I Don't Think We're In Wonderland Anymore

Fingers tapped the glass table to the beat of the classical tune that played softly in the background. Tea was everywhere, held in a variety of different tea pots of all shapes and sizes. The Hatter liked tea, and couldn't choose just which one to have for this very special occasion, thus why she had just brought them all out, all sixty-seven tea pots, each holding a different flavor.

A devilish smile played about her pale lips as she poured herself another cup, this time a strawberry mango sort of tea. “Delicious, think not, Miss Hare?” Hatter asked as she used her toes to pick up a spoon and add just one scoop of sugar into her cup. “Ah, yes, the lemon milk tea has a unique taste. Would you prefer some chai tea instead?” The March Hare didn't actually reply, instead sat silently in her chair, much like a stuffed rabbit toy.

...Which was because that's what she was. A simple toy, yet Hatter's best and only friend. A stuffed animal friend was better than no friend, after all. Most people believed Hatter to be mad, thus the name “Mad Hatter”. It was the nice way of saying they thought she was on drugs (which wasn't the case, by the way.) She was simply an oddball, dubbed so by the Queen herself.

It all started when Her Majesty requested a special tea from Hatter's tea shop, and during the entire process, she had managed to piss the Queen off by blabbering on about trivial things (Hatter still argues to this day that those subjects are not trivial, except only to minds too incompetent to understand... She even said that to the Queen's face.) Being 'mad' wasn't exactly too far from the truth, Hatter was rather strange, talking to herself and coming up with crazy inventions and whatnot, but she wasn't full out mad. If anything, she'd call herself “gifted”. She asked questions without answers, she had answers with no questions, and if that is what makes a person mad, then so be it, she was mad.

Hatter shook her head to clear the thoughts of the Queen from her mind, her medium, pitch black hair getting all the more messier under that tall top hat. Reaching for a new tea cup with her pinky, she reached for a bright orange tea pot with her free foot, pulling both closer so she could poor the March Hare her cup of chai. Carefully, she placed the cup in front of the rabbit doll and smiled.

“Merry Unbirthday, Miss Hare. Cheers.”

"Tra la la"

A soft light voice was heard in the woods as it sang one of its songs with words too complicated complicated to understand. Not the difficult ones that makes the person open the dictionary book and search for the mean. No, she barely knew any of those words. However, the way she talks and put simple words together can drive the person crazy. Of course, she could talk normally. But why be normal when the fun is in watching people confused and frustrated with her sayings, and actions. Alice was a fun creature to give her some trouble, especially around the uptight Queen. Things always ended up with a huge chaos and laughter (on the cat's side) But now she's gone and Cheshire Cat had to find a new hobby toy to pester with.

It wasn't that easy. She practically pestered with everyone, only being the cute quiet cat to Duchess. But now she ran out of people and the only one that came in her mind that might spice up her time again was that crazy Mad Hatter. It was a bit impossible to drive that girl mad since she already owned the title however, it was always intriguing watching her talking to that stuffed animal acting as if it was a real rabbit. Maybe she should hide it...Keeping it as a hostage and see what Hatter was willing to do to get it back. Not to mention there was the mouse she could catch and have it for dinner.

Smirking at the idea, her mind flowing with thoughts of the little mischief plan, she made her way to Hatter's place where she spotted it right immediately as she followed the heavy sent of tea.

"Having tea with Noone, Miss Hatter?" she purred in the girl's ear and her human body started to appear sitting on the edge of the table in front of the woman. Cheshire Cat rarely showed her human form, only when was in a really mischief mood or simply bored. That day happened to be both.

Her short violet hair fell around her pink pale face, furry ear popping out from her head. Her body was covered in a velvet purple skin having only the chest down to her belly with no fur, and a huge furry tail trailed out from her bottom and wrapped around her waist to keep her a bit warm. Placing her bare feet on Hatter's knees, she leaned in to her and gave her her famous cheesy grin. "Mind if I join your small party? I am awfully thirsty for something juicy."

Hatter raised her eyebrows at the Cat, but had no real reaction other than that. “Oh, hello.” She said, almost bored, but her bright blue eyes continued to linger on the Cat. “Tea with no one? Nonsense, if there was any sense was to begin with. I have Miss March Hare here. It is her Unbirthday, after all.” She gave a nod in the direction of the stuffed rabbit. “Most every seat is taken, but if you would like, there is just one open, where that Alice girl sat before.” Ignoring the fact that the Cheshire Cat was on her knees, she lifted a leg gracefully to point to one of the many empty chairs with her toes.

Hatter was never one to pass up another guest to a tea party, simply because it was very rare when she had guests other than the sleepy mouse and March Hare. “May I offer you a cup of--”

A pause. Hatter's eyebrows knitted together as she suddenly reached into the pocket of her worn out, plaid pants and pulled out a silver pocket watch. “Oh, is it that time already?” Without another word, she suddenly stood from her seat, looking over the table carefully, as if it were some gigantic math equation she was trying to solve. After a few moments, she stepped up onto the table, carefully avoiding tea pots and pastries (yet didn't bother to look where she was stepping), and gracefully did a summersault, landing herself in a small blue chair.

“There, that's better.” She nodded to herself before looking back at the Cheshire Cat, “May I offer you a cup of tea, Miss Cat?”

