Jefferson/Hatter/Connor Temple
Hatter didn't know the first thing about Halloween, but he didn't mind the idea of dressing up for a party. Costume balls weren't unheard of in Wonderland and this seemed just like one of those except with a more spooky theme. He would have sarcastically waved his hands at the word spooky if anyone truly suggested it, though. His true purpose for coming to the party was to see Shelley...and he did. She looked stunning in her costume and he was sure to tell her as much before someone he recognized walked up to him and he flashed Shelley a strained 'eek, save me' look before he exaggeratedly spun on his heel and faced Jefferson.
Once Jefferson had pulled his attention away from Shelley, Hatter was able to search the crowd and easily find Grace attracting the attention of all the child-worshiping adults in the room. What was it about kids that made people go all smoopy and soft-eyed? He'd never understand it...but to him it felt like a liability. Even still when Grace and Jefferson came over he found himself falling in with them naturally, it wasn't that Grace pulled at his heart because she was a child, it was that they had a connection. An understanding. He wouldn't even try to put his finger on it.
"Seems a bit close to home, doesn't it." he asked with a well-meant snort. Maybe it was more raw of a subject for him than it was for Jefferson at the end of the day. Rabbits were always a close to home subject for him having grown up with the March Hare's son as his brother. It didn't help that he'd also...well...things didn't end well between them either of the times they'd faced off. A sore spot, for sure.
It wasn't as sore a spot for him as it might be for Grace in the future though. Hatter watched her idly, arms crossing comfortably at his chest, and then a man approached her. He didn't bother to look at Jefferson for recognition, he just kept his eyes on them both watchfully. He was caught up in the question of whether he'd step in when all of the sudden he felt a shift in the room. It didn't make its way to him but it was obvious that something was going on and there was an eerie moment of silence before panic broke loose. Suddenly people were not themselves, they were doing things he never would have thought they'd be doing... he even saw a girl flutter by. A fairy? Here? This was no good. And as if that was the worst part, he looked up and saw a bunny where his sister Jefferson's daughter once stood. But that wasn't the real problem. The real problem was that there were two bunnies. He only had a moment to look to Jefferson before they both bolted towards the animals. It was going to be a challenge for him to scoop up a rabbit when he could really only trust himself to use one hand...but he had to pick her up before the crowd trampled her. Bunnies were fragile things.