Drawing Muchness

AN: This is a collaboration between myself and my dear friend Hitsuji, who does not have an account here. The prompts all come from my much-loved copy of 'Alice's Adventures in Wonderland/Through the Looking-Glass', as does the title, from when the Dormouse is speaking on things starting with the letter M – "did you ever see such a thing as a drawing of a muchness!" We sincerely hope you enjoy this fic.

Disclaimer: We do not own any recognizable trademarks displayed in this work of fiction. The ideas and writing are ours, however, so we would appreciate that our rights be observed in that respect.

26) Portmanteau

"What is 'frumious', Tarrant?" Alice asked from her position in the window seat of his workshop. He looked up from his hat, a delicate thing of black lace and plum satin one of the Ladies of court had ordered. She held a collected volume of Underlandian prophecy. He grinned. Reading her own prophecy, was she? Good for her. He hadn't had time to recite it all to her. "Tarrant?" Right, back on track, wife was looking worried again.

"Frumious is one of those words that's two words smashed together." He said brightly.

"A portmanteau, you mean?" Alice inquired. Tarrant nodded brightly.

"Just so. This one is the combination of 'fuming' and 'furious' – frumious, you see? Or hear as the case may be, unless you can hear with your eyes. In which case you would be far more unique than I had previously supposed, being as not many people at all can hear with their eyes, and I shouldn't want it to ever be known that I doubted your uniqueness, because really I didn't–"

"Tarrant!" Alice said, hands once more framing his face, and bright blue eyes looking worriedly into his. He blinked, startled. He hadn't even registered her moving.

"Unique – eyes. I'm fine." He said, shaking his head a little. "A little bit crowded again." She smiled.

"You're fine."

27) Tease

"You are such a tease." She sighed breathlessly, laying her head on his shoulder. Tarrant laughed, spinning them around on the dance floor. Alice snuggled into his arms a little more. They were finally married, after months of dancing around the subject.

Hatter had had the ring, but hadn't quite ever found the right time to ask. He'd finally gotten fed-up and just given it to her over tea. She loved it. She glanced down to her left hand, feeling butterflies tease her insides. (She really had to talk to Absolem about that…) It was a simple ring, a thin, white gold band set with a small iridescent opal. She liked the stone – it winked a thousand different colours in different light, much like her beloved's eyes. It was, in her mind, perfect.

28) March Hare

The saying "Mad as a March Hare" was no mere saying in Underland. Sometimes Thackery tried harder than usual to live up to the title. His normally crazed twitchy self sometimes liked to be more twitchy. The obsessive throwing of culinary objects gave him extreme pleasure. There was something about using a tea cup as an aerial projectile that made him feel happy. He rather enjoyed being mad, sometimes accentuating the personality by laughing and muttering maniacally.

Chessur floated into the kitchen where he was promptly accosted by a thrown sugar bowl. He evaporated to let it pass harmlessly through the air where his head had been, then reappeared next to Thackery.

"Good shot, as usual." He said calmly. The March Hare grinned at him and flung the sugar spoon after it.

"Well," Chessur said, "I thought I should tell you that Mirana is on her way to the kitchen, and you might try to refrain from throwing that scone at the Queen."

Chessur grinned and vanished. Thackery grinned and selected a muffin. Muffins weren't scones!

29) Armour

She was glorious. She stood at the top of the ruins, light peeking through the clouds and lighting her hair like a halo, silver armour ablaze with light. Both Mirana and Tarrant paid little attention to the Jabberwocky's head bouncing in a macabre fashion down the spiralling stairs, for slightly different reasons.

But with the same conclusion – she was akin to a shining being come down from the heavens to set them free, some ancient, untold avenging power.

And she was glorious.

30) Guinea-pig

"I say, she were the size of a guinea-pig last-times she arrived. How come she's so great-big now?" Tweedledee asked, puzzled. His brother elbowed him in the side.

"No, she were the size of a cat. Chessur-sized, if I say so meself." Tweedledum objected.

"Surely not. If she were Chessur-sized, than what size would Chessur be?" Tweedledee asked, annoyed.

"Boys!" Nivens stopped the argument before it got too much more convoluted. "She came through the looking-glass this time, not the rabbit hole, therefore there was no need for her to undergo size changes." He explained. The light dawned on two chubby faces.

"Right-proper Alice-size is best for Alices." Tweedledee concludes. Tweedledum, for once, agrees.

