#( verse: distinguished failure (fatenetwork) )

[madamhatter]

toneofdarkness replied to your post: ♧ (maybe Hokuto's promise ring cause it's...

(( Rei vc: “WHO THE HELL’S GETTIN’ MARRIED??” /NO

 “Rei Sakuma, be nice about this proposal. Or, so help me, I will drag you into a chapel.”

[madamhatter]

summer haze

@friendlyneighbourhoodscientist​ 

    “What is wrong with this building and heat?!” Flooding from her lips were irritated murmurs. Sophie had gripped the side of her hat, releasing her frustrations in one way or another. She had already rolled up the sleeve of her button down, even picked up her usual braid into a messy bun! As much as commitment and loyalty swept her feet to approach Komui’s officer whenever the opportunity arose, the science wing’s horrendous temperatures during the summer were of the small regrets she faced. She withdrew her hat from the top of her head, pathetically fanning herself. 

   Organizing through Komui’s papers would’ve come another time when even she was wanting to seek shelter under the large shadows from said towers. Scoping through the discord that was Komui’s office, her thoughts began wandering. Her free palm flattened the creases of her gray slacks.

    “Komui, are you alive--?” The woman called out, eyeing over her section of the office. A soft frown surfaced as she finally moved in her gray boots, eyes scavenging for the lanky legged professor. “Please tell me you didn’t pass out,” Sophie sighed out loud as she tucked back one of her rare silver hairs behind her hair. “I can’t handle the heat by myself.”  

[madamhatter]

tresses and dresses

   ‘Now, where is that bat?’ Unconventional to the whim and ways of Miss Hatter, she hadn’t predicted or planned these turns of events within her return to Ouvara-Danon. Photo opportunities weren’t ever new to her, truthfully, she had been managing them through her teenage years and remained prominent in the process when she could. However, it had been the model at question who she had strangely found herself compelled to hire. Or, admittedly, she ended up entangled in her own mess and began this exchange. 

     In reviewing her own thoughts, she knew that the event was going to bite her in the back of the ass-- minus the fact that her model happened to be a “vampire.” Body modifications were made for the dress to support the male who was meant to the star. Though, part of her was waning in her confidence, unsure if the dress would be able to survive with him in it. Perhaps, that’s where his confidence came in. Where one fails, the other succeeds. Or, she was just hoping that some assurance would come once she saw him.

       Aimlessly in her thoughts, her hands were folded on her laps and her ankles crossed. Seated alone on the couch, the silver-and-brown haired woman skimmed through the papers in her possession. Just how long was he going to take? One glance was given to her phone as she softly tapped on it, reading the time. It was already the mid-afternoon. And, there were no messages. What a strange sight was it to have not one simple message from Officer Fangs. 

     “I hope you’re alright--”  Sophie murmured under her breath and frowned. 

@toneofdarkness is ready for a fashion shoot!

[madamhatter]

sobriety & somber

confronting this: x 

         Separating beast from man, heartlessness from the weakness of the heart, one of the many intricate divisions Miss Hatter had answered throughout her years of evaluating others from the sidelines she desired to be. Monsters weren’t the fabled fantasies she heard as a young child; she was among those who pricked her fingers and stained her hands with these necessary evils monsters needed to thrive. 

      Several souls treaded between the gray that riddled the pockets of their world, and, were they truly monsters? She should’ve known better at the moment she commented on it. 

       How uneasily did her fingers flinch at the drenched laughter of someone far beyond treating himself kindly? They slightly twitched at what magic he infused to his views on the world, sprinkling fairy dust as if it were a blinding agent to whatever truly resonated behind such a misty mind. 

     Retreating was her hand pinching the bridge of her nose. Instead, it was exchanged from annoyance to control as she rested her cupped hand over her mouth, contemplation prioritized for the wakeful other. 

