the madness of time [marchy]

[marchhare]

The Day and Night Beach had always been a favorite spot of the March Hare's, just because it was nice to see Time himself in a spot of trouble, rather than Time causing he and the Hatter trouble.

Time was always having trouble with the Sun and the Moon, both of which claimed they had the right to shine at whatever particular time. This constant struggle had led Time to split the beach in half; thus splitting one side into constant day and the other into constant night.

The Oyster Shop, owned by the Walrus and his partner the Carpenter, lay in constant twilight because of this, stuck between the sun and the moon. It was an ideal place for lunch, which was one of March's favorite pass-times. Sitting at a table just outside the shop, oysters waddled on his plate, convinced they were about to have a rather philosophical debate with him on the anatomical tendencies of swine, until they were quickly shucked and downed by the hare.

Sighing luxeriously, he leaned back in his chair, taking a swig from his teacup, which he carried around with him. There was really no use in paying others for tea which he could easily have brought from home. He stretched lazily, and felt slightly guilty for skipping another tea-time with the Hatter. But then again, he thought, the Hatter had been so mad lately, he would probably not even miss him.

[Mary-Ann]

"Filty rabbit!" she scowled as she trodded down a forest path. She had finally gotten away from the rabbit and his barking orders. "It takes him forever to get to sleep!" she scowled again. She trudged through piles of brush, eventually making her way through to the other side, The Day and Night Beach.

"Idiots." she barked out again, until reaching her favorite destination. The Oyster Shop. She simply adored how it was half-lit and half-dark. It often reminded her of herself. To her it symbolized good and evil. Half-good. Half-evil. She let out a broad grin, but quickly drew it back in as she stepped into the establishment.

[marchhare]

It was always lovely to have the shop to himself, which had until a rather rude little girl wandered into the establishment. He glanced up, quickly fixing his currently long and braided hair out of force of habit whenever someone approached him. He shot a quick smile at the girl before realizing who it was exactly.

Ah, the spy.

"Well look who we have here." he said casually, though certainly loud enough for her to hear him. "A wee little thing that's wandered into this fine establishment." He took another sip of his tea, wishing vaguely that it was a bit warmer. Buttering himself a bit of bread with some butter he had pulled out of his coat, he glanced back at the girl.

"Finally escape that dull ol' rabbit? Looking for some better company?" he said, using his foot to push out the chair opposite of him.

[Mary-Ann]

Mary-Ann heard a voice calling at her from the side. She turned and glared at the character before her. 'Another rabbit!' She turned her head back to the center and straightened her posture. 'Ignore him, Mary-Ann!' she thought to herself. "I didn't escape the rabbit just to join another one!" she snarled, and walked to an empty table.

'How dare he talk to her!' she scowled quietly. 'The over-confident lunatic.' she straightened herself in her seat and stared feverishly at the wall in front of her.

[marchhare]

Marchy started slightly at the rude response he had received to his well-mannered invitation. He scowled, fingers drumming on his table in irritation. "I'm not a rabbit." he replied angrily, then reminded himself that anger didn't solve anything. Certainly not in Wonderland.

Have fun, Marchy, have fun.

After a moment or two of her staring indignantly at the wall opposite her, he smirked-- though it was not the good-natured smirk of before. "That wall must be pretty interesting." he teased coolly, raising his voice only so that he could be heard and nothing more.

"Why not give yourself something more pleasing to look at?"

[Mary-Ann]

Her concentration left for a moment and flickered over to the sly character, then back towards the wall. He seemed to be getting angry. This is going to be fun.

She smirked, "I hope you're not talking about yourself! The wall is more interesting than you are, rabbit!" she chuckled a bit. It /was/ a rather interesting wall. Rather simple.

[marchhare]

"Would you be surprised if I was talking to myself?" March asked her, spinning his now empty teacup on his finger absent-mindedly. "After all, I am quite mad. Or so I've been told."

Her 'rabbit' reference again made him rather upset, but he let it pass, knowing she was obviously trying to bother him. That sly little spy Mary-Ann.

"An interesting wall? How oxymoronic my love! That's like saying there's such a thing as a sane Hatter! Or an calm and peaceful Queen!" He let that last comment linger-- seeing how she would react to his comment about the queen but none about their current mad ruler.