31) Pray

Mirana was deposed in a rather violent fashion. In the middle of a May-Day celebration, no less. She still feels achingly heartsick about the Hightopp clan's fate, even more so because Tarrant Hightopp had been the one to keep his head on relatively straight and lead her to a safe place. She feels so guilty. At the same time, she knows she could have done nothing to prevent it – this was destined, as Absolem revealed, bringing the Oraculum with him. He is its sacred Keeper after all.

So she does the only thing she can. She prays – prays to whoever might be listening to one desperate woman's plea.

'Let my Champion arrive, and let my people be free once more.'

32) Watch

It's amazing how Time flies in Underland. That is, when it's not confined to the regular tick-tock monotone of a watch. Time's most hated watch happened to belong to Tarrant Hightopp, a very mad hatter. He is such a bully, the thought of threatening to kill Time made it rather anxious, and so Time tried to leave Hatter alone. Which was hard when Hatter needed to consult Time to check and see that he was on time for a date with Alice.

The March Hare, he was rather annoying, but not as intimidating as Hatter. Thackery had one of those restraining contraptions in his pocket, but he never bothered Time with it. In fact, time was sure Thackery's watch was kept securely on the chain to prevent the Hare from hurling it across the room, breaking it to bits. Time hated bits. But being dunked in teacups, full or not, was an acceptable alternative to bits.

Time only enjoyed being confined in that contraption when Nivens carried it. Time thoroughly enjoyed speeding up, or slowing down to accommodate the rabbit's lateness. It seems a rather pointless waste of Time, but even wasted Time has to have a hobby.

33) Cheshire-Cat

Lounging midst the foliage of a large tree, Chessur watched Alice as she wandered through the gardens. She was obviously looking for him; Chessur could always tell when he was wanted. He raised a paw and batted at a falling leaf, allowing himself to ignore Alice for a moment.

"Chessur! Chess, I need to talk to you." Alice called out. She wasn't exactly sure how to find the Cheshire-Cat, and this was the first time she had actually tried. Usually he found her, most of the time he came just to bother her, or to give odd, yet useful advice. Now that she thought about it, this was the first time anyone had purposefully looked for him. "Chessur! Please come out here!"

"You called?" A familiar voice purred from behind Alice. "I was waiting for the 'please', really, I know you have good enough manners to ask politely." The grinning cat said teasingly.

"I've got a favour to ask you." Alice said, coming right to the point before Chessur could go off on a tangent and make her forget her original reason for wanting him.

"I'm in a good mood today," Chessur said condescendingly. "What do you want? Bear in mind you might not get it." He evaporated next to her left shoulder and laid his head on his paws.

"Well, You know I'm getting married in a week." She managed to say casually. Chessur nodded. "I have the Tweedles for ring bearers, Mally is the maid of honour, Tarrant has recruited Thackery as best man, and the Queen is presiding over the whole thing." She paused and took a deep breath. "So, I was wondering if you would consent to be the father of the bride." She finished rather quickly.

"Oh, you need me then." He smiled, almost conceitedly. "I've always liked you, you know. And it's been ages since anyone has asked me that, never in fact, which makes ages of time very, very long." He changed to a spot by her right shoulder. After giving Alice a considering look he said simply, "I would be honoured."

34) Tiger-lily

"Lady Alice!" The two small girls chorused, running out to meet her. She'd been overseeing a lot of the work on the rebuilding of Witzend and several other razed towns, and finding and reuniting families that had been torn asunder by the Red Queen's regime. She'd been working with the girl's father, who'd been imprisoned for not being able to pay Iracebeth's crippling taxes, and she'd put the word out through her network that He was looking for his family. They'd been reunited, and his two little girls, Rosalinda and Mirabelle had looked on her with abject adoration ever since. She didn't mind, though. The girls were the life of the worksites; reminding the workers what they were doing all this for. They would often bring the workers water, or help their mother bring out the lunch that all the women would make every day.

Today was a rest-day, though, and Alice had offered to take the girls so that their parents could have some time to themselves. She smiled and knelt to greet them, returning their enthusiastic hugs with her own. Their mother watched indulgently from the doorway until Alice untangled herself, then engulfed the blonde girl in a hug of her own.

"It's so good of you to do this, Lady Alice." She said, heartfelt.

"Not at all. You're giving me practice!" She said, managing to only blush a little bit. Annamarie looked knowingly at her, and Alice was quick to make her escape. They were soon off to the Queen's gardens, for both little girls were terribly fond of flowers. "Rosa, what is your favourite flower? And you, Belle?" They looked at each other and then said, in perfect accord,

"Tiger-lilies!" Alice laughed brightly.