     “That I understand, Rei. Reactions are what you seek and you have had your fair hand in conspiring such tricky circumstances.” The woman withdrew her hand, but, her gaze was sparing as she delved into the untouched waters of her thoughts that only rippled out from her lips. “There are many ways a man may feel secure in his place if he attempts to see through all while he wades through waters uncharted and unknown.” 

    Defiance had been what eased the eldest daughter from shedding her mask of pleasantries. Yet, it had become barred in her mind from retaliating such ridiculous remarks. To be a lich was to be one who was void of affection, memories, laughter, hatred, glee, sadness. Yet, where was that in his being? She recalled that she could, she wanted to rememorize and solidify her confidence in the otherwise, in the positive for once. 

    There was no way in hell was he speaking the truth. Something thumped and rattled in that rib cage, something grinded and eased the gears at his mind, something was there. There wasn’t an expired man left in the waste -- none at all. She knew it. 

  “All we know is what you present to the world. A personal narrative is what we wish to preserve in the world once our untimely end comes and reaps us of another chance. To make such grandiose statements that you’re the undead without any sense of being mortal, you must realize there are intricate details that refute such things. Such small things that you do without intention that splices such claims. ” 

    The woman rubbed her hands, glancing down to empty palms that held no physical evidence that would’ve refuted him. All that littered her being were reminders from the marred scars that ruined her. Her hands twitched as she hadn’t opened her mouth, but, it was a shudder that only made her close her hands. 

   Her eyes finally met his. 

    “You make yourself out to be the monster that you believe you are.” 

[madamhatter]

☂ for Sophie

WARM AND FUZZY MEME! SEND AN EMOTICON FOR MY MUSE’S REACTION… / not acpt!

☂ YOUR MUSE SHIELDING MY MUSE FROM RAIN

      Drenched to the bone had been the woman of gray, squatting by her lonesome, in front of a bed of flowers in Serenia Park. Distant to the world had been the woman of 22 who, admittedly, aged faster from the expectations bestowed by the reality that was her status as an heiress and eldest. More insignificant than ever before, her body had shrunk down to the size of the “grey mouse,” a title she had been dubbed behind her back or in her face.

       Droplets from the light shower of long ago had come and sprinkled her hair and her back when she first arrived at the park, needing some escapism before her semi-annual breakdown could’ve begun. For such a reason, the woman was gravitated towards staying within the lavish labyrinth of flora in a poor woman’s attempt to prevent herself to return to the pathetic reality she knew. 

    The white noise had filtered through her thoughts and festered ever so manically, eroding the facades of the guardian, the wise old woman, the ruthless businesswoman, and much more. Immobilized in her pestering and heavy thoughts, she had stuck closer to the reminders of dreams never meant to be hers, for they smelled of the sweetness that she had no right to. Yet, all that was left behind was the troubled Sophie, not Miss Hatter or the eldest Hatter, refusing with adamancy to return to a place that’ll lay her to waste.

    In a compulsive move, she dared not seek shelter from the rain once the summer showers returned in greater numbers. Scurrying bodies of families, heartful teenagers, wild-sprung children were quick in retreating from the water falling from above. It hadn’t been new for the woman to wander through such troubling weather when her own life had been covered with mist and each step she took was cautious and all ways she may take were hazardous. 

     However, the turbulence of ambivalence ached the composure of a woman who feigned happiness for the sake of stability. Frustration, anguish, regretful, and wistful were all clashing in her chest and she swore her rib cage was hollowing out whenever her thoughts plummeted. What was the point of resisting the inevitable? She should be thankful for being where she is, no matter how she felt. The eldest of three were meant for misfortune, the one to fail first. And how could she counter that if she was meaning to run a company, no less, hold together��her family’s name? 

       Already, her phone had been going off several times since her sudden disappearance from the morrow. She hadn’t checked her phone, but, she could’ve predicted the onslaught of unanswered text messages and phone calls from her sisters, Martha and Lettie, and mother. The same people who driven herself to do anything and everything for, that kept her relatively on this Earth, weren’t the people she needed at the moment.

