paixaorpg | Will You Won’t You Join The Dance? [Active]

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Will You Won’t You Join The Dance? [Active]

Character(s): The Mad Hatter and Alice Liddell (AM)
Content: Meeting over the Message Board, the Mad Hatter meets up with a much different darker version of Alice than the one he knew before.
Setting: Joutenheim Gates
Time: Mid-Day
Warnings: Nothing Whatsoever, Most Likely

One wouldn’t want to walk among mad people. However, the Mad Hatter thought it best to meet this girl named Alice, who seemed to have a different odd history. A history he was quite unfamiliar with, a talk of corruption that spread throughout his home world Wonderland. And what of his being have trying to kill her. No no, this had to be a different Wonderland certainly, and a different Alice. However, she had to be the one and same. For there can only be one of one person and not of two.

There are two sides to everything, and if this was the side of Alice that grew up on the other side, than it must be the one and the same. Just, much much older and with different memory than that of her younger self. Not that he saw anything wrong with that, just as long as she knew, that he was not a threat than the Hatter from her recent memory.

The Mad Hatter made his way toward the gates of the giants. He remembered stepping through those same gates, several weeks ago himself. The first person he met was the Alice he was familiar with. The young curious child that had a tendency to be oh so sure she was right all the time and proved insistent upon many subjects. Yes that was his Alice all right, the only friend he knew from Wonderland that was here at least. And now he supposed it was his turn to do the same for this Alice.

Going through the crowd, that Hatter stopped in his tracks. Was this the girl? She bore the same eyes as his dear Alice, but her looks seemed to be… Faded. Her dress was the same yet, it was not, so dark and torn. The poor thing didn’t seemed to be well kept at all! The Mad Hatter stood speechless for a moment at the sight, it seemed that her memory might have some proof to the truth. What has happened to his Wonderland… And…. His….

“Alice?” The Mad Hatter spoke, lifting his gloved hand toward her, questioning if he himself was right. And here he thought he knew anything and everything. But here…. Here he was not certain at all.

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Giving a mournful nod with a pout. “Oh how true, how true, those horrid Dandelions. They were oh so sneaky and dirty little flowers. Why couldn’t they be as pure and sweet as a pond lily?” Lifting an eyebrow, the Hatter thought out loud, “Although, they are not on the tough ground as the others. Pond lilies tend to be loose due to lucid gentle breeze from the water. It’s a liquid, much more fluid than something as solid as the ground after all.”

While the Mad Hatter discussed the difference between a flower on the ground versus the liquid, he motioned one hand fist punching for solidness, then the other waving his hand up and down like waves in a pond. Then on the mention of milk, the Mad Hatter grinned and choose the milk of his liking and skipped down the rest of the aisle.

“Oh I think we are just about set!” Skidding to halt, the Mad Hatter raised his finger in the air as if he had an important announcement, and cried out “Ooooooooh! THE BUBBLES!!” At once he rushed away toward the aisle with the soap. Chattering along the way, “BUBBLES BUBBLES BUBBLBLEEBEEBOBUBBLESYES…” Glaring at one of his favorite bars of soap, and grabbing it instantly off the shelf holding it close to him looking rather indignant, “Yes...Bubbles, these are the very best, no one knows the best, only I know, they very best of...”

Breathes in, eyes directing downward dramatically, his right eye lid twitching a bit as he exhaled, “The bubbles.”

"Now, now," replied Alice dryly, "I'm sure not all dandelions are horrid. If I recall, the roses were perfectly capable of being terrible. All those thorns, and the fact that the Queen liked them didn't help." As for the lilies, Alice sometimes found them boring, but truth be told, she was rather fond of water lilies. Still, she said nothing, merely letting the Hatter prattle on.

"Bubbles?" Oh, there he went again, and Alice chased after Hatter nimbly. "I'm afraid it's been quite awhile since I've had anything to do with bubbles." She'd usually ended up bathing herself quickly in near-freezing water, something that hadn't helped her health. She hadn't had time for bubbles.