"It suits the both of you! Bright and lovely. Now, let's see if we can't ask the flowers to let us take two tiger-lilies for the lovely girls."

35) Majesty

Every day in the white palace was happy and bright, now that the Jabberwocky was defeated and the red Queen banished, Mirana could do what she did best: make people happy. She was not contrary, disliking the rules and requirements of being queen, nor was she vain, flaunting her power. She had been born a natural queen. She radiated peace and majesty.

Mirana could tell that if their places had been reversed, Alice would have made a rather good queen. Perhaps a bit odd, but Alice also carried with her an air of command and kindness.

"Yes," Mirana said, looking out over the balcony at Alice playing with some children of the town. "She also has an air of majesty. Our dear Alice."

36) Telescope

Mirana glided out onto the balcony. It was night and most of the court was asleep. She loved this time, a time all to herself with no one expecting her to say this or do that. Just by herself under the stars. There were some habits of being Queen that she couldn't help doing, gliding for instance. It was sort of required, a sort of thing that came with the job.

"Oh! Majesty! I didn't expect you to be here." Alice walked towards her from the opposite end of the balcony. "Ah, Alice" Mirana exclaimed. She had not expected anyone to be here, but ever since Alice had come, many unexpected things had happened.

"Am I intruding?" She asked politely. Queens must always be polite.

"No, of course not. But, what brings you here at this time, Majesty?" Alice moved closer and smiled with a puzzled look. Mirana paused, wondering if she should tell her champion about her feelings.

"Alice, dear, can you keep a secret?" She said, already knowing the answer. Alice nodded. Mirana took a deep breath. "The truth is that sometimes I grow tired of being Queen." She moved towards the railing. "Almost every night I come here to have a few hours of peace. Where no one is watching, and no one is expecting anything of me." She looked at Alice, who was gazing out over the balcony.

"I understand. All my life before I came here, I was expected to do so many things, and I just got tired of it." Alice smiled at Mirana. "Oh look! A shooting star!" They both turned their heads to watch as a bright streak of light shot across the black velvet sky. Mirana turned the telescope that was mounted on the railing up towards the sky. She focused the lens on a particularly bright patch of stars.

"Alice, come look through here." Mirana said, moving to the side. Alice looked.

"The sky is so beautiful tonight." Alice said. Mirana nodded, the sky was exceptionally beautiful.

37) Curiouser

"Curiouser and curiouser." Mallymkun mocked good-naturedly. Alice gave the dormouse an exasperated glance. "The first go-round you were telling us we couldn't make up words, yet isn't 'curiouser' a made-up word?" Alice chuckled.

"I suppose it is." She admitted. "In any case, I have now seen the error of my ways, and believe in excessive portmanteau, like the rest of you." She ducked a flying teacup.

"Teacup!" Thackery shouted. She laughed.

"Indeed! I noticed!" She called back. Thackery dissolved into mad giggles. Mally raised an eyebrow, but soon joined in the merriment.

38) Creature

Alice sat at the tea table with Tarrant, Thackery, Mallymkun, and Nivens who was taking a day off from being late. Or at least he was trying; he had been late for tea and had missed the first batch of scones. They were all discussing the latest news form the white palace. Alice had dropped out of the discussion and began thinking of the time before she had come to Underland, not the dreams she had as a child; but when she really came, when she realized that they were more than dreams. She used to think it impossible than creatures could talk, wear waistcoats and pocket watches, and be so utterly human. What did that mean now? Human. After all, she now resided in a world where such things were commonplace. How was it possible that she once believed all creatures to be just animals? What a silly girl she had been.

"Oi! Alice!" Mally's voice broke her reverie.

"Ah, yes, I must have dozed off a bit." Alice said as she deftly caught a flying scone, thrown by Thackery. She took a bite out of the scone and a sip of her, now quite cold, tea.

Yes, she thought and smiled, what a silly girl I was.

29) Timid

The hand of tyranny was very large – so was the head. Large, frightening, and easily angered. Nivens felt a touch of shame. He was a rabbit, but he felt that shouldn't give him an excuse for being unable to stand against the Red Queen. But his timid nature always overcame any thoughts of valour and action against his former ruler. He was as happy as the next person to be rid of her, but he sometimes felt disappointed with himself for not standing alongside the fighting force of Mirana. Not that he fought for Iracebeth, he would rather die first. But he wished he had the courage to have picked up a weapon and fought for the freedom in which he now lived.

