[attr="class","header2"]APPEARANCE

[attr="class","body"]
Escapism, an act of which one uses to drift away from the pains of reality to nestle their thoughts within comforting topics that bring forth a sense of joy.

Escapism was something that Pim Finnegan did plenty of in his younger years due to constantly moving to and from place to place while their family found a place that could truly be called home. Especially one where it was easier for them to acquire clothing that suited his ever changing body as his quirk gradually started to awaken as a child. Many of his memories lack true substance in an array of forms since he spent most of it asleep in his free time up until his family finally found a place that they could be welcomed and truly call home. The young man's mind spent many years enraptured by tales of a Wonderland, dreaming of himself in place of the Mad Hatter and hosting splendid tea parties, celebrating unbirthdays and meeting all sorts of Alices. It was always a different guest his dreams would manifest based on those they'd crossed paths with, but those who had a far more profound impact than simply passing by were granted more permanent roles.

This Wonderland was a curious one since...well...it was a dream that continued on as though it was its own little world. Picking up from different points in time and finding himself opening his eyes in a place that was different from the last. Pim longed to be like the character he lived through in his dreams, surrounded by those who enjoy his company, participating in his parties and shows...

...whenever he woke up, he would simply attempt to drift off to sleep so he could feel the warmth that lived so vividly in his dreams. Only bothering to take care of himself enough to keep living, his family and doctor assuming that it had something to do with his quirk. Such an assumption was partially true...however, something peculiar happened with his consistent dreams.

One day, the Wonderland of his dreams began to deteriorate and manifest a near nightmareish hellscape rather than a whimsically good time he was fond of. Taking over a moment where he was gripping the shoulders of an Alice who was different from the rest, dressed like a fairy princess with eyes bright as the sky and vibrant as the sun. There was something he knew: that this young lady was willing to help make things right no matter what, they had to save this place! He would do his best to protect her, but felt himself waking up in a dire moment against the Walrus...

Although he tried and tried to fall asleep, he couldn't.

So he had no choice but to head down to the kitchen and remember the very little bits and pieces to make up a puzzle of how one falls back to a land of slumber. There were things that nestled in his memory better than others such as tea and theater...

Chamomile tea.

He needed chamomile tea!

Although his frantic behavior confused his parents, they never saw him quite like this and decided that another appointment with the doctor would be best. Ranting and raving about needing to save some character in his dream as if they were a real person, they hoped that something would come out of the trip to benefit and help their son. Instead, they found out his quirk affected more than his body, it wasn't some sort of simple mutation...no, no. His body began seeping with what smelled like tea, the humidity from the steam filling up the room and changing its appearance to reflect the place he'd seen in his dreams...

...breaking down as the scene he woke up from played before them, a tattered landscape and bodies with that girl...the Alice as a beacon of hope proclaiming that even if it cost her life, she would do anything to save that world and so would he.

The girl was like family, a sister...

Pim's vision in his right eye began to falter, but he still kept the scene playing for his parents as his vision began to quake. Frantic about saving some dream world, he exhausted himself to the point of passing out and that's when they took the opportunity to get their child medical care and update his records. They couldn't fully recover his right eye's vision without a corrective lens, but to him that was nothing.

Because in this world, this Wonderland he would find himself in his dreams was gone and the chipper Alice who still, despite being battered and broken continued to smile through the pain and tears. The Alice was fading away and even though part of him was well aware she wasn't a real person, she was real to him. In her last moments, he confided in her about his life and this was all he felt he had, but she comforted him and told him "Oh you silly Mad Hatter...you haven't been living like you should..." With a weak, shaky lift of her arm, she gently booped his nose with the tip of her finger and let out a soft laugh, "...you should live, Mister Hatter...it's not too late to sing with the birds and dance with flowers...! M-maybe...you can find other Alices, too...Alices who would love a tea party o-or show...? I...I think that would be n-nice..."

The Alice, the one who represented the suit of diamonds truly shined bright in her final moments as she looked up, neglecting Pim's pleas to save her strength until they could get help. "...help is out there, not here, but there...I-I think...! N-no matter, though...I want you to live, s-smile and laugh out there...that...that would help...don't you think...Mister Hatter...?" It was strange to watch the shimmer fade from her eyes before gently bringing her lids to a close.

