Hatter Madigan (hatter_madigan) wrote in parabolical, @ 2008-07-21 06:28:00 |
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Current music: | Time Out From the World: Goldfrapp |
A Puddle Where One Should Not Be
Who: Hatter Madigan (Hatter M) and OPEN!
What: Hatter has appeared in the middle of LA through a puddle on the ground. Hm.
When: Afternoon
Where: Hollywood and some cross street, he has no clue where he is.
Status: Incomplete
Rating: TBD
The very seams of Heart Palace were coming unglued. Redd and her army poured in like locust, touching, breaking, and devouring everything. Queen Genevieve did not flinch, there was no hesitation. Her vivid mind unleashed a destructive force upon her once sister that left even the seasoned Hatter Madigan stunned, impressed.
“Do you have a plan?” Young Alyss Heart, her dark, wide eyes set on the Milliner, asked with earnest.
“A plan?” Hatter M looked astonished by her question. A plan.
“Yes, a plan. Do you think about it first? What you are going to do that is? First I will slice them with my hat, then a sword?”
There was the faintest hint of a smile pulling his youthful lips into an awkward smile. It was a rarity. A special treat very few ever got to see. Not all Milliners were as strict as Madigan. His position was of greater importance, it required a devotion few had. Some might consider that Hatter was the right hand of the Queen, herself. Her ever present shadow, never more then a yard or two from the train of her gown.
“No.”
“How do you do it?”
“It is who I am, Princess. My reaction is born in my blood. As is yours, in your imagination.”
The spirited young girl giggled. She was so easily distracted. Though young in years the princess was already a stunning beauty. Pale skin, dark hair, wide eyes. His inner musing was interrupted by her still chubby finger tapping the end of his nose.
“You must promise, when I am Queen, you will smile more, Hatter Madigan.” Her tone was serious, commanding. For a girl in the earliest stages of her youth she already had a great understanding of her position and the power that came with it.
“Is that so?”
“Of course. You have such a handsome face, to deny the Wonderlanders such a sight, it is simply not fair.”
They shared many innocent conversations such as these. Hatter was to prepare her for the Looking Glass Maze. The true test of a future Queen. Only those intended to hold the throne could find the maze. Only those intended to rule could make it out successfully.
One needed more then one pair of eyes to keep up with is liquid movements. With every swirl of his body the long coat fanned out around his body. Hatter lunged, he twirled. Each movement brought a pitiful groan from his intended targets, until he was surrounded by nothing more then a misshapen circle of bodies.
With an elegant flick of his wrists the blades adorning his arms disappeared into the heavy bracelets wrapping around his wrists. An item he rarely, if ever, took off. Snapping the tall collar of his coat Hatter looked around for his hat.
Ah. There it was. A pair of trembling hands held the tall top hat. Moments before the solider of the Redd Army had seen the S shaped blades spin across the room, taking out everything in it’s path. Upon picking it up the stylish weapon returned to it’s original shape.
His head held high, shoulders square and tight, Hatter M stepped lightly over the dead and dying bodies on the ground as he moved to claim his sou'wester.
Tapping the hat lightly at first, then with more force as wide eyes watched the Milliner approach, the solider flattened the hat back into the disk of blades. Fool. It is the hardest weapon to master. Years of training. Each Milliner had to weave the fabric of his own hat, with his own hands, from the silk of the caterpillars. Each one was unique. Did he think in a matter of seconds he could really succeed? There was no grace in his motion as he made an attempt to throw the blades at Hatter.
It clattered to the ground no more then a yard from the tip toe of the solider’s boots. Squatting down to retrieve it, the hem of his Millinery coat swooshed against the polished floor. “Do not be embarrassed.” Hatter M scolded the shaking man with his words and scalding eyes. Standing up he dusted the hat off and once again pressed it into a flat disk. “It is difficult to master.” His lips did not break into a smirk, but the morbid humor glowed in his eyes. “Let me show you how.”
The now lifeless body of the solider fell to the ground. Behind him his Queen gave him her final command. “You must protect her!” Genevieve of course meant Alyss. It would seem the wise, benevolent ruler knew her time was at an end, even before the final blow was dealt. “Until she is old enough to reclaim her throne. Protect her.”
“My place is with you.” Hatter calmly informed the Queen. His sworn duty was to protect the Queen.
“Go. NOW!” Madigan could not recall her tone ever being so fierce. With a nod of his head he gave his silent agreement. Though, he was not comfortable turning his back on his duty. "Keep her safe."
"Yes, my Queen, I promise."
His strong arms swept the crying girl, still in her birthday gown, from the bloody ball room floor. One last glance back at the warrior queen as she fought for her life against the vicious Redd.
They stood on the edge of the cliffs overlooking the Pool of Tears. Alyss shook her head violently at him. How he hated to see her dark eyes flooded with tears. Had their been time he would have attempted to comfort her. After all, she had lost her parents, was torn from her home and now he was going to hide her in another world.
“B-but no one comes back from the Pool of Tears!” She yelled at him, her frail voice breaking.
It was true. Not one person that had dove into the Pool had ever returned. Hatter Madigan had to believe it would work. He needed her to believe. Squatting, to look her in the eyes, his leather wrapped hands took her by the shoulders. “But, you will.” Confidence radiated from his lips and eyes. “You have to. Alyss, you and I will not fail.”
Small arms wrapped around his neck. His wrapped around her waist. From where they stood they could see the palace burning. Hatter gave one last pitiful sigh, failure. Holding tightly to his precious package they leapt into the dark waters and into another world.
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With the agility of a….well…a cat…the Milliner somersaulted gracefully from the standing pool of water. A pool that appeared where no water should have been. Years later and he still was jolted when traveling through the Pools portals. He never knew just where he might land; a quick reaction would hopefully stop him from getting trampled by bulls in Spain, marathon runners in New York, or a yellow Lotus in Los Angeles.
The car narrowly missed Hatter as he tumbled away from the small pool of water. A loud blaring came from the car as the driver laid his hand on the horn. Jumping up his hands delicately dusted the shoulders of his dripping coat off. Unkempt hair fell around his face in wet clumps. As the yellow beast moved past, the driver cursing Madigan for his idiocy, the Milliner simply gave a mocking bow. He had gotten use to the shocked reactions of the Earthly people.
Pulling his fingers from the thin leather gloves, he shook them off and tucked the supple skin into his coat. The familiar weight of his hat was not felt upon his bountiful head of hair. Last time it took him two lunar cycles to find the hat shaped weapon. An aggravated, displeased hiss rumbled against his lips, his fingers raked through his quickly drying hair.
“Excuse me…” Hatter politely asked the first passerby, hoping they spoke the same language. “What city is this?”