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akainagiTen More Trips Through Wonderland (Trips 15-20)
Author:AkaiNagi
Rating: PG
Pairing: Alice/Tarrant
Summary: Prompts 5-10/10 (Table 2) from![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-community.gif)
10_prompts
Prompt: Hold On
He hadn’t even realized the madness had come upon him until it had nearly passed. One moment he had been carrying on an entirely pleasant conversation with Alice. And then the storm was upon him, triggered by words or memories or maybe just some cruel trick of his thoroughly ghastly mind. He saw red and black and blood and fire and when he came back to himself his voice was hoarse from screaming and his neck bore fresh scratches, inflicted by his own hands. And there was the sound of a woman crying. As his vision swam back into focus he saw Alice, dear Alice, standing in front of him, trembling with tears streaming down cheeks gone pale with fear.
Surely he had frightened her, terrified her; he terrified himself sometimes.
With a leaden heart, he waited for her to flee. Driven away by her fear and by the depth and breadth of his madness.
Instead, limitless in her ability to surprise, she launched herself towards him, wrapping her arms around him and burying her face against his injured neck. Holding onto him with a ferocity and a desperation that belied her small size.
“Hatter,” she whispered tearfully, “I’m scared.”
I’m fine, he almost said automatically. But he would not lie to her. His own voice trembled slightly. “Alice … I wouldn’t hurt you for all the world … but I go quite mad, you see. There’s nothing to be done for it I’m afraid.”
She pulled away to look in his eyes, brining her fine-boned hands to frame his face. Amazing how that simple gesture calmed his soul so.
“I’m not afraid for myself, Hatter. I’m afraid that one day you won’t come back to me.”
He wished he could promise her that that would never happen, but again he would not lie to her. Instead, he promised the only thing he could. “Alice, if anyone can bring me back, it is you.”
Prompt: I’m Here
It was impossibly early when Alice was awakened by the knock on her bedroom door. Impossibly early considering it was the morning after the Frabjous day and everyone had been up reveling until nearly dawn.
She thought of ignoring it, but the knock was so insistent that she was afraid it was something serious.
She stumbled, bleary eyed, out of bed. Pulling on a dressing gown, she made her way to the door, pulling it open sharply, as she was slightly peeved at having her slumber interrupted.
She was greeted by the Hatter, who stood in the doorway with a fearful expression on his face.
But the second he caught sight of Alice, dressing gown and all, the most beatific smile spread across his face and he breathed a sigh of what Alice took as profound relief.
“You’re still here.”
Alice made a show of examining her person. “Apparently. Why wouldn’t I be?”
“You see I woke up this morning and thought that perhaps it was a dream. You deciding to stay here, I mean. After all, I am half mad, as you yourself pointed out, and it would be like a half-mad person to dream up an imaginary Alice.” He stopped for a moment. “Wait a moment. You are real, aren’t you? I’m not dreaming you, am I?”
Alice laughed. “I thought we established yesterday that nobody was dreaming anybody else.”
“No, we established that you weren’t dreaming me up, not that I wasn’t dreaming you up.”
Alice sighed. She had a feeling she’d be doing a lot of that where her Hatter was concerned. She raised a hand, and placed it on his cheek. Without warning she gave it a pinch.
“Ouch!” the Hatter exclaimed in surprise.
“See,” Alice pointed out, “wide awake. I’m here, Tarrant. And I’m not going anywhere. Except back to bed. Good morning.” She shut the door on the surprised Hatter, who was still rubbing his pinched cheek.
Nestled back in her warm bed, Alice drifted back to sleep with a smile on her face.
Prompt: Lifestyles
It occurred to her one day that perhaps there were two Alices.
Herself; one who chose to stay in this mad, wild wonder of Underland, and another Alice; one who did indeed drink that vile purple liquid there on the chessboard of the Tulgey Wood. One who chose duty and obedience over her own heart’s desire.
She wonders, somedays, what that other Alice is doing. What is her life like? While Alice number one is taking tea with the Queen, or with the Hatter and the Hare, is Alice number two taking tea with her mother? Her sister?
Is the other Alice happy? Is she content? Or, like Alice herself was before she took up residence in Underland, is she still watching her life pass her by?
Prompt: Cleaning
It started out as one night. In retrospect, Hatter didn’t notice it becoming a regular ritual until it was too late.
Alice had simply shown up one day, as twilight was falling and the poor light was just beginning to make it troublesome for the Hatter to continue his stitches, with a basin of warm water in her hands, a couple of towels and a roll of fresh bandages.
The Hatter was so taken aback at her matter of-fact, businesslike attitude that he complied out of surprise the first time more than anything else.