      She wished she just didn’t need anyone and kept on living. She was needed by others but, to imply she felt the same, was far too alien. But, she’s human, she’s a creature of comfort and socializing, needing the conversation and all. It was taxing on the mind of Sophie, one who meant to keep in place and dirty her hands for whatever it takes to keeping order in her household. 

      God, I’m a mess. 

        Deserted by hope and optimism, the pessimistic eldest daughter stared blankly towards the bed of lilies, kissed by the pelting rain, as they guided down white petals and across the thin stems. Once the storm passed, she’ll return to the routine of Miss Hatter and be on her merry way, forcing the doors shut over the doubt and frustration that dared leak out. However, for now, she wanted to breathe in summer flowers and shut her eyes, to dare daydream. But, who was she to daydream when she knew better? It was childish and she was decrepit and old, she shouldn’t fall back on such things.

        Sophie crossed her arms over the soaked black tights that hugged her legs. Clinging to her body, she realized, had been the thick wool cardigan of charcoal, along with the white button-down meant for the image of professionalism she had to carry. Her fingers gently tugged at the cardigan’s ends, breath leaving and her shoulders sinking. A crisp wind blew, and her body shivered, her gray skirt barely following the wind’s pattern.

    However, her eyes were still on the lilies before her, with all the rain dripping on them. She squinted to the flowers, to then her sleeves. They were already heavy, but, they weren’t getting heavier. Instinctively, she held out her arm towards the placid lilies, seeking out the comfort of the petal’s soft touch. But, as she was narrowing her eyes, the stuck out hand was once more greeted by the heavy rain as her calloused fingertips brushed against the petals.

   “Strange,” Sophie murmured. 

    “What ‘tis strange?” Inquired another. 

     Slowly raising her head, color already depleting from her face, Sophie’s head turned and found herself staring at the slacks of black. However, her eyes need not scour higher than needed as the notes of familiarity rang. The tone of tiredness, accompanied by a soft yawn, with the slowly drawn syllables were only of one who she simply called – 

     “Rei?” Bafflement was enunciated as her eyes still traversed upwards. Shielding her own emotions were beyond any means of possible at the moment. However, her own inquiry left softer than expected, and her surprise was only seeded with the doubt that had already casted over her mind.

     Office Fangs, the restless bat, prince of the night– Oh so many nicknames flooded her mind but, she knew all led to Rei Sakuma. Earthly irises of wood had honed upon the otherworldly irises of crimson, silence consuming whatever they had wanted to penetrate into the encounter. No matter how many times she had been familiar to the mischievous spark in his eyes, there were the rare exceptions to when his gaze adjusted to a strangely softer kind. It hadn’t been in her business to inform him of it, but, that what happens when she kept staring at him after all this time. And, it was quite apparent that his gaze was different. 

   With a kick to better take in her surroundings, she noted the black parasol in his hands, large enough to cover himself. But, when close enough to someone else, it was able to cover them as well. His hair, wildly curled outward and with volume, had been neatly held up in a ponytail, framing him his face nicer than usual. However, that was to imply that he didn’t look nice usually, which was ridiculous. Still, if his hair was only loose— 

     He had, overall, been in better shape than the abysmal mess of her being squatting on the ground, looking madder than a Hatter. No wonder he finds me strange…

   By the stroke of luck, perhaps this morning led the police officer around on duty for he wanted all advantage of the sun rays hiding behind stormy clouds. Sophie rationalized the sudden and strange appearance of the officer to be no more than Lady Fate’s estranged curse of bonding her to such a strange and dark figure. It wasn’t as if she didn’t answer his bombardment of messages, and wasn’t even at her store during a surprise “check-in.” It surely had to be a coincidence or bad luck. 

      Now, what to say, what to say? Part of her was already exhausted from diving into the deep end of her problems, the other wasn’t wanting to see anyone. Perhaps, chastising him with a lie that she was in the rain to get rid of his scent would’ve ended this quickly. She didn’t want to be the gnat at his side, who was taking up precious time. If she made a quick mention of Koga having smelled him all over her, then, maybe he would’ve fled. But, this was Rei. He wouldn’t leave if his own person had dared been insulted (or the fact that his dear ex-unit member had been even speaking of him)! 

