Alright, apologies for lack of updates, but I finally have motivation for this!
Hope you enjoy (:
Alice's POV:
I smiled as I drifted from the dark depths of sleep, and the warm world of a happy dream. I had been dreaming about the Hatter - about our daughter, what she would be named, how he would dress her... Even though I realized it was a dream, I drifted from a bright home in the windmill back to my bed - and the smiling face of the man himself, leaning cheerfully over my bedside.
"Alice, my dear! I'm so very glad you're awake - I had an idea of what to do today, and I wanted to share it with you, and I came in and sat down and you woke up! I didn't mean to - I mean, not that I wish you were still - "
"Hatter!" I laughed, sitting up in bed. My mood was bright, both from the dream and from waking up to the man himself. It truly was an enjoyable process, and one that must be repeated often.
"...Fez." He shook his head solemnly, and I giggled. "Alice, have you been to the beach before?" His eyebrows twitched, as though their own version of the grin that stretched across his face. I smiled.
"Of course, Hatter! I was a sailor... For the most part, though, I walked past the beach onto the ship."
"Then, Alice, we positively must take our own trek to the beach!"
I agreed.
After the mandatory explanations to Mirana (Yes, Mirana, we'll be safe, no, we won't need a guard, yes, we'll be back by supper) we managed to set off on our own, but not without a picnic basket dangling from the Hatter's merry arm.
It was a pleasure to see him, for once, without the full Scottish dress he usually wore. Instead, he had on his bathing costume - a joyful thing, naturally, made up of greens and blues and yellows and reds all combined in a wonderful swirling pattern that suited the Hatter perfectly. Arm in arm, we began our walk along the little dirt path leading away from the castle. I gazed into the sky, watching as a little flying dragon and a rocking horse with wings began a mid-air brawl. I continued to stare - the scene was highly reminiscent of the last time I arrived in Underland.
"Hatter," I asked, watching as a tiny spurt of flame came from the dragon's mouth. "-Or, Tarrant," I amended, and he smiled. "What are those things?"
His eyes followed mine to the battle in the sky. With another of those gap-toothed grins of his, he reached up, and snatched the rocking horse out of the sky. I gasped, thinking he had swatted it, before I saw that his hands were cupped together, extended out to me.
"It's a horsefly," he responded, slowly opening his hands a little so that I could see the creature captured inside. I peered at it, admiring the fine details on the horse.
"We have horseflies in the Aboveland, too," I replied, "but they don't look anything like this." I gently reached out a finger to lightly brush the tiny rockers, and the little horse jumped, quickly flying out of Tarrant's hands. I watched it fly off, then turned back to my - the - Hatter.
"What are we to do, now? I mean, what do you usually do when you visit the beach?" Tarrant looked at a bit of a loss, turning around the beach himself.
"To be honest, I'm not quite sure!" He chuckled gaily, undisturbed by this fact. "It's been years since I've been to the beach... Since before Horunvendush Day, I believe.." His eyes began to fade into orange as he ducked back into his memory, then, suddenly, revived himself. "But I'm here now, and Frabjous Day has passed, and the Jabberwocky is slain and the Red Queen banished and the Knave with her and the White Queen wears the crown and I'm here - with - Alice."
The Hatter's last few words were nearly bit off, and as he spoke the last words, his eyes relaxed once more into their usual happy green. He turned back to me, smiling eagerly.
"Shall we go into the water?" I agreed with no qualms, having worn my bathing costume under my dress. I stood up, and hesitated for a moment before turning my back to Tarrant.
"Tarrant, can you... That is, would you... Unzip my dress?" Tarrant paused. He swallowed, staring at my back for a moment, tentatively resting his hands on my shoulders.
"Alice, my dear.. ah... How do you swim in the Abovelands?"
"With a bathing costume, sill - Ah, I see..." I stopped mid-sentence as I realized what the Hatter was getting at, blushing deeply.
"Ah, very good.." He seemed greatly relieved, and quickly undid the zip on my dress, whistling merrily. I smiled, slipping the edges off my shoulders as I turned to face him.
"Thank you, Tarrant!" I folded up my dress carefully, setting it on top of the picnic basket.
I couldn't say I was altogether pleased at the immensity of the Hatter's relief I wasn't bare beneath my dress, but I supposed it was better than being too centered around wanton desires...
Sorry, I realize that was a very boring chapter... I felt so bad for leaving you all without an update, but I wasn't sure where to go with the story so I figured I'd best post it and add on later. :)