He sat there, docile, as Alice, basin balanced on her knees, deftly but tenderly unwrapped his bandaged hands to reveal the scarred, dyed, thoroughly needle-picked skin underneath. She ‘tsk-tsk’d’ as she used the dampened towels to bathe the tender skin of his palms, his bruised knuckles, his pricked and calloused fingertips.
His surprise gave way to wonder, then to a sense of calm and peace that rarely visited itself on a volatile soul such as himself. So much so that he found himself feeling a little disappointed when Alice finished rebandaging his hands. Then, thoroughly businesslike, bid him goodnight and let herself out.
When she showed up the next day, at exactly the same time, Hatter didn’t bother to feign surprise. He merely laid aside his work for the day and subjected himself to her pleasurable ministrations. By the third day he had calculated a precise stopping point in his work so that he would be ready for her at the appointed hour.
It wasn’t until a week into it, when they shared their tentative first kiss over a bowl of tepid water, nearly upending it over both their laps in the process, that Hatter admitted to himself what an integral part of his daily life Alice had become.
Prompt: light
Tarrant Hightopp loved to hat.
He refused to believe that there wasn’t at least one type of hat that was flattering on any given person.
So when he set out to make the perfect hat for his Alice, he never anticipated having a problem. But every hat he designed for her just didn’t seem to do her justice in his mind.
Nothing would do for this stubborn project but to thoroughly study the subject.
So he did just that. He spent time with her in the gardens, wandering the grounds of the palace, even just taking tea together in the afternoon.
The funny thing was, every once in a while, he would witness the brilliant sunlight reflecting off her golden curls. So startling was the effect that it gave the impression of a golden halo. That taken together with her smile and her laugh …
He was forced to admit a gracious defeat.
Author:AkaiNagi
Rating: PG
Pairing: Alice/Tarrant
Summary: Prompts 5-10/10 (Table 2) from
10_promptsPrompt: Hold On
He hadn’t even realized the madness had come upon him until it had nearly passed. One moment he had been carrying on an entirely pleasant conversation with Alice. And then the storm was upon him, triggered by words or memories or maybe just some cruel trick of his thoroughly ghastly mind. He saw red and black and blood and fire and when he came back to himself his voice was hoarse from screaming and his neck bore fresh scratches, inflicted by his own hands. And there was the sound of a woman crying. As his vision swam back into focus he saw Alice, dear Alice, standing in front of him, trembling with tears streaming down cheeks gone pale with fear.
Surely he had frightened her, terrified her; he terrified himself sometimes.
With a leaden heart, he waited for her to flee. Driven away by her fear and by the depth and breadth of his madness.
Instead, limitless in her ability to surprise, she launched herself towards him, wrapping her arms around him and burying her face against his injured neck. Holding onto him with a ferocity and a desperation that belied her small size.
“Hatter,” she whispered tearfully, “I’m scared.”
I’m fine, he almost said automatically. But he would not lie to her. His own voice trembled slightly. “Alice … I wouldn’t hurt you for all the world … but I go quite mad, you see. There’s nothing to be done for it I’m afraid.”
She pulled away to look in his eyes, brining her fine-boned hands to frame his face. Amazing how that simple gesture calmed his soul so.
“I’m not afraid for myself, Hatter. I’m afraid that one day you won’t come back to me.”
He wished he could promise her that that would never happen, but again he would not lie to her. Instead, he promised the only thing he could. “Alice, if anyone can bring me back, it is you.”
Prompt: I’m Here
It was impossibly early when Alice was awakened by the knock on her bedroom door. Impossibly early considering it was the morning after the Frabjous day and everyone had been up reveling until nearly dawn.
She thought of ignoring it, but the knock was so insistent that she was afraid it was something serious.
She stumbled, bleary eyed, out of bed. Pulling on a dressing gown, she made her way to the door, pulling it open sharply, as she was slightly peeved at having her slumber interrupted.
She was greeted by the Hatter, who stood in the doorway with a fearful expression on his face.
But the second he caught sight of Alice, dressing gown and all, the most beatific smile spread across his face and he breathed a sigh of what Alice took as profound relief.
“You’re still here.”
Alice made a show of examining her person. “Apparently. Why wouldn’t I be?”
“You see I woke up this morning and thought that perhaps it was a dream. You deciding to stay here, I mean. After all, I am half mad, as you yourself pointed out, and it would be like a half-mad person to dream up an imaginary Alice.” He stopped for a moment. “Wait a moment. You are real, aren’t you? I’m not dreaming you, am I?”