The Mad Hatter took a few different soap colors and gave some to Alice, now giving a big goofy grin. After all, it’s been a while since he’s had fun shopping with someone. The Mad Hatter pointed to the different colors, “That one smells like strawberries, that one is lavender, that one is orange. Oooo! Oooo! Cinnamon too, which one do you like the best? Go ahead and smell them. I personally think the Lavender is just dandy don’t you? But I would prefer it if they had a Moon Fruit scent.”

Giving a little chuckle, the Hatter seemed pleased with their selection so far, “After this we shall venture forth to the New Hope! They should have good selection of clothes for you there-OOOO! I can make you a hat perhaps afterward, no one knows how to make the most perfect hats after all.” He gestured to himself with an utmost pose that indicated that he was indeed the very best of the best at hat making. Tilting his Hat at that even.

Alice leaned over, giving each a careful sniff and making a face at the cinnamon. "I think I like the lavender scented one the best," she decided, placing it in the basket. She felt a little off-balance; it had been so long since anyone asked or cared about her opinion (besides her old nanny), and she was currently attempted to make up for it by acting as if this was all perfectly normal. Whether it was actually working or not was anybody's guess.

"The New Hope?" asked Alice in reply, raising a skeptical eyebrow. That sounded a bit... ridiculous, to be frank, but why not? She could definitely use some clothing that wasn't dirty or practically falling apart at the seams. She ignored the hat comment for the moment, her uneasiness rising to the surface again. Could Hatter truly have changed, or never have gotten the way Alice had last seen him to begin with?

The Mad Hatter skipped ahead leading down to the cashier aisle. Still within his own mind, that everything was just dandy now that their basket had those scented bubble makers. After all the Mad Hatter still knew he was having fun as he spoke to Alice, “Yes, New Hope. That’s what she called it anyway, the Goddess lady person thing, Urn I think is what she’s known by. Haven’t spoken to her myself, but she’s quite known by a lot. She has these weird purple paint stains on her head and cheeks, she really should get them looked at I’d say. It could be quite a mess later if she doesn’t.”

Paying the cashier the Mad Hatter went on and on as he led the way out of the shop for Alice. “I once had a nasty paint mark on my leg, I thought for sure the paint would turn to crisp or worse! Perhaps Urn would like some ice or butter or sour cream. You think sour cream would work for the skin? I find it quite refreshing, the March Hare once told me I should put Kiwis on my eyes, but I thought what good would that do? I shouldn’t put birds on my eyes, they’d fly off! Honestly, I can’t imagine anyone who would want a bird on them unless they’re a pirate. Hook and all, and one of those eye patches and they all go YARRRG, AAGGGH.” He emphasized snarling with one eye open and his hand up as a hook next to Alice, really he doesn’t look menacing at all, he just looks ridiculously silly, “Walk the plank, I’m a terrible pirate who likes to hunt for balloons!”

Alice raised an eyebrow at her companion. She'd never heard of a goddess called Urn, not in all the books in her father's library. But then, this was a very strange world, and it was certainly nothing like the London she had left behind; perhaps she was a goddess from another world. Alice simply followed the Mad Hatter out, her mind wandering absently as he rambled, thinking of Wonderland and Houndsditch (not that she was at all sorry to leave London behind).

That, of course, meant she only gave the Hatter a blank look, having only caught the last of his gabbling. "I'd have thought pirates were more likely to hunt for treasure, myself."

The Mad Hatter, still using his hand as if it was hook, tapped his chin in thought as they walked together through Paixao towards New Hope’s direction. “Hm, but isn’t balloons a type of treasure if you find them? They could be fun things you know~. Why I know just the other day Genie and I were discussing about Balloon Animals and how they make such amusing tea party guests. I never had them as guests before, but I’m sure they would be such a delight. I wouldn’t think any of them to be full of hot air, only the cool kind. If they were full of hot air they’d be the worse kind of balloon. The poppy kind,” the Hatter said with a nod confirming his own belief.

