started screaming that it was the entire Hatter families' fault that Henrietta was acting so funny. He blamed others for problems deeply seeded in the Hare family.
Henrietta wouldn't speak for a good few hours after the Hatters had arrived. She just sat there at the kitchen table in silence with her elder brother staring down at Harlequin and Hexavier with scorn. In an attempt to breakthrough to the confused and utterly autistic Etta, Harley did something unexpected and started passing an empty saucer back and forth to Etta like it was a game. The tensions slowly began to falter from the younger children. Etta's responses were slow and steady as Harley slid the saucer across the table to Etta.
The responses grew stronger through the years. Hexavier later revealed Henrietta's condition as a mild form of autism that Etta had grown out of due to Harley's games with her when they were younger. It was rare for Halviere to explain anything about his family but on the day his sister first said his name, he confessed only that little bit of information before he had turned on his heel and simply left the children to their game. Henrietta was strong, she was edgy, and she and Harlequin were rather close in their childhood, just as they were now in adulthood.
Harlequin Hatter recalled the games they played and even the worst memories of when Halviere would yell and scream at Harlequin to stop doing his 'job' of taking care of his sister. Apparently it was believed Harley was trying to steal Henrietta from him.
"But Mister Halviere, I just wanted to know if Etta could come out and play." Harlequin whined.
"No. I've all ready told you, and I won't tell that wretched brother of yours more than once. Etta is not allowed to play with you…" Halviere's darkened gaze bore down upon the Hatter child in scorn from the Hare Household doorway. "Now, get."
"…But, I promised Etta we'd make carrot biscuits today. You can have some too. You can even help us make 'em. Please Mister Halviere?"
"I don't want any of your disgusting, nasty, diseased…" He began tortured rant before Henrietta appeared from behind him.
"Halvi? Is Harley here yet? I wanted to make biscuits with her today. Oh! Hi Harley!"
"Etta, your brother says you can't come out and play today."
"Hm? Halvi! How could you be so mean to Harley? You know I hate it when you do that to my friend. Stop being a meany head!"
Halviere winced at Henrietta's scolding of him, and eventually he stormed off in anger. "Fine! Do what you like, I don't give a damn!" He snarled.
Harlequin watched the elder Hare sibling storm up the stairs to his little lair of a bedroom before there was a nasty slam of his door. She winced at the loud noise. "Etta…"
"Harley…It's okay. Don't cry, don't cry. Halvi's just…"
"He hates me…" Then the tears came.
--
"Yeah…" Harlequin murmured softly as she returned from her flashback. Henrietta's gaze followed Harley's eyes before the young Hatter woman slumped onto the table and threw her top hat across the tea table before breaking down into sobs. Memories were not well liked by Harlequin when thinking of Henrietta and the tension with her best friend's elder brother.
"He still hates me Etta…He still hates me."
--
This wasn't so bad. Compared to being sent to the Dungeon of Jackals before, Chevalier had to admit, being stuck in a cell with several other guys that were waiting to get out for misdemeanors or whatever they called them. He could see a few were homeless bums, some were grungy potheads, a few were some random fucks shooting up in public restrooms, and the others were mainly there for one reason or another. This place was nothing compared to the dungeons in her royal-pain-in-the-fuckin'-ass's castle. Chevalier liked it.
Ah. Here was a familiar face approaching him now. The officer that had handcuffed him, Paul. "Hey Paulie…" Chevalier grinned obnoxiously.
"Well, we haven't decided to release you yet kid, but just thought I'd give you some good news. You're not on drugs."
"See, when I tell the truth you feel like shit don't you?" Chevalier's grin died. "It's not funny anymore when you realize you were wrong, is it?"
"Look, I'm not here to prod you in the ass with my baton, 'kay? I just came here to tell you, we're holding you a little longer to make sure that the goods you stole weren't damaged and you can just do some community service for your behavior. All right?" Paul tapped his foot in annoyance. "Do you understand?"
"Do I get my own cell then? I'm sick of the smell of pot here officer." Chevalier waved a hand in front of his face. Well? I'm waiting Paulie?"
"That's Officer 'Paulie' to you." The cop pointed his finger at him.
Chevalier rolled his eyes. "Yeah, yeah. What the hell ever, I won't be here too long."
As the officer walked away, Chevalier's gaze turned to the others behind him. "Well fellas, who got arrested for what?" He asked quite cheerfully, before his face split into his trademark grin, but with a little more malice to it.
There was a burly Hispanic man sitting off to the side, glaring at him. "Hey, cholo. I tried to stab somebody, what've you done? Huh?"
A few of the cellmates who were sober made mumbled and small arguments of how they did worse things.
They responses were: "Starved my dog."
"Beat up my girlfriend."
"Stabbed some guy at a bar."
"Got caught with a few ounces of pot in my car."
"What about you…ya freak. What'd you get in here for?"
Chevalier's back was to them, not really listening to what they were saying. Their crimes? Those were nothing compared to what he did back in Topsy Turvy. So he couldn't help but turn to them in calm confidence before he responded. "Well…I'm a 'freak' so to speak gentlemen. But also…I've been in prison longer than you fistful of assfucks have ever been in. Not here, but…back home where I come from." He ran his fingers through his greasy hair. "Heh. See, here the conditions are much better than my homeland. It's not pleasant. See, here, stealing is a misdemeanor, but where I come from…it's a felony."
"Bullshit! Where are you from? What? Russia?"
"Well, it's a little place I like to call Topsy Turvy." His gaze darkened and his teeth got sharper. "See, It's more like a torture chamber than a prison fellas. If you get caught stealing, they jab you with cattle prods and brand you all over for your sins." Chevalier's ears twitched in a cocky manner.
"You're makin' that up!"
"Yeah, either you shot up and the cops didn't find out or you're just crazy."
Chevalier's tail snapped off and he grasped the writhing fuzzy thing in his hands. The other prisoner's gaped at him as the tail still writhed in Chevalier's fingers. He briefly caressed the other entity before grinning again. "Yeah…" He lashed it out like a whip in fury at the others, watching some of them move quickly as the tail warped from that of a fuzzy appendage to a dangerous weapon. "I get that a lot." He lashed it again, his eyes murderous. "I get that way to fucking much for my taste!"
Before the commotion in the cell died down, the tail changed back to its normal state and he let it attach itself back to his behind. "…See guys, we're all mad here."
"What's goin' on in here, Kitty Boy?" Paul growled, trekking over with thundering footsteps. "I heard a ruckus."
"Would you describe the ruckus, officer?" Chevalier's ears perked up. "Because wouldn't it be better if you specified."
"I'm watchin' you kid." Paul pointed at him warningly.
"Cat." Chevalier corrected with a grumble.
"What?"
"I'm a cat…The Cheshire Cat." His grin came back again.
"Sure you are…"
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Authoress Note: Yay! Chapter 4 Is all done! Hope you enjoyed it, read and review please.
Chapter 5 will be up very soon and you'll get to meet the Legendary 'White Heart'. Dun dun dun….