Alice laughed. “I thought we established yesterday that nobody was dreaming anybody else.”
“No, we established that you weren’t dreaming me up, not that I wasn’t dreaming you up.”
Alice sighed. She had a feeling she’d be doing a lot of that where her Hatter was concerned. She raised a hand, and placed it on his cheek. Without warning she gave it a pinch.
“Ouch!” the Hatter exclaimed in surprise.
“See,” Alice pointed out, “wide awake. I’m here, Tarrant. And I’m not going anywhere. Except back to bed. Good morning.” She shut the door on the surprised Hatter, who was still rubbing his pinched cheek.
Nestled back in her warm bed, Alice drifted back to sleep with a smile on her face.
Prompt: Lifestyles
It occurred to her one day that perhaps there were two Alices.
Herself; one who chose to stay in this mad, wild wonder of Underland, and another Alice; one who did indeed drink that vile purple liquid there on the chessboard of the Tulgey Wood. One who chose duty and obedience over her own heart’s desire.
She wonders, somedays, what that other Alice is doing. What is her life like? While Alice number one is taking tea with the Queen, or with the Hatter and the Hare, is Alice number two taking tea with her mother? Her sister?
Is the other Alice happy? Is she content? Or, like Alice herself was before she took up residence in Underland, is she still watching her life pass her by?
Prompt: Cleaning
It started out as one night. In retrospect, Hatter didn’t notice it becoming a regular ritual until it was too late.
Alice had simply shown up one day, as twilight was falling and the poor light was just beginning to make it troublesome for the Hatter to continue his stitches, with a basin of warm water in her hands, a couple of towels and a roll of fresh bandages.
The Hatter was so taken aback at her matter of-fact, businesslike attitude that he complied out of surprise the first time more than anything else.
He sat there, docile, as Alice, basin balanced on her knees, deftly but tenderly unwrapped his bandaged hands to reveal the scarred, dyed, thoroughly needle-picked skin underneath. She ‘tsk-tsk’d’ as she used the dampened towels to bathe the tender skin of his palms, his bruised knuckles, his pricked and calloused fingertips.
His surprise gave way to wonder, then to a sense of calm and peace that rarely visited itself on a volatile soul such as himself. So much so that he found himself feeling a little disappointed when Alice finished rebandaging his hands. Then, thoroughly businesslike, bid him goodnight and let herself out.
When she showed up the next day, at exactly the same time, Hatter didn’t bother to feign surprise. He merely laid aside his work for the day and subjected himself to her pleasurable ministrations. By the third day he had calculated a precise stopping point in his work so that he would be ready for her at the appointed hour.
It wasn’t until a week into it, when they shared their tentative first kiss over a bowl of tepid water, nearly upending it over both their laps in the process, that Hatter admitted to himself what an integral part of his daily life Alice had become.
Prompt: light
Tarrant Hightopp loved to hat.
He refused to believe that there wasn’t at least one type of hat that was flattering on any given person.
So when he set out to make the perfect hat for his Alice, he never anticipated having a problem. But every hat he designed for her just didn’t seem to do her justice in his mind.
Nothing would do for this stubborn project but to thoroughly study the subject.
So he did just that. He spent time with her in the gardens, wandering the grounds of the palace, even just taking tea together in the afternoon.
The funny thing was, every once in a while, he would witness the brilliant sunlight reflecting off her golden curls. So startling was the effect that it gave the impression of a golden halo. That taken together with her smile and her laugh …
He was forced to admit a gracious defeat.
![[identity profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/openid.png){kind=small}
(no subject)
Date: 2010-03-21 03:37 am (UTC)beautiful work. <3
(no subject)
Date: 2010-03-23 03:13 am (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2010-03-21 04:22 pm (UTC)I’m fine, he almost said automatically. But he would not lie to her. His own voice trembled slightly. “Alice … I wouldn’t hurt you for all the world … but I go quite mad, you see. There’s nothing to be done for it I’m afraid.”
I have tears in my eyes.
And what a fascinating turn--we usually see *Tarrant* being afraid of Alice going and never coming back. I really appreciated seeing a similar fear on the part of Alice.
Saving this one to memories!
(no subject)
Date: 2010-03-23 03:14 am (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2010-03-22 01:37 am (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2010-03-23 03:14 am (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2010-03-22 04:44 am (UTC)Or, like Alice herself was before she took up residence in Underland, is she still watching her life pass her by?
Oh, and I'm Here was my much-needed fluffiness.
I have to echo what a previous commenter said: Beautiful work.
(no subject)
Date: 2010-03-22 04:32 pm (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2010-03-23 03:14 am (UTC)