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@alicezhaox
ALICE AI ZHAO.
she/her. alice. 37 year old writer & lover of dumplings. new york city girl who landed in merrock. lead events writer at merrock times. a dreamer who enjoys the simple things in life and believes that laughter is the best medicine. gemma chan
BIOGRAPHY ✮ NAVIGATION ✮ TIMELINE ✮ STATS
WHERE: Summer Carnival, downtown WHO: Sam and OPEN (0/4)
"I feel like I should apologize to you for…something," Sam said with a chuckle as he approached the other, having just did his turn at the dunk tank and had now changed so he was dry, mostly. His hair still needed some time. "I mean, I'm not sure what I did but felt like you were quite determined there earlier when I was at the tank. So, I gotta ask, what did I do?" he asked with a grin to say that he was just joking. "Cotton candy on me?"
Alice gave him a smile. "All in the name of the newspaper," she said, clicking her pen, before sticking it behind her ear again. "Honestly, I'm kind of surprised I even hit anything because I swear I had my eyes closed," she laughed. "I'm just glad I didn't hit you," she smirked. "Did you have fun, though? Do you feel like you contributed to a good cause?"
"Seriously, out of the two of us, how did you end up being the one who brought work to the carnival?" She asked her friend, laughing softly at the thought. Usually, Erin would be the one who complained about drafting contracts and writing opening statements while attending events around town. But since it was Fourth of July weekend and paperwork could not be filed while the courthouse was closed, she was actually off the clock for once. She did not think about work for even a second, actually enjoying the carnival and making the most out of this much-needed break. "I have no problem with having a caricature done, but if you want to include mine as an example in the paper, I expect compensation," she replied to the other's question with a laugh.
Alice laughed. "I signed up for this," she grinned at her. Well, she did love her job. She probably loved her job more than most people. And the paper needed someone to pick up a story about the celebrations happening in town. Since she was the lead writer, she took that responsibility. "And I will personally take care of that part," she nodded at her friend. "The booth is over there, I think," Alice pointed towards the section across from them. "Speaking of work, how're things going with you? Raf's not working you too hard is he? I may have to bully him otherwise."
closed starter for: @erin-leahy
what: emergency services carnival
Alice walked along with Erin as she took notes of all the rides and displays of the carnival. "What do you say... to one of those fun caricatures? Then we can add that as an example in the paper?" she asked her friend. "I've been working on my next article in my downtime while also sitting around and people watching, so it's been a good day so far."
Mariah wiped as much as she could off of Alice's shoe. She put the napkin in a little trash bag on the wagon. Her head turned to make sure her children were still sleeping before looking up at Alice. "It is nap time." she said quietly. "I'm afraid if I move them, they'll wake up and they'll be extremely fussy. Maybe you stepping on the funnel cake was the universe's way of saying I didn't need to eat it." she shrugged softly. "How have you been enjoying Pride Palooza?"
Alice reached for an extra napkin as well. "It's all good, I promise," she assured her friend. "Ahh, yes. Nap time is very important!" she said, making sure not to raise her voice too much since the kids were sleeping. "We'll just grab another one later. Maybe some ice cream too," she nodded. "I'm loving it! I've been taking notes, walking around. How about you? With these two tuckered out, looks like you've also been having fun."
"You can tell me," he said, leaning in a bit as though he was going to get some sort of deep, dark secret right then and there on the bench that they were sharing, "what am I going to do, share a tip with the Merrock Times?" And then Alice would be able to throw it in the trash and pretend that she never saw a thing. Really, if she was the Benefactor, she would have pretty smooth sailing of being able to escape culpability. It also added to the mystery of who this person actually was, but… Jason had long ago given up on trying to figure that out. "To be fair, that's a kid thing, right? Getting so excited to see someone's reaction that you forget to let them have a reaction," but that happened -- and you might learn the next time, or you might just keep blurting everything out as you went. "We do," he said with a warm smile, "and with the way the world is now, it's kind of nice to be a part of that."
Alice leaned in as well and smirked at him. “Maybe, maybe next month’s special will be an exposé, and we will all have to act surprised,” she teased. That certainly would raise some eyebrows and get people’s attention. Maybe not in the way she actually intended but it would get some attention nonetheless! She turned her head to him again, letting out some more laughter. “Shhh… yes, butC those are all technicalities. And no one has to know,” she said, wrinkling up her nose a bit before laughing. Well, she had to agree. There were plenty of things happening. At least if she could help with one small part, it would make a difference. At least that was the goal. “Love getting to play my part even if it’s something tiny. It still counts!”