40) Tremble

He sat a the tea table lost in thought. Alice was here, and she was here to stay. His hand moved absentmindedly into his coat pocket. He pulled it out, his fist clutched around a small, precious object. Tarrant was trembling with excitement and anxiety. Even if you're half-mad, you can still be serious. Tarrant was feeling serious. He had made up his mind, taken action, and now the results of all his seriousness lay in his hand. He opened his fingers and looked at the delicate white-gold ring.

41) Stockings

"I refuse to wear stockings." Her own voice echoed in her mind. She smiled. No-one here made her wear those awful, uncomfortable things. In fact, Tarrant was surprised that anyone in the Overworld was forced to wear any particular article of clothing. So was Mirana, although she said that, as Queen, she was supposed to live up to certain expectations. Corsets and stockings didn't figure into the equation, though.

Although Tarrant was rather charmed by her comparison of wearing a corset to wearing a codfish on one's head. He almost went straight to his workshop to make a codfish-hat, but Alice managed to dissuade him.

42) Picture

When she was very young, her father would give her books full of pretty pictures to look at. Her favourite books were ones full of fanciful things, like magic and sword-fighting, knights and dragons and maidens in need of rescue. She'd always complained about their seeming helplessness.

"If I was a maiden locked up in a tower, I'd rescue myself!" She'd often exclaimed to the great amusement of her father.

She was sorting through her possessions, choosing the things she wanted to take with her to Underland. As she carefully turned the pages of a book, her thoughts drifted back to when she first had the dreams. They seemed like dreams at the time, but now that they were real people in a real place Alice found these memories to be quite humorous.

Her father had always halfway believed her about 'Wonderland', she could tell. He'd loved the wild tales she'd told him, so much so that he'd asked an imaginative young novelist named Lewis Carroll to listen to and adapt her stories into books. The artist he'd commissioned had also been imaginative, though his pictures, for the most part, looked nothing like her friends. She smiled and packed her copy. Maybe they'd like to see it.

43) Looking-glass

She was finally done. She'd been away for four years, establishing the company – completing her father's company. She'd settled her affairs, quietly distributing her money and share in the company half to Mother and half to Maggie – not Lowell, he wouldn't be able to touch it, dog that he was. She'd made sure of that. Lord Ascot was aware that she was going, only knew the story she'd told him about meeting a man in trade who lived someplace else, and that they were planning on eloping – Mother wouldn't approve, you see.

She stood in her bedroom, seated on her steamer-trunk, which held all her worldly possessions (that she wished to bring, anyway) and called for Absolem. He came fluttering through her window to land delicately on her finger.

"I'm ready to go back, Absolem." She said. She couldn't quite tell, but she thought he smiled briefly.

"About time, girl. Everyone is waiting." She nodded. "All right. Get a good grip on that trunk and step through the looking-glass." He said, fluttering to the full-length glass set against the wall, and then through it. She smiled and, dragging the trunk through the glass to start the rest of her life.

44) Puzzled

Shock and disbelief had left Iracebeth long behind, it only took a week, but in the bareness of the Outlands, any time is a long time. She couldn't quite understand how Illosovic could not love her. He had fawned over her before, and truth be told, she had realized a rather twisted affection for him, an affection that she loathed to acknowledge. It was quite puzzling to her how she could be loved by this man, currently snoring against a small clump of what ought to be grass, how she could even love, no, care for, no, feel for him.

Love is so painfully tricky. She couldn't win the love of her former subjects, and thus resorted to terror. She was tricked into thinking that the courtiers and nobles loved her, then they turned on her, or fled in terror of her wrath when she learned they were all lies. Someone had once said that it was lonely at the top. (Better to be feared than loved?) Now she could succinctly say it was also lonely at the bottom. How puzzling.

45) Poetry

There was poetry in her motion, Alice decided, gazing upon her Queen as she tried on one of Tarrant's hats. It was a beautiful confection of silver lace and black netting that set off her colour scheme very well. There was an odd sort of twitchy poetry to the way Tarrant moved as well, but the Queen was infinitely more graceful than he, no matter how much she loved her fiancé. They had been working on the designs for her wedding dress When the Queen had come in for her fitting, and she'd managed to insert her own opinions, which were very appreciated.

She wondered idly if she looked half as graceful as her unofficially-adopted sister did.