"I don't really like balloons," said Alice. Balloons always popped or flew away, and there wasn't really much point to them. She had liked them when she was younger, but then she'd had other things on her mind, like Rutledge. "I don't like it when they pop, either," she agreed. "Popping always makes such an annoying sound." Then again, the fact that she tended toward migraines, especially after one of Bumby's sessions, meant she had grown rather averse to loud noises in general.

“Oh they are very rude indeed,” the Mad Hatter nodded in agreement, “They needn’t be so loud either, everyone knows they popped they don’t need to make such an announcement!” Skipping ahead of Alice, the Mad Hatter, spun around to walk backwards as he spoke to Alice, a big goofy grin was on his face, “But we don’t need balloons to have a good time you know. We can have anyone and anything we want, as long as we know they’re to be frabjous!”

Continuing to walk backwards the Mad Hatter, had a method to his walking which seemed rather rhyme in time, like he knew what exactly what to do when doing something completely backwards. He addressed Alice, “I know a few here who are quite fascinating, Rapunzel, Genie, the Doctor, Basil, Iroh, and Flynn of course Flynn. I wouldn’t mind having tea with any of them.”

Hatter looked up in thought, waving his hands to and through in conversation, “But between you and me, dear Flynn must lighten up, or at least know which castle he’s in before he starts out. Very confused lad, he thought he wasn’t in the castle! But I can understand if he wanted in, so he can go out, but you wouldn’t have to be in to be out. Because you’re already out by the looks of it, and if you can’t get in to get out, then you’re already out of place and out of time. Understand?”

To be honest, Alice had never been the most social of creatures. A rather lonely childhood combined with her years in Rutledge meant she'd grown to prefer pushing others away or ignoring them, rather than draw near. She'd only ever been fond of people in Wonderland after the deaths of everyone in her family, and even that had changed when she'd found herself in the corrupted version.She wasn't surprised, however, when the Mad Hatter rattled off a list of the friends he made, though she was a little put off by the mention of a names.

"I'm not usually fond of doctors," she told him, "not after the asylum. And did you really mention a genie and Rapunzel, or have I simply lost my hearing along with my mind?" How could they be in a castle? The city looked far too large to be able to fit inside of a castle, but then, Alice had known stranger things, and she still wasn't entirely certain she hadn't simply gone irrevocably insane this time.

The Mad Hatter hummed at thought of the Doctor, “Well he doesn’t seem like the stuck up type that shove medicine or pills or other icky yucky stuff like that. Yet again I don’t need a doctor I’m in perfect shape, knock on terracotta.” He said taking out a teacup, and knocked on it for good luck, putting it back in his pocket. The Mad Hatter continued to walk backwards on their way to the New Hope. Hoping across the inquisitions Alice asked.

“Yes of course a genie! Very remarkable fellow indeed, we share SO much in common~ I should introduce you. He’d be a wonderful guest to have at tea! And yes yes, Rapunzel is here as well, very sweet young girl, longest hair I’ve ever did see. I would say it needed cutting, but I’m afraid it’s outgrown that statement far too long for that, probably wouldn’t do much good at all at this rate,” the Mad Hatter recalled the both of them humbly, as he finally decided to turn around to walk along side with Alice. Glancing toward the shop the Mad Hatter noticed they were almost there, “So as you can see, your hearing is doing just fine, no need for cotton swabs eh?”

"I'll take your word for it," Alice replied dryly. "I still don't like Doctors." Even Dr. Bumby had been putting Alice on edge lately, what with his strange fascination with her Wonderland. Still, he was the doctor, and Alice his patient, and so she had no choice but to allow her to do as he pleased. Besides, being able to forget everything was tempting, especially after what Alice had gone through. Just thinking about it made her feel ill, so she pushed those thoughts away and focused on following the Hatter to the shop for whatever else they needed.

