By Hook or By Crook - Concept Scenes
“You sure about this Hatter?” March pressed seriously as the two waited in a room off to the side of the Looking Glass, “There’s no coming back if you change your mind.”
Hatter raised an eyebrow skeptically at him, “Seeing as how I’ve called in just about all of my favors for this trip. I think we can safely say that the time to back out has long since passed yeah?”
“True enough,” March shrugged unconcerned now and looked out the door before cracking out a crick in his neck, “Let’s make it look good then.”
David Hatter only just managed to catch himself as he shot out of the Looking Glass. Moaning as his arm was unable to hold him up and he rolled over to lay flat on his back. Fuck me…that hurt,” he groaned before moving his right arm up to wipe off the blood from his spilt lip. Attempting to stand proved that Marchie had likely bruised a few ribs as well, but none of it was damage that wouldn’t heal up in a day or two. With the show they’d up on for the techs running the mirror though, no one was likely to look into his ‘banishment’ from Wonderland outside of work gossip.
He felt a moment of pure panic as he groped about in his jacket pocket for what seemed to be a missing item before the euphoric rush filled him as he finally grasped the miniature trunk. Hatter’s entire life was in that trunk as it contained not only the money from selling his shop and valuables, but the papers that would prove his citizenship to this world. His entire life fit in that one box right now.
Looking outside the unfinished building in the construction site the Looking Glass had so violently deposited him, he could see the a single waning moon like a Cheshire’s grin hung high in the sky and me smiled back at it. His escape did feel very Cheshire worthy after all and he took his first breath deep breath of freedom out from under the Queen’s rule.
“Morning Alice,” the freckled red head chirped a greeting at the brunette walking in the door; sending curious looks to the far side where tarps were being set up.
“Hey Chloe,” she distractedly replied as she stopped in front of the other side of the counter, “Are you guys closing the cafe? I thought business had picked up?”
Chloe’s look became serious as she paused in preparing Alice’s usual drink, “Actually…they were thinking of closing if we didn’t bring in better numbers by the end of this month, but thankfully some guy bought the place instead.” She smiled brightly before continuing, “He’s got this wicked vision to redesign the place so we will be shuting down for a few weeks while that gets done but…oh Alice it’ll be so amazing when we do reopen!”
Alice smiled at her enthusiasm and paid for her usual morning drink before taking a sip and sighing contently, “Will it really take that long? I don’t know what I’ll do with out my daily fix.”
“Pretty sure,” Chloe shrugged and then peered to her left at the people moving about down there. She pointed as her eye caught sight of one of them, “You can go ask the new owner if you want though. Name’s David. He’s got a squashed brown hat on his head and devilishly cute. See ‘em?
Alice looked down that way and seeing only one person in a hat, nodded that she did before waving a goodbye and carefully picking her way across the floor to speak with the new owner of her favorite café. Just as she was about to tap him on the shoulder to get his attention however, he spun around suddenly in her direction; throwing off her balance and narrowly avoiding knocking her drink out of her hand, and all over her.
“Whoa! Sorry about that,” the man apologized in a thick British accent and helped to steady her, “Can I help you find something then? It’s a bit tricky down at this end right now ya see, and I wouldn’t want you take a spill.” He grinned widely as he released her and Alice had to admit to herself that the image was satisfyingly attractive.
“It’s my fault,” she protested, “Chloe told me you were the new owner and I just had some questions about how long the place might be closed during the remodeling.” Alice raised the cup in her right hand a little higher and smiled, “I don’t know how I’ll survive finals week without my morning cup.”
He gestured to the cup, “May I?”
Confused and slightly curious, Alice reluctantly parted with what might be the last cup of tea she’d be getting for weeks and passed it to the new owner’s waiting hands. He expertly pulled off the lid and took a whiff of the hot contents and closed him eyes for a second or two before reattaching the top and passing her drink back. “Chinese Black tea with a splash of the vanilla hazelnut cream?” he purposed and Alice gaped for a minute before grinning widely.
“Wow…at least I know the place will still be good hands,” she chuckled lightly.