46) Sundial

There was a sundial in the White Queen's gardens. She'd managed to convince Nivens to teach her how to read it. It was a charming thing, but she could see why it had been outmoded as a way to tell time. Not that she really needed to tell time much, and a simple glance to the sky often told her exactly what she needed to know. Sometimes she did need to tell the time, however, and she was still terribly glad that pocket-watches had been invented.

A pocket-sundial would but just too unwieldy, not to mention difficult to set.

47) Sleeping

Tarrant looked remarkably peaceful asleep, Alice mused. One couldn't see the eyes that betrayed the mercurial temperament (her favourite feature of his), and his face was smoothed-out and almost childlike in sleepy innocence. His hands, usually so busy with his trade, or (in conversation) gesticulating to better emphasize his point, were folded gently over his waistcoat.

They had gone for a picnic, just her and her new fiancé, and he'd fallen asleep with his head in her lap. She gently stroked his wild shock of unruly orange curls before pulling a book out of the bottom of the basket. He'd been working so hard for the preparations for the wedding she wasn't in the least bit surprised he'd succumbed to sleep. She was feeling a bit lethargic herself. Perhaps one chapter, and join dear Tarrant in the arms of Morpheus, then.

48) Marmalade

Redcurrant jam, strawberry preserves, blackberry jelly, so many wonderfully sticky, sweet possibilities for the next teatime. Thackery rummaged through the pantry of one of the royal kitchens in the White Palace, alternately throwing and breaking the results of his search.

For Thackery, all time was teatime. Any intermission was just an excuse to brew more tea, find more scones and toast, and commandeer another tea set, all nice and ready for throwing. Despite being mad, the hare did have his own set of rules for taking tea.

For instance, muffins weren't scones, and thus, could be thrown at the Queen. Also, if you are going to throw toast at someone, make sure the toast has been buttered and jammed. Or if not jammed, then generously coated with another jam-like substance. And finally, never throw marmalade. Marmalade was the ultimate spread to Thackery. It was too nice to be given away so hastily to just anyone. If he could, Thackery would have gotten all the marmalade in Underland and eaten it. How he loved marmalade!

He had gotten to the very end of the pantry and glanced at his mismatched pile of tea implements. His eyes grew wide, his hands began to shake (well, more than usual), and he took a second look at the bare shelves that he had just emptied. There was no marmalade!

49) Waistcoat

She liked waistcoats. She'd always wanted to wear one but, her mother being the way she was, never had the chance. Now, though, she could steal her new husband's. The first time she had waltzed out of their bedroom into the breakfast-room wearing his trousers and his favourite waistcoat and nothing else, he'd dropped the crumpet he'd been about to butter, and she'd pulled him back into the bedroom.

The crumpets were still very good cold.

50) Hearts

The wedding was, most succinctly an Affair. It was the first wedding that had happened since the White Queen had been reinstated to her rightful position. Everyone was excited. Tarrant had crafted Alice's dress and veil himself, from designs that both of them had worked on. It was a thing of elegant, simple beauty, an empire silhouette with a broad band of delicate periwinkle lace just under the bust and the full white layered chiffon skirt flowed from it to drape slightly on the floor. The sleeves were wide bells, edged with the same periwinkle lace, scalloped along the edges. Her neckline was square, also trimmed with a thin inset of lace. Her veil was white sheer fabric that faded into periwinkle blue, a terribly clever bit of dyeing on the Royal Dressmaker's part, and held in place by a crown of pale blue silk flowers.

She walked down the isle with grace befitting a Queen, (who was presiding the affair) on the arm of the Cheshire Cat, who was looking his best, coat brushed to perfection, cradling a bouquet of Queen-Anne's-Lace and bluebells. Mallymkun was the maid of honour, Thackery the best man, and the Tweedles were the ring-bearers. Two little twin girls, Rosalinda and Mirabelle, from the village, who Alice was often seen playing with, were the flower girls, and had a wonderful time skipping down the isle throwing flowers like confetti. Then she was standing up in the front next to Tarrant, who looked very fine in a new black jacket, with a clean white shirt, a royal blue cravat and his best kilt. He'd actually gone to the effort to discover matching royal blue socks as well, she noted delightedly. Mirana drifted gently forward to start the service.

"My dear friends, we are gathered her today to unite these two hearts as one…"

That's all we have! Thank you for reading, we hope you enjoyed it! It would be interesting to see if any of you could guess which snippets were written by whom. (Or at least, which were written by different people.)

Much love,

Fuzen & Hitsuji