She almost smiled to herself a bit, remembering the fairy tale of Rapunzel. "Does it really want cutting?" she asked. "Perhaps it's as it should be." At least she wasn't hallucinating that much, to yet. But then, the Hatter had always been quite whimsical, and she still wasn't certain this was a dream herself.

“Fair enough,” The Mad Hatter hummed, not particularly caring whether she liked doctors or not. I mean doctors are doctors, hens are hens, and squealers are stool pigeons. He opened the door to the shop for Alice and himself again. Straightening his coat he looked around outfits.

“Now! To find you a dress, something blue I think,” the Mad Hatter stuck out his tongue as he started to look through some of the dresses for Alice, trying to see what seemed perfect for her or at least appropriate. “Orange could work too, or perhaps green, are you a green or a blue? Or perhaps a pink? I prefer the darker shade of pink, you can’t go with the bright, unless you choose yellow, yellow is a nice a color when it’s shaded I say. Ooooo This one has lace and bows! How adorable!” It wasn’t so much surprising that the Mad Hatter seemed a little bit thrilled at the moment. He was very fond of fashion. Although he preferred it if he were the one making outfits. But honestly, he was the best at hats and only hats. Still, the idea of dressing up and looking frabjous seemed like a delightful time to be wasting on.

Alice wrinkled her nose. "I don't care much about color, I suppose, as long as it's not ridiculous," she replied. "But I'm not very much someone who likes the color orange." She examined a pretty but serviceable green dress and picked it up. It would do her some good to have clothing that wasn't consistently filthy and slightly tattered. She gave the frilly dress the Hatter had chosen a sideways glance - she wasn't a little girl any more. "Perhaps something a little less childish," she responded, looking at a blue dress with a white apron, rather similar to the one she'd worn in Wonderland a while ago, save for the planetary symbols and the lack of blood splattered across it.

The Mad Hatter tilted his head, less childish? He looked back at the dress eyebrow lifted, it’s childish? It looks rather lacey and bowey to him. That’s what girls wore, right? Bows and fluffy stuff or at least that’s what she wore the last time he saw her. When she was much smaller. Perhaps it wasn’t mushrooms at all, perhaps it was indeed time itself. The Mad Hatter lowered the dress in slight thought to himself, so was she right? Was she older now, he always supposed that time stopped in Wonderland, was it just for him then? Yet again, she did go to that place, Houndsderp he thinks it was called. Perhaps time had past there. Yes, time did pass with her didn’t it, how so suddenly he can’t imagine. She was young just moments ago here, or at least that’s how he sees it.

“Time is different here…” the Mad Hatter spoke to himself as he put the dress back, looking almost confused, “You’re not you, well you are you, but you’re different you. An older you, I do believe I almost forgotten that for a moment there. I mean not in a way that’s-Rather… Very confusing…” Rubbing his temple the Mad Hatter seemed rather in pain, or at least a bad headache came about. Though it’s because he was trying to concentrate, to try and remember what she said. It was very, VERY hard, for him, “Well time does keep going for you I suppose, not for me, it stops for me. Although Father Time isn’t here, I don’t suppose he is, I haven’t seen him nor do I think he followed me here. Is that what happens when you leave here or Wonderland? Does time catch up?”

Honestly the Mad Hatter wasn’t sure what to make of all this. It was rather confusing for him. No doubt his spoken thoughts out loud will probably confuse her as well. Though that wasn’t unusual for someone like him. He supposes the real question is, “And should I worry about it if it does?”

Alice listened to the Hatter, her gaze sharp and almost sad, though she stubbornly refused to admit, inside or out, how his questioning pained her. The Hatter near her, who had been helpful in his own mad way, had been long gone by Alice's last visit to Wonderland. The young woman turned, busying herself with picking up the blue dress and white apron up, along with some striped stockings. Despite listening to the Mad Hatter's wonderings, she remained silent for several long moments.