“Yeah, we’ll be carrying my own special blends on the new menu as well,” he gestured back to the counter with another charming grin, “Care for a free sample?”
Hatter raised an eyebrow skeptically at him, “Seeing as how I’ve called in just about all of my favors for this trip. I think we can safely say that the time to back out has long since passed yeah?”
“True enough,” March shrugged unconcerned now and looked out the door before cracking out a crick in his neck, “Let’s make it look good then.”
David Hatter only just managed to catch himself as he shot out of the Looking Glass. Moaning as his arm was unable to hold him up and he rolled over to lay flat on his back. Fuck me…that hurt,” he groaned before moving his right arm up to wipe off the blood from his spilt lip. Attempting to stand proved that Marchie had likely bruised a few ribs as well, but none of it was damage that wouldn’t heal up in a day or two. With the show they’d up on for the techs running the mirror though, no one was likely to look into his ‘banishment’ from Wonderland outside of work gossip.
He felt a moment of pure panic as he groped about in his jacket pocket for what seemed to be a missing item before the euphoric rush filled him as he finally grasped the miniature trunk. Hatter’s entire life was in that trunk as it contained not only the money from selling his shop and valuables, but the papers that would prove his citizenship to this world. His entire life fit in that one box right now.
Looking outside the unfinished building in the construction site the Looking Glass had so violently deposited him, he could see the a single waning moon like a Cheshire’s grin hung high in the sky and me smiled back at it. His escape did feel very Cheshire worthy after all and he took his first breath deep breath of freedom out from under the Queen’s rule.
“Morning Alice,” the freckled red head chirped a greeting at the brunette walking in the door; sending curious looks to the far side where tarps were being set up.
“Hey Chloe,” she distractedly replied as she stopped in front of the other side of the counter, “Are you guys closing the cafe? I thought business had picked up?”
Chloe’s look became serious as she paused in preparing Alice’s usual drink, “Actually…they were thinking of closing if we didn’t bring in better numbers by the end of this month, but thankfully some guy bought the place instead.” She smiled brightly before continuing, “He’s got this wicked vision to redesign the place so we will be shuting down for a few weeks while that gets done but…oh Alice it’ll be so amazing when we do reopen!”
Alice smiled at her enthusiasm and paid for her usual morning drink before taking a sip and sighing contently, “Will it really take that long? I don’t know what I’ll do with out my daily fix.”
“Pretty sure,” Chloe shrugged and then peered to her left at the people moving about down there. She pointed as her eye caught sight of one of them, “You can go ask the new owner if you want though. Name’s David. He’s got a squashed brown hat on his head and devilishly cute. See ‘em?
Alice looked down that way and seeing only one person in a hat, nodded that she did before waving a goodbye and carefully picking her way across the floor to speak with the new owner of her favorite café. Just as she was about to tap him on the shoulder to get his attention however, he spun around suddenly in her direction; throwing off her balance and narrowly avoiding knocking her drink out of her hand, and all over her.
“Whoa! Sorry about that,” the man apologized in a thick British accent and helped to steady her, “Can I help you find something then? It’s a bit tricky down at this end right now ya see, and I wouldn’t want you take a spill.” He grinned widely as he released her and Alice had to admit to herself that the image was satisfyingly attractive.
“It’s my fault,” she protested, “Chloe told me you were the new owner and I just had some questions about how long the place might be closed during the remodeling.” Alice raised the cup in her right hand a little higher and smiled, “I don’t know how I’ll survive finals week without my morning cup.”
He gestured to the cup, “May I?”
Confused and slightly curious, Alice reluctantly parted with what might be the last cup of tea she’d be getting for weeks and passed it to the new owner’s waiting hands. He expertly pulled off the lid and took a whiff of the hot contents and closed him eyes for a second or two before reattaching the top and passing her drink back. “Chinese Black tea with a splash of the vanilla hazelnut cream?” he purposed and Alice gaped for a minute before grinning widely.
“Wow…at least I know the place will still be good hands,” she chuckled lightly.
“Yeah, we’ll be carrying my own special blends on the new menu as well,” he gestured back to the counter with another charming grin, “Care for a free sample?”