Pride was always special to Aisha. Although she'd been to a few over the course of her travels, the people of the Merrock seemed to go all-in, embracing everyone and showing up big time. She was happy to put on something cute and show up to the year's festivities with her girlfriend. Something that made the event a bit more special. She'd decided to check out some of the booths, Aisha catching the eye of some cupcakes with bright frosting. Beaming at Alice as she spoke up, Aisha nodded. "Besides hanging with my partner? I got some hair tinsel, figured it was in the spirit, and have been checking out local vendors for my accessories collection. How about you- enjoying yourself?"
Alice loved seeing what the town had to offer for pride. And it was always fun to support her neighbors too. “Even better, actually!” She said with a nod. One of the best parts was that there was always some kind of dance party going on when there wasn’t a dance party happening. Everyone just knew how to have a good time; she could hear the music blasting from the other side of the park. “How are things going with you two?” She asked with a cheeky grin. “And absolutely loving the hair tinsel, by the way,” she nodded. “Been looking at every booth and making it a goal to try out every snack,”
Even though she was kind of over giving the same explanation, Jasmine knew she had to have some decorum. "For the low price of $5, you get to stick your hand in this tub," she tapped either end of the container full of Styrofoam peanuts, "close your eyes and grab a prize. There are some actual things in there, but also some capsules with a piece of paper saying what you won. Think you want to try your luck?"
Alice quickly took her wallet out and placed a five dollar bill in the donation bucket. She gave Jaz a smile. “Let’s go ahead and try it out then,” she said, tapping her fingers together before sticking her hand in the tub. Her eyes squeezed shut until she picked something up. “I think I got something?” She said with a soft laugh.
Closed Starter for: @alicezhaox
Where: Pride Palooza
When: Pride Weekend 2026
The twins were having the time of their lives. They had been in bouncy houses, danced to the music, and eaten many sweets. Now, they were tuckered out, fast asleep in the stroller wagon. Mariah had managed to get some food for herself and set up a blanket and covering for all of them.
"Watch...!" she yelled, before a person's shoe ended up in her rainbow funnel cake. "Out..." she sighed softly. "I guess I should've found a better place for my funnel cake. I'm sorry." she said looking around for some napkins to help clean the shoe. I hope the powdered sugar doesn't stain."
Alice had on her rainbow hat with colorful characters and motifs. She had bought a new pair of earrings that matched the theme. It was so much fun to see what everyone was up to and supporting one another. Every year seemed to just get more and more festive. Her head turned when she heard a voice. "Oh!"
Luckily, she was wearing a trusty pair of sneakers that were comfy enough for walking and rugged enough for accidental food droppage. "No, no, don't worry about it," she said, pulling a few extra tissues out of her bag. "Let's grab another one," she nodded, before looking over at the stroller. "Ah, nap time," she dropped her voice down to a whisper.
who: alice & @aishathevar
what: pride palooza
when: june 13
Alice was enjoying seeing all the outfits that everyone had put together for pride weekend. It had been fun and exciting to see what the town had to offer, supporting the community and being a part of celebrating love. She had on a colorful outfit and accessories to match, walking along the streets and seeing what the town had to offer this weekend. Falling in line for some sweet treats. "What have you gotten up to today?" she asked Aisha, who was nearby.
"I don't know, Alice, is there something that you would like to confess?" Jason asked, raising one brow as he looked over at her, trying to put on his most skeptical expression... only to end up laughing himself as he shook his head. "No, I think you're inquisitive and smart, but the Benefactor is pretty diabolical. And you don't seem evil." Although he might not know her as well as other people, he knew that she was too smart to pull something as -- in his opinion -- stupid as what the Benefactor wanted to do. "Have you told someone what their gift is as they unwrap it before?" he asked, holding back a laugh as best as he could. As he reached for some of the food out of the picnic basket, he chewed thoughtfully and nodded his head. "I couldn't agree more. I think people want to feel involved. Otherwise, this situation tends to feel... hopeless."
“I promise I’m not the Benefactor,” Alice said with a smirk. “I do my best to keep my plans under wraps until the very last minute,” she joked. It still crossed her mind trying to think about what happens when the identity of the Benefactor is actually revealed. Considering Merrock thrived for years and years without anyone knowing, she figured it would take much longer. “I have not. As an adult. Kid Alice may have accidentally spilled during a birthday but that was more out of excitement than trying to ruin someone’s life. And besides, my dad really liked the bedazzled tie clip I gave him that year,” her lips curled up into a smile. She helped herself to the sandwich and took a happy bite. “I think that’s what the rest of us want, too—those of us who are implored to get involved in these events. At least we have something positive to hold onto.”
