Hatter’s had always been Hatter's, but before it was a Tea Shoppe, it was a hattery. For generations, that was what the family had done, lived up to their name and carried on tradition. It was an easy path to follow. Grow up, learn the trade, go to school, and then take over to begin the cycle all over again. There was nothing wrong with it, no one was expected to keep it going over all these years, but someone always did, someone always found their passion in the craftsmanship.
Plenty of Hatter’s came and went from Swynlake. David was no different. He left many times. Four times before he was 18. Then his mother died unexpectedly and, as the eldest, the responsibility of taking care of the family fell down around him. It took a while, a long while, for him to pick up the pieces and get the hang of it, but, eventually, it all worked out. He had to sell the farm and move everyone in to the flat above the shoppe, it had mostly just been used for private fittings and storage, but they’d learned how to fit. Unfortunately he had not been paying attention during his mother’s lessons nor had any talent for making hats, so when the supplies ran out he had to turn it into something he could make money with.
Tea. Coffee. Food. Comfy seating.
that could only stretch so far. He still needed money to pay for three kids, their needs, and the futures he knew he wanted them to have. David had always hated the system, hated that good people would be left behind just because they were left in bad situations, but here he was, falling right into the trap and doing it willingly. Off he went, looking for something that would ensure a steady income.
er a few trials and many errors, he was beginning to give up hope as the bills piled up and the savings were running out, until he figured, well, if he couldn’t find what he was looking for in this world, why not somewhere else? Again, he left.
took a while for him to figure out how to even find another dimension, and one that didn’t immediately want to kill him. When he did, a deal was struck. Goods in exchange for a service. Seemed simple enough.
ngs turned around after that. People started coming in and coming back until they were just a familiar name and face. His siblings were able to go off and live the lives they wanted, and this time Hatter stayed. He was okay with that, though.