⊰ Hatters Gonna Hat ⊱

“Well, I think most people wonder the exact same thing. But look at things this way: you’ll never know when something might surprise you.”

"That is one way of looking at things, but unfortunately I'm not the sort of person that enjoys the possibility of surprises."

“Don’t. Call. Me. Blondie. And I’m not doing this to entertain you, what do you think I am? This is literally my job and if you’re not going to help me, then fine, I’ll get someone else to.” Abby scoffed, rolling her eyes at the man. How ridiculous that he wouldn’t at least point her where to go. She could figure it out from there. “Thank you, I would appreciate that.”

"Hit a nerve there, did I?" the Hatter chuffed, glancing back over his shoulder at her while the gauge of his mood lightened enough to budge an ice cube across a table with a toothpick. "It's all human kind's eternal job to entertain one another, otherwise we'd all get bored and kill everyone else," he quipped, turning about to walk backwards. "Why are you looking for this dragon, anyway?"

“Busy?  You’re busy?  Oh my goodness, I’m terribly sorry!  I’m afraid I must be lost or something… uh… my name is Charlie!”  He blurted, eyes wide.

"Charlie," she mulled the name around like hard candy between her teeth. "Not terribly busy, I suppose. What can I do for you?" The polish she'd been messing with was closed up and set on the stone steps of her front porch, arms lazily crossing over her knees.

“You never know, things can happen” she shrugs her shoulders with a light smile and a brief nod “Glad we’re trying to see eye to eye then”. Lacey raised an eyebrow and a grin appeared on her lips “I’m actually quite smart”.

"Everyone believes themselves to be intelligent. It's how we present ourselves to the world and its population that proves whether or not we really are as we claim."

“Never said you were one of those, fucking hell. Lighten up.”

"Does your mother know you use that mouth like that? --Anyway, I am light. You're just thinking too heavily into this."

“Good. I enjoy aggravating people, you know to get a reaction out of them. Best when they don’t go running crying though, makes them more interesting in my eyes.”

"I was unaware that I appeared to be weeping. Must have slipped my radar."

“Maybe because your bed would eventually become uncomfortable or you’d starve….do you want someone to talk to?”

"I believe I would starve to death before that mattress became uncomfortable. However, I see your point." That was odd... Him agreeing with someone... "It couldn't possibly hurt, so long as you aren't daft."

“I don’t recall comparing you to any man, but you are coming across as quite pathetic, so maybe I rightly did so.” 

"Whether you knew it or not, you did. And you are coming across as quite aggravating. You know that?"

“I’m not trying to be selfish, I was just making sure you were being serious. I don’t like liars,” Abby told him, biting her bottom lip. Very interesting man indeed. “After you show me where the forest is, or point me in the direction, you can go home and do whatever you want.” She shrugged.

"You keep missing my point, blondie. What would I have to gain in doing anything of the sort? I'm not that easily entertained, you know." He turned on his boot heel to face the way he'd been walking beforehand, striding off along the sidewalk. "I might as well show you, since the place is not far outside of my backyard anyway."

“Aren’t you charming? I ain’t gonna try and say socializing is great, because it’s not and I hate people more than you’d assume possible, but there’s no need to be so rude, sunshine.”

"Don't even jest about comparing me to that pathetic lurch of a man," he huffed, turning back to face her. "Ha! Rude. Don't toss it around as if nothing. You have yet to see me being rude."

OPEN.

Boots scuffed purposely against the wood of the dock, the thin empty bottle in his fingers swaying loosely back and forth with each step he took towards the edge.