    “I don’t need it, thank you,” Sophie pardoned herself and turned her head from the officer, waving her hand into the air dismissively. Her tone had been drenched with reproach, starkly different from the tenderness she once held. However, as she crossed her arms over her knees in wait, keeping her eyes on the flowers, she found that the rain hadn’t returned to hitting her. 

   One minute more, two minutes more…

     “Persistent, aren’t you?” Sophie sighed, hanging her head, unaware of the kettle calling the pot. The woman rubbed the end of her skirt between her right hand’s thumb and index finger, her thoughts fiddling on the next course of action. 

         Slowly, she rose back upon her boots and the hatless Hatter turned to the unlikely companionship she found in the rain alongside her. Against the martial blue of Rei’s uniform had been the neutral grays of Sophie’s ensemble, underneath the shielding back parasol in his grasp. 

      However, her head dipped at the moment as she found her hands brushing this her wet hair. With one step back, keeping within the shelter of the umbrella, the woman undid the ribbons of her hair, releasing the soaked locks. Her hands grabbed the length of hair and slowly twisted it, squeezing out all the rainwater she could from it. “Thank you–” How softly yet fast the comment went was beyond her as the demure turned back to him, placing away the pink ribbons into her pockets. 

     To be accompanied by a vampire in a summer shower, what a phrase Sophie Hatter never considered in her 22 years. Small talk blossomed between the two as, per her request (and to the limitations he had until his radio went off), the two kept within the bliss of the gardens of Serenia Park. 

      Something as silly as “So, the weather,” left the shorter’s lips, earning her a turn of the head from Rei, to which he prompted gestured with his umbrella. “What of it?” He only asked, leaving the woman to flush with embarrassment and quickly stick out her tongue. However, the serenity behind the pelting rain and the rows of flowers had drawn her to introspection for her eyes kept observing more of the flora than him. 

     “I can hold that for you, Mr Sakuma–” Sophie had offered, her left hand softly gripping the lower curve of the umbrella’s wooden hook. While Rei already held onto the upper part, she slowly tried lowering it and even taking it off of the elderly half’s responsibility. However, as she was quick in the move, the top of the umbrella thudded against the back of his head.

    “Oh dear, Rei–” Sophie immediately adjusted the umbrella back up and she raised her hand, quick to inspect his cranium. However, hesitance was apparent for he noted her approaching touch fast, and he offered simply, “ ‘Twas nothing.” However, he hadn’t shied from giving him more than a piece of his mind, even if he was meaning to be kinder this time of day. But, her hand withdrew and returned to holding onto the lower end up the umbrella, taking the compromise. 

     Alas, Sophie turned her head again and observed the flowers, tugging Rei’s sleeve with only the ends of her fingers to gather his attention – if he wasn’t already. “I’m quite surprised to see magic lilies being grown in the park this time around. They are summer flowers, but, they only can be so magical during the summer before withering away,” mused the Hatter as her eyes found the dangling lilies of pink with their centers sticking outwards in a neon yellow. 

     “Orange and yellow zinnias..? Oh, aren’t they such a nice pair too. There are even some lavender periwinkles that help the color layout transition better to the bluebells.” A feigning smile comes to the Hatter, overlooking the large borders of flowers as her pace was certainly slowing. From the corner of her eye, she spotted Rei’s gloved hand pointing towards a particular bundle, and he even added to the conversation,  “You mustn’t forget the hydrangeas under the tree, they’re needing all the shade they can.” 

     Curiosity struck the woman as she turned to look at him solely now, eyes wide and with a rare glimmer. “You’re into flowers?” The man raised a brow, providing clarity on her question, “I volunteer whenever I have the chance~ Gardening is nice.” The woman blinked, intrigue apparent. “You happen to be doing a wonderful job then.” 

