<span style="font-style: italic">(I am so mortified that I didn't even keep up with my own role play! I'm sorry, guys, I wasn't getting notifications that y'all were responding, I'm sorry!)</span><br/><br/>Hatter was slumped against the window sill, head leaning on the cold grimy glass from the third story of his mansion. He watched numbly as workers bustled about outside, either enjoying the weather or working in his garden. He loved that garden, especially his orchids.<span style="font-style: italic">Dinah loved orchids</span>, he remembered. Suddenly, a slight blue glow touched him and was just bright enough to capture his attention in the nearly black room. The Hatter turned his head, neck creaking from sitting so still for two days, and looked at the source of the ominous light.<br/><br/>It was a crystal globe, roughly the size of his head and hat put together in diameter, big enough that his hands couldn't touch if he hugged the globe. He stared at it for a good five minutes, staring at the swirls and sliver sparkles before unbending his body to get up. He shuffled quietly to the corner where the globe sat in all its cobwebs and grime. He absently rubbed at the crystal as the swirls began to make images. First he saw pink twins, then cat eyes. The silver sparkles shifted so that the image became a woman. The Hatter raised his brow: it was Eleanor.<span style="font-style: italic">So she's finally come back...</span><br/><br/>Lastly, as he gazed into the crystal orb, he glimpsed a woman and a man on a sidewalk. They looked much too plain to be from Wonderland - and The Hatter smiled. When he saw a bit of pink chiffon at the edges he nearly laughed.<br/><br/><span style="font-style: italic">And so it begins...</span><br/><br/>---<br/><br/>Meryl squinted at the bushes and even took a step forward when a cute little voice said, "Excuse me? Where are the candy trees?"<br/><br/>Meryl jumped and snapped her head around, forgetting the strange sound and nearly losing her balance. Jeb reached out instinctively to grab her elbow, even though he wasn't looking at her; he was staring in bafflement at the boy in a pink dress. He blinked and sputtered, "What?" Meryl just laughed. "Aww, you are so adorable! What's your name? Are you lost?" she cooed endearingly to the pretty boy.