"Profound," he said with a soft laugh, although he did mean it. There was something profound about it -- because it was true. There were less people to worry about protecting when they were gone, and then those secrets all spilled out and became common knowledge for everyone else, too. "You are right. All it takes is one person saying or doing something, or just … existing that we didn't know of before for a case -- or any situation -- to be opened again, to become more interesting. Funny how life works. Although we haven't had too many scandals here, that's true." Even as a lawyer, most of his cases were pretty cut and dry. Family law, petty crimes, but never anything that was going to make the national news. And honestly, maybe he was grateful for that. Those big cases had a tendency to blow up. "Don't worry, if I catch wind of any big drama that I can legally expose, you'd be the first I'd call," he said with his own grin, nodding his head. "I think so, too. Sitting and waiting only gives them more of a chance do dig their heels in, move on with the plans. We don't want that."
“And that is usually the case, right? That’s how things get started. Someone questions something that happens and it all cascades from there.” She had been to enough protests during her college days to understand that. Her role as a journalist was to find the story and piece it together, ask questions, find the answers. Tell the people the best truth she could muster. She had learned in traveling and meeting people that sometimes stories had to be investigated. People wouldn’t want to share their ideas because they felt words got twisted too easily. But she did her best to remain neutral. Sometimes that was easier said than done. She grinned at him. “Oh darn… I was hoping we could see you getting right to work and telling us everything we need to know about what is happening,” she chuckled. “At least we know… right? And then we can worry about everything else. The longer it takes, the more damage would be done.”
“Mmm, I’ve heard that line many times growing up. Then there’s ’here’s Uncle Qin when he was in college, had a 4.0 gpa and was captain of the chess club. Just don’t ask why Auntie Eleanor why she doesn’t wear the necklace he gave her for their wedding anymore. And then it turns into a whole soap opera,” Alice said, running a hand through her hair. Family was complicated. So she understood why things were also complicated when it came to the town. People said some things but would mean something else. Instead of just telling the truth. “That’s why I know whatever it comes to, it won’t be that easy and no one will back down that quickly. We’ve got some brilliant minds here working all the way up.” She knew the whole resort issue would make for a big story and keep her quite busy for a long while. But it meant learning more about the town as they figured things out.
Rafael couldn't help but to let out a laugh, wondering how much truth there was to what Alice was saying, if that was something that had actually happened in her family. But it wouldn't really be that surprising, would it? That was how families went sometimes. "So much of that stuff comes out after the funeral, too. Right about the time that you're having a big meal." Suddenly, when they weren't with you anymore, every single secret spilled out and became free game for everyone else. "We absolutely do. I don't think that the Benefactor realizes what they've started, how quickly this will go from an idea to something that snowballs out of control. And the only way that it's going to stop… is people in this town getting their way." For better or for worse, with that one. Rafael could only hope, for all of their sake, it was the better option. "I will say, I think people learning more, educating themselves about the town in general… that might bring along some positive changes, too."
“Isn’t there that saying? That secrets speak louder when someone is gone. Maybe I read it in a book or heard it from a documentary,” she scratched her chin. “But people ask more questions if someone says something and then disappears and that’s when the rest of the mystery comes in,” she nodded. “How many cases have we seen that someone comes around after the fact and it leads to something deeper and darker?” She bit her lip. “Not that anything like that sort of thing has happened in Merrock,” Alice said. “Unless there’s a hidden history and we have to start digging into the past,” she hummed. “From what I’ve seen and who I’ve chatted with around town, people want to learn more. They don’t just want to sit around and wait. Too much is happening, and it’ll be a push we need to keep our town running the way we want it,”
"Or someone would accuse you of being the Benefactor," he said with an amused laugh, "you know, easy to interview the man of mystery if you are the man of mystery." After a pause, he laughed again, "woman of mystery, excuse me." He leaned back against the bench and nodded his head thoughtfully as she talked about putting the story together, adding all of the bits and pieces up, knowing that he didn't envy her for it, but also that all of her pieces ended up being hits. "I can't wait to read it, honestly. You always do such a knock out job with the paper, it's great." Definitely something that felt bigger, to him, than a small town production, anyway. "You're welcome," he grinned, reaching for a piece of sandwich, as well. "I figure you're working hard, you deserve a break."
“Me?” Alice asked with a giggle. “I mean… do you think I’m the benefactor? Or that I just am inquisitive enough to know things?” She smirked. She probably would be much too generous or excited to pull something off like that for so long. Another laugh escaped her lips. “I’m pretty sure I am not the best secret keeper. I get too excited even when picking out gifts for people!” She grinned. She tapped her fingers on the surface of the table. “I’m excited for everyone to read it, though! I think we’ve really got something here. And the spring fling has really been a success so far. People like to be outside, be active, be a part of the community. That’s one of the biggest strengths here in Merrock.” She made a happy noise. “Well you are my hero this weekend, Jace!”
"And then when you're an adult, you find out some interesting family lore about the uncle, and learn why you've never actually met him, never saw a picture? You're not wrong," everyone had that one family member, and then Merrock had the Benefactor -- apparently that was just the way that things went. He had hoped that they wouldn't get to that point with the Benefactor, wished that they only had the best