”Oh goodness! I’m so sorry- I didn’t mean-“ At the collision with the unknown man, Jo attempted to form an apology, stumbling over her words. Truth be told she was frazzled. Let’s be honest, who wouldn’t? It’s not every day you walk through a mirror to fall into a tunnel to soon find yourself… somewhere. This had to be a dream, wasn’t it? Between the disaster that were her thoughts the figure turned himself, resulting in Jo shifting to an awkward position on his lap. Before Jo could even muster the thought of a proper apology the an opened his mouth, and Jo was soon to find that was something that never shut. He mentioned scouts and mad Kings and Jo’s head was running at a thousand miles an hour to even try to understand what he was on about. This was definitely not near home.
Lifting his odd hat, the man then produced a cup of tea from under it. Now, Jo wasn’t one to deny a cup of tea but how had it stayed under his hat without splashing out of the cup? Hell, how did it stay on when she knocked him over? This had to be a dream, perhaps she walked right into the mirror and had knocked herself unconscious or was concussed. Either way, Jo took the mug with a gracious nod before taking a sip.
Mad Hatter. She was pretty sure she was going mad at this stage too. At his movement to do so, Jo also stood up. Hatter took her hand to help her up as she grasped her mug in the other. He was ever-so-gentlemanly. A million questions and comments raced through the young woman’s head, yet, she could not express one of them between Hatter’s rapid fire of words.
In most cases Jo would be wary of this man, this situation. However, she could not bring herself to do so. Somehow, he seemed to give off a comforting and safe vibe, as if she could trust him no matter what. Besides that, the (rather cute) zany man had caught her attention. She couldn’t help but be interested on what he would do. With the normal
stranger danger warnings stripped from her mind she allowed the young man to lead her through the eclectic buildings as he told her random facts she was only half listening to due to her attention being continually drawn to the new sights before her.
Eventually the pair came across the oddly decorated establishment. This whole place seemed to be mad; the buildings, the people, the transportation to the world. Hatter then said to her,
”Looks are often deceiving, even when one follows their heart. The stomach is far better to listen to.”. Jo gave slight snort in agreeance before replying with a muttered,
”Ain’t that the truth,” that first part, in particular, she knew all too well.
”Unbirthday?” Jo questioned as the wonderland tradition fell from the Hatters lips but her thoughts were quickly washed away at the Hatter holding the door with a bow. What a gentleman indeed.
”Oh? Thank you,” she replies gently, entering the restaurant. At her entrance, she remained awkward next to the Hatter as he talked to the pair inside. The pair must have been siblings at least- probably. Questions still ran through her mind. Unbirthdays? Mad Kings? Jo said none though. The siblings then started their quarrel over Jo. She couldn’t help but chuckle at the pair, they most definitely suited the zaniness of this place. Eventually, though, she spoke up,
”Alice? No, I‘m not an Alice. You must have me mistaken for someone else. I’m Jo. Joanna Briggs,”