"After all, such things do not exist."

[Mary-Ann]

She turned in her seat towards him, "Such things do not exist, eh?" she grinned. "It does make sense. Because, if an insane Hatter exists, then a sane Hatter must exist. Without the explanation of the other, we would not have the meaning of either."

"And, as for the Queen.." she chuckled. "She can be quite calm and peaceful...when broken." she grinned.

[marchhare]

"Perhaps, but this is far to philosophical for my tastes. I will stick to being mad--- fair?" he said, though he didn't really give a oyster's ass whether she thought so or not. Honestly, if she continued thinking like that, she wouldn't be mad enough to be a Wonderlandian.

When she spoke of the Queen, he noticed her attitude become frosty and almost evil like. Not the average kind of mad--- no, March had seen that before-- but the kind of mad that he had seen in the Joker.

"Ah, you think so, eh? I've heard otherwise." He said with a smirk. He had such a delicious idea.

"I've heard talk of some...things," he paused for dramatic effect, "circulating around Wonderland..." He was going to give this little informant something to talk about--- something to shake up Wonderland a little. Just for fun.

[Mary-Ann]

"Are you saying I'm philosophical and not mad?" she grimaced. "There are plenty other ways to be mad, than your way, dear."

She was intrigued. Would he really know anything? He is around Wonderland alot... "Oh? And, what are these 'things' you've heard talk of?" Perhaps, she could pass some information to the Joker?

[marchhare]

"Well..." March said, looking around as if checking to see if anyone else was around-- though he knew perfectly well that no one else was in the shop. "I really shouldn't be telling you this..." he said, adding another dramatic pause while trying to keep a straight face.

"But they say that some of the Queens old supporters are trying to overthrow the Joker. Don't ask me how," he said, raising his hands as if to defend his chest, "I am but a lowly March Hare, but that's what the word is. But I've said too much." He quickly stood, grabbing a last piece of bread and munching on it appreciatively.

"Now I really must dash. Nearly tea-time you know."

[Mary-Ann]

Mary-Ann made a surprised face, "Trying to overthrow the Joker? What idiots..." she quickly calmed down. "As long as the Joker is alive, that will never happen. The Queen will never come back into power, she's weak." she grinned.

But, wait... she suddenly thought. Could this be true? Could this be a trap to get some answers out of her? Perhaps, he was one of the supporters trying to overthrow the Joker? her grin turned into a sly smile, and her eyes focused on nothing, but the March Hare.

"Tell me. Where did you acquire such information, rabbit?"

[marchhare]

The March Hare smiled, obviously amused, then paused from his stride out the door and glanced back at her. "I would tell you that, ma'am," he said, grinning widely, "if a rabbit I was."

With this, he exited the building, heading towards the day side of the beach, since this was often enough the most populated part of the beach, and he doubted that Mary-Ann would cause much of a scene about a conspiracy with the various families of Birds that often sun-bathed for hours at a time in the sun's constant rays.

He wondered vaguely if that had been a stupid thing to do, letting a spy catch the wind of a false conspiracy. He suddenly got giddy at the idea that there might even be a trial, since one had not been held since the infamous days when Alice was here.
"Could be fun." he said quietly in delight to himself.

[Mary-Ann]

"What?!" she stood up, and her chair flew to the ground. "That fool!" she left the establishment and follwed after the rabbit. "Which way did he-" she turned her head from side-to-side before spotting him on the day side of the beach. "Aha!"

She ran after him, dodging several birds, that were caught in the appeal of the sun. She finally caught up to the him, "Tell me! Who did you hear this from?!" saying it low enough for only him to hear, there was chatter everywhere, so it would be hard for them to be overheard.

[marchhare]

Marchy raised a brow in questioning, trying to contain a smile. "Unfortunately, my dear lady, I cannot do such a thing. You see, your reputation proceeds you; although, I'm sure, you're such a sweet thing underneath, I can't go out telling my information all willy nilly like and such."

He then let himself smile, striding past her. "Now if you don't mind, I'm late for tea and really must dash. Hatter's been so mad lately, I'd hate to see what havoc he'd cause without me there." He strode away from the water, towards the dunes of the beach, in the direction of the forest and the crossroads.

Hopefully, the little spy would stop following him.