At last, she answered. "Time continues while I'm in Wonderland," she replied, her back turned to Hatter. During her time at Rutledge's Asylum, Alice had found her way into Wonderland while she was enduring one horrific treatment, only to wake up in the middle of another. Thankfully, while she had been in her own world, Alice hadn't felt much in the way of the pain her doctors and nurses had thoughtlessly inflicted upon her and the other patients.

The Mad Hatter breathed in slightly when he looked back at her. His gloved hand held on to the rack, if time had indeed continued. And turned her out the way she is, and her experience recalled a much worse Hatter in her experience or so it would seem. He looked down trying to understand, he bit his lip. The Mad Hatter stood in silence, and thought to himself trying his best not say it out loud, I don’t want time to continue if something bad were to us as friends.

“Alice…” the Mad Hatter said, his voice wavered with uncertainty at first but then spoke right, “We must waste more time, if we waste more time, will be murdering time. And if we murder time, Father Time will get upset! And he’ll stop time again!” He said with a little giggle, “That’s it! If we waste so much time, then he’ll have to freeze it and it won’t start up again, not for me or you! Ohohooho, yes clever idea if I do say so myself! I have no idea what we’ll waste time on, maybe we should play a round of checkers or chess. Or perhaps keep having tea with crumpets and cake and-And pudding! Yes we can waste time by making pudding!!” It was almost desperate the Mad Hatter was trying to think of ways to fix seemed to be the eventual situation. To him this was the best solution, the maddest solution, but the very best! Really, the Mad Hatter didn’t want anything wrong to happen, or to think that it could. And that there was always some kind of way of solving problems or any way.

As the Hatter remained silent for the moment, Alice picked a few more dresses out, ones that seemed as though they would fit her. If worst came to worst, she could always buy a sewing kit, or perhaps the Hatter would be willing to make some adjustments. Considering how thin she was, it was always a possibility. Even so, Alice still doubted that she wasn't hallucinating - in fact, she was fairly certain she was. Either that, or dreaming; this place was much nicer than anything Alice's twisted mind could come up with.

The young woman whirled around to face the Hatter as he rambled on even more maniacally than she had recalled him doing, eyes sharp and bright in her pale face. She said nothing, her mouth drawn, her gaze fixed on the Mad Hatter.

There was a little moment of silence that seemed to just echo between the Hatter and Alice that seemed to have last almost a lifetime for him. Staring into her eyes, he looked lost, confused. Searching for any possible answer or confirmation of what he can do, and if it will be all right, because he wasn’t sure himself. The Mad Hatter didn’t seem to find any, his eyes glazed over to the ground, and gave a little smile. All important answers seem to be lost anyway, but he guesses that’s alright, “You know Alice… I still haven’t figured it out.”

The Mad Hatter looked back at Alice, the small smile still on his face, trying to focus back on her as his mind began to wonder again, “If I am ever so lucky perhaps you know by now… Why is a raven, like a writing desk?”

The silence seemed to stretch out forever, though Alice would not be the one to break it. So she merely stared at him, watching the Hatter turn from manic and cheerful (though some of that was almost certainly forced) to vulnerable and almost sad. At last, the unpleasant spell was broken, and a slightly amused smirk crept onto the young woman's face.

"Because it can produce a few notes, though they are very flat, and it is never put with the wrong end in front," replied Alice, with a nod. She'd had plenty of time to think about it in the asylum; it, and other similar fripperies, had been what kept her lucid - but only so much. She had always and ever fallen back into the abyss of her madness, but perhaps that was over now - but no. She doubted it ever would be.

The Mad Hatter’s eyes widen a bit, a gleam of light shined a bit in his iris. His buckteeth hovering over his lip after Alice answered the riddle. Of all his life no one was able to know the answer, or at least he hadn’t thought anyone would actually take the time to try and think of one. Honestly, he didn’t expect it! Somehow he’d knew though. The Mad Hatter knew that Alice would be the first to know, since she was also the first to try and think of an answer. A smile grew into a wide grin, until he finally gave a little laugh of true delight, “You did it! You figured it out and here I-Thought-Well I’ll be a caught in butter and jam, this is just frabjous! I’m so glad you came up with the answer!”

Tilting the rim of a Hat, the mad man looked down at Alice with a true smile. Finally, someone that actually thought about what the Hatter had to say. His voice now more soft in admiration, “And I’m glad you were the first… Thank you.”

Now that the Mad Hatter was finally able to get himself to concentrate on Alice, he noticed the dress she picked out. “Oooo, That looks stylish, and stripes always look best on you my dear, still may need a hat for it of course,” The Hatter said, looking at the dress over it’s design and style. All in all he seemed to be enjoying himself again.

The ghost of what was almost a smile curved Alice's lips for a moment at the Hatter's happiness. Honestly, she'd forgotten how charming he could be. But knowing what he would become - did become - meant the moment wasn't quite as lovely as it might have been, and Alice busied herself with brushing off the dresses. "I've never been one for wearing hats," she commented, " but perhaps." She moved to pay for the items, figuring she had enough in clothing for the moment - Alice didn't particularly care about that sort of thing, as long as it was serviceable (even if she did occasionally think of different kinds of clothing, it was incidental to the rest of her imaginings).

That done, she took the bags in hand. "Well then, what next?" she asked the Hatter, in a slightly better mood than when this all began. At least she wasn't in London any longer.

“Well let’s see, dress, soap, cake thingies,” The Mad Hatter waved his finger counting the stuff they were able to accomplish today. He then gave a nod, and then proceeded to ramble on as usual, “I believe we’ve got it all in order! No-Wait-Alphabetical or Counter-Clockwise? No no no, I believe I got myself in the middle there, or was it with a melon? Do we have melon? No! No that’s just silly Alice, why would we need a melon for cake? It wouldn’t fit in the batter! Unless we find the small kind, do they grow from the ground? I believe they do, I hope not next to those darn flowers though. I wouldn’t want my cake talking back to me!”

As the Mad Hatter talked on and on, he led Alice out the door to streets of Paixao. He clapped his gloved hands together. “I do believe it’s time for us to head home! Then we can have some tea!” the Mad Hatter said in glee, he looked over at the bags offering a hand to carry one of them, “Hm. That’s not too much for you is it?”

"I don't believe melons would go well with cake," replied Alice, who had never heard of such a thing. Then again, it was the Mad Hatter, and she was more than used to his ways. She rather thought that peaches, or perhaps strawberries, would go rather in a cake - or other kinds of berries. As she walked, her mind wandered; she didn't very much think she'd enjoy her cake talking back, either. It would be a terrible distraction while she was trying to eat it, and Alice wasn't certain it wouldn't entirely put her off her tea time altogether.

A moment, and the Hatter's question jolted Alice out of her thoughts. She thought a moment, and nodded, allowing Hatter to carry one of her bags. It was a small gesture of attempted trust, and barely there, but Alice wanted to push the limits of her own memories of what the Mad Hatter had become in her own mind.

The Mad Hatter gave a smile back as he took one of the bags for her. Really, he did have some memory of what how a gentleman should behave. But what fragmented him really was the pieces of his mind, which he dares to say, are scattered here, there, and across the square. Sometimes over a hexagon. As the Mad Hatter properly put the bag carefully on his arm, he continued to lead the way home for Alice and him. He continued on with his ramble.

“By the by, Alice, I’ve been trying to think of words that start with letter, B,” The Mad Hatter spoke, “Bumble, brash, bugger, buzz, bunnies, books, braids. See I was thinking of writing a poem consisting of nothing but B words, so it would all come out b-eautiful in the beginning.” He gave a big grin at himself, after it was a very clever pun if he does say so himself.

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Will You Won’t You Join The Dance? [Active]

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I am so sorry. D: /fails forever

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