𝙏𝙄𝙈𝙀.

⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀ ᴛɪᴄᴋ ᴛᴏᴄᴋ.

— complicated, I suppose. My daughter entwined her life with a human, and they now both share space in the same body. And my wife… She was never meant to be contained in a castle. She comes and goes as she pleases now that she can.”

— grace his features, there was a hint of sadness behind it. “My daughter and my wife lived here once. They…Well, my daughter…” Time dust floated by, brushing over his hair and around his face. He hummed under his breath. “But they can now visit. It’s rather… —

— to join him as he made his way to a hall where light was spilling in from outside, illuminating the way. “It can be lonely, yes. As a matter of fact, it was for… a long time.” He placed his hands behind his back as he moved, clasping his hands together. While a smile did —

— be meddled with, or even viewed by those who are not… well, me. Too much knowledge can be a curse. One could be driven mad knowing too much about one’s own timeline.” The mention of loneliness did quiet him, even if it was just for a moment. He nodded softly, beckoning her —

— change Time itself, and Time cannot be changed. It is absolute.” His hands became still as he turned, gesturing to the Grand Clock nearby. Time dust swirled around the face of it, dancing along the hands. “Even she can’t change the course of one’s time. Clocks are not to —

— Alice?” He hesitated a moment, hands fidgeting for something to do, so they began to fiddle with the buttons on his blazer. “There are 𝗳𝗶𝘅𝗲𝗱 points in time that must stay exactly as they are. I can’t change them more than I can leave this castle. To change them would —

“Ah — I’m not quite in the Hatters’s best favour.” He scrunched his nose, rocking backwards on his heels. “Their clocks are in my hands, but I can’t 𝙘𝙝𝙖𝙣𝙜𝙚 their timelines. Hatter lost time with his daughter more than once. Alice… Well. Where to start and end with —

— Humans as well. I know every single one, every being, every story, every moment in their life. Yours included. Because all of your clocks — 𝙡𝙞𝙛𝙚 clocks, I should say — are here. I take care of them.”

— disclose his name often. Never, really. Except to Alice, of course, but which Wonderlandian doesn’t offer their name to Alice?” He shrugged as if that explained it. “As for knowing and seeing all — yes, and yes. I do know all. The beginning and the end of all things. —

— questioned, and every instance of it amused him thoroughly. “And no, clocks aren’t bad. Or good. Clocks are… impartial. Unbiased. But Nivens? A meddler. You might know him by his other name — does “White Rabbit” sound more familiar to you? I suppose it might. He doesn’t —

“That’s new. I haven’t been called “Literal Time” before. I suppose I am literally, and spiritually, and most certainly absolutely l am 𝗧𝗶𝗺𝗲. He is me and I am he.” There was a hint of amusement in his tone as he reintroduced himself again. It happened often, his existence —

— I should explain. As is with conversation. I’m Time. ‘The beginning and the end of all things’, as some say. But Time, first and foremost. And perhaps you don’t know me, but I know you, of course. I know every being in this universe.”

— certainly have words.” He scratched the back of his head, looking at her once more. It was only as he rocked back on the balls of his feet that he realised he hadn’t introduced himself, and his hand was extended toward her before he could speak. “Harls, you said? I suppose —

— across from them. His fingers wiggled in a small wave as if saying a silent parting to the time dust. “A clock? That’s what brought you here? Nivens is getting rather forgetful these days, isn’t he? And in someone else’s possession? The next time he pops by, we’ll —

— does like to travel the halls and return home. Makes for wonderful sparkling pools where light shines through, doesn’t it?” He waved his hand a second time through the dust, though this time cupping it in his hand to give it a gentle nudge toward one of the halls directly —

“Aha! Almost stardust. Very much like stardust. Same texture, same movement, but this —” His hand waved through a cluster of golden dust that was dancing nearby, disrupting the pattern of it. “— this is 𝙏𝙞𝙢𝙚 𝙙𝙪𝙨𝙩. Most likely escaped from the timelines, although it —

— realm.” Around them, glittering time dust breezed by in small clusters. Large patches of light filled the halls, beaming in through the wide windows. “I expect you rather tumbled through into here, otherwise we wouldn’t be having this conversation.”

— with his words, unable to help himself with doing so. He was smiling all the while as he spoke. Her second question made him laugh, and he threw his arms wide to gesture around them. “Where are you? The Castle of Eternity. Occupancy: one. Or several, depending on who is in —

“But of course!” He turned about on his heel quickly, hands clapping together rather excitedly. “You’re Harley. Harleen Quinzel. Doctor, I should say. Doctor Harleen Quinzel. But I expect you prefer not to be called by your full name every instance?” His hands moved —