Much like a show or a story portrayed on the stage, all good things must come to an end...

"Alright, my dear Alice...I'll live."

Pim stayed by the Alice's side until he woke up from the broken Wonderland of his dreams, awakening as he found himself in the doctor's office with his mother and father worried sick over him. They worked on getting his life in the direction and sorting out therapy to get the young man on the right track. Constantly sleeping to exist in a dream rather than making the most of his life was clearly unhealthy and not the way to go. Even though some young lady his mind manifested was the one who had to teach him that, Pim began to really see that he wasn't a burden on his family as much as he thought. They did what they had to out of the love from their hearts and he was blind to that, only seeing the bad from having to accommodate his needs for specially tailored clothing. Spending more money, having to budget more than if they had a normal child without a quirk was seen as a glaring thorn in their sides.

Living in a headspace that he was only a burden upon his family stopped him from living his life and now that he was seeing it wasn't the case all along? It was like a breath of fresh air for the first time outside of the Wonderland in his dreams before it fell apart. When the Alice of Diamonds spoke of living...this is probably the start of what she was trying to talk about. Had she more time, she would have been able to say more...but that wasn't the case and he would have to figure out this mystery all on his own. Well, more or less, he had a mother and father that wanted him to be well, happy and have a quality of life like everyone else, they assured the boy he wasn't as alone as he felt in the real world.

Find people to befriend...

...find more Alices.

There were surely other Alices out there who would love to celebrate their unbirthday, right?!

The first step was to start looking forward, move forward and appreciate the world around him all the more than before. So he got all the more intrigued in theater and learning more about different types of tea, even discovering ways to make clothing and costumes. Tailoring helped him feel less like a burden since now he could actually work on not only his own clothing, but for those who also didn't fit the mold with their bodies much like himself! During his venture in getting more and more enamored with the theater, he followed the urge to start auditioning for roles and when he didn't get them? He would offer to help as a stagehand of some sort, be it helping with the props, effects or even costumes...it was just nice to be part of the show in some form or another.

Though he did slip up and really get lost in a role he partook in by using his quirk to really make the show stand out with the atmospheric feel of the scene, singing with all his heart and finding that the melodic tunes he would make helped with controlling his tea and body from shifting further. The soft, warm glow that would take over parts of his body accented the spotlight...

...until the show was forced to a close.

For you see, the theater didn't have permits to allow quirk use and once word got out...it was over and they were closed until further notice.

The guilt of being the reason why a place that brought him joy was forced to shut down and cause a stir with the law certainly got to him for a moment, but moping about it wasn't going to fix things! No, no, he had to find a solution because one was there in the open...all he had to do was figure out how to get a permit sorted for the theater. Although the owner was frustrated with him, they would work on saving the theater and bring it back.


Wonderland Theater, that's what they would call it!

After spending a few years on building a case for allowing those with quirks to simply enhance the experience of the show for the audience. Once they sorted out how to make it safe for everyone involved, they worked on renovating the old theater so it could become Wonderland Theater. A place where shows could have a classic approach at the theater while infusing elements of quirk usage to make it feel like those in the audience were immersed in a whole new world playing out before them. It took time, but they were able to re-open their doors, carrying out plays that were both new and old, though they also allowed people to consider scripts they made to give indie writers the chance to shine. A little curious how some things were based on true stories, yet some felt too far fetched to be true at times. Pim didn't question a darn thing as long as the tale was interesting and the crowd had fun!

No one knows the fate of the theater and how things will go, but Pim and the others who wish to make it flourish will be pouring their hearts into it like a kettle filling tea cups at a party! Part of what they do to help with funds, outside of ticket sales, is selling custom made clothing to those who are looking for something that comfortably fits them at a reasonable cost! Cheaper if the fabric is provided, of course, but it seems to help on slower periods at the very least.

To Pim, the world feels like a much brighter and vibrant place than it has any right being...and preserving that has grown all the more important to him.