     While their conversation soon became engrossed in flower language and what they’ve potted and even what flowers they preferred, the shorter and (slightly) younger Hatter didn’t know where to keep her eyes – on him or the flowers. If she gazed far too long at him, her words often drifted back to red carnations and roses, even cannas too! All the rambling, quick hand gestures and fixed smile only indicated she could go on and on–…However, as Rei pointed out, those flowers happened not to be in any of the nearby gardens. And, that was when Sophie clamped up, turning away with a shameful blush. 

     "Wait, wait–” Her embarrassed tone came, but, her eyes were gazing unto something on the one of the flower beds. Without much of a word, or his acknowledgment, Sophie crouched down and cupped her hand, into the flowerbed. Rei stared at the woman, thinking hard and long about whatever had happened to her today – stranger and stranger was this woman ever turning out to be the more he encountered her. 

    “Here we are~” Sophie returned back onto her feet, turning to Rei with a flattened out hand. Crawling down her scarred fingers had been a ladybug who had taken shelter underneath the leaves. She looked down, her head tilting with his childish wonderment over the beetle’s three black dots and red exterior. “I’m surprised I was able to spot him underneath all of that,” mused the brunette as she held up her hand for the male to better see.

    “Curiously, he reminds me of you.” Before a correction could come from Rei, or really Rei say anything, she elaborated. “Yes, I know you’re a bat not a beetle, but, you must admit how there are some similarities between your eye color and hair color to that of a ladybug. They might not have sharp fangs, or even detest the sun, but, they are quite as charming.” 

    Rambling off once more, smile present and her cheeks dusted with pink from simple chatter, she hadn’t realized what she just said…~

[madamhatter]

compos(t)ure

  Cleanliness -- a core value in the life of the eldest Hatter who swept, mopped, dusted, and washed for far too many homes and stores in her life. Perhaps, as she’d never utter admittance, she exchanged her routines for maintenance work in clear avoidance of her meaningless cycle of creating hats, clothes, and run a business she had no original say in. If something could’ve been done right, it would’ve been by her hands with mop, broom, or rag! 

     Now, Central Apartments wasn’t as grand as the manor back in Yorkshire. Yet, this wasn’t the first time the CEO-on-hiatus took to living conditions that weren’t as lavish in price and accommodations. No more than three years ago had she found herself in a cramped town side that was notorious for crime, but, at least she had a lawn for her gardening tendencies. However, it was the matter of factly approach to where Sophie remained attentive over the strangest details in schedules that best tailored to the Apartments. Particularly, when it came to taking out the trash.

     For one who took new twists or turns weekly in her journeys throughout the sister capitals, narrowing her risks of encountering people head-on was her prerogative. The apartments proved this philosophy challenging. No matter where she found herself going out, and as she denied her own initiation, she tends to find herself thrown into the wheel of randomness. Someone was bound to be outside much like her neighbors and others living on the same floor. Maybe she doesn’t admit it, but, the neighborly conduct swayed her to greet everyone with a nod or a soft greeting -- even assistance was given too.

      It hadn’t been any different this night as she had gathered the waste from her apartment at such an ungodly hour at night. Huffing herself to ignore the fatigue of sleepless nights and rushing around the city, she carried the large bags by the plastic handles at its knotted tops on her forearms. Copper eyes observed down the hall. Vacancy was noted.

     With one bump of the rump, Miss Hatter opened the door to the stairs with the only way to head: down. However, that was when she spotted a figure who seemed to be having their own late night trip to the dumpsters (or, at least, they were quite burdened with bags and miscellaneous objects). With one finger quickly tugging at the collar of her white button down, she took a soft breath as she approached without a second thought.

   Click clack went the bottom of her smudged brown boots as she neared the figure. The woman lifted her chin as her ponytail loosely rested on her shoulder. 

     “Good evening. Do you need some help?” A simple inquiry for a simple excursion.