Yellow cat eyes gazed back at what it suppose to be the March Hare and gave it a little smug, thinking of what she soon going to do to it. Oooh this is going to be fun. She'll get to see the wild part of Hatter, if she cared that much for the rabbit to begin with. Turning her face back to her, her eyes followed to were Hatter's foot was pointing and shrugged. "I don't need a chair for my paws, Miss Hatter. I like resting where no one but me can rest." she said with a nod, and was about to plant herself on Hatter's lap when she suddenly stood up and walked across the table.

Watching the crazy creature, Cat just chuckled to herself and went on the table herself only she walked towards the rabbit instead. Hatter was calm at the moment, and calm was boring for Cheshire Cat.

"Oh no, Miss Hatter. I prefer some fresh milk, that is if you can offer me some." Her attention was all on the motionless rabbit, sitting there taking no notice of the human cat as she approached to it and sat right next to March Hare with her legs crossed and a long velvet arm arm around it.

"So, Hatter. Care much for you precious hare?"

Hatter's smile twitched ever so slightly. No tea? What was the point in that? But, she didn't say much and just nodded and took off her top hat, reaching into it and pulling out a tea cup with sapphire colored kitten paw prints on it. At least she could put the milk in a tea cup, making the milk inside the cup a sort of tea, just with a large amount of milk, and no tea...but it was still tea, if it were in a tea cup. The Hatter smiled to herself at the logic and poured some milk into the cup before sliding it over to the Cheshire Cat and placing her hat back in place upon her head.

She was completely oblivious to the Cat's sinister plans, the hat-bearing girl could be a bit dense at times. “Oh yes, Miss Hare and I get along quite well. Sometimes I wonder what I'd do without her here to keep me company...” Hatter looked over at the two, “Odd though, normally she is quite the chatter box, but with you here, she must have gone shy.”

Reaching to her left, Hatter grabbed a small pastry from a plate, and balanced it on her pointer finger. “But not to worry, she'll warm up to you quickly enough, Miss Cat.” She popped the pastry into her mouth, chewing and swallowing it before she took another sip of tea.

She could tell Miss Hatter didn't like the whole idea of having milk instead tea. After all, what's the point of a tea party with no tea? However, the Cat wasn't much for tea except the delicious creamy milk some put for taste. At least, Hatter had some to satisfy her, no wonder the milk was in a cup of tea. She reached out for the cup and brought it next to her mouth and lap it up with her tongue. Although she looked human, Cheshire Cat was still a cat and acted just like a cat.

Chatter box? She couldn't help herself but laugh at that statement. It wasn't that March Hare was simply a toy, but the fact that Cat had never heard it talk. It was sweet though; she was intimidating the sweet little hare. That made a smirk curl up on her pink lips.

"Then I guess you wouldn't mind me and her leave the party and have our own time, would you, Miss Hatter?" she asked, grabbing the toy by the waist as she stood up and started to march her way towards the little gate with a huge grin playing across her face.

Hatter's eyes wandered the table, in search for another tea to have. Oh, so many to choose from! She fumbled with the checkered tie around her neck as she decided what to have. After little thought, she extended her foot once more, this time pressing an orange button with her pinky-toe, causing a small train to come around with several pots in tow.

Hatter turned and watched the Cheshire Cat lap up her milk while she picked up one of the passing pots and poured herself another cup of green tea. The Cat was cute, and she wondered for a moment why people talked so poorly of Miss Cat, she seemed nice to the Hatter.

But any thought of the Cat being cute or nice disappeared as soon as she picked up the March Hare. Hatter's eyes widened greatly, and she even almost dropped her tea! "No! Please don't! She doesn't want to go off and play today!" The stuffed toy seemed terrified as she was dragged off by the Cheshire Cat, poor, helpless Miss Hare! Hatter quickly stood, setting her tea down and leaving her party behind. She must go save Miss Hare from that dreadful Cat before something horrid happens!

At last. Things started to get interesting around here. Hatter's frightened eyes and plead, begging not to take March Hare away from her made Cheshire Cat's heart skip a beat with happiness and giggled, holding the hare tighter in her arm. "Not to worry, Miss Hatter. Seriously, you should not not worry about her. I promise I will not harm or take care of her properly." she assured her though spoke as if she would do either of what she just said, or not.

Starting to sing one of her songs with a purring voice, she moved the hare over her back in a piggyback lift and skipped her way out of Mad Hatter's property, though making sure she was following the cat but not too close to catch her. "We're going to have so much fun together along with myself. I'll make sure to warm you up with me, Miss Hare, you don't have to be so frightened and shy around me. I'm fun!"

Her bare feet hit the forest ground softly, barely touching it at all. Hatter was actually quite a fast runner, but she couldn't seem to quite reach the Cat, who seemed to be having a blast. "She'll never warm up to you if you do that!" Hatter stated in almost a pitiful voice. The Cheshire Cat seemed so amused by the situation, well, that was the last time she'd offer the Cat a cup of tea for sure! "Miss Cat! Return her this instance before something bad happens!"

It took a lot to anger the Hatter, but if this kept up, the Cat would be one of the very few people who saw the Hatter's bad side. "This isn't funny!" She felt a pinch of annoyance at this whole situation and pushed herself to run faster. She leaped over a fallen log with a flip, landed with only her left foot, and continued her chase before one could catch their breath. She watched Miss Hare bounce on the Cat's shoulders, she looked like a mere rag doll! The poor thing! Hatter gritted her teeth, she wouldn't let the Cat get away with this! Miss Hare was an innocent person, Miss Cat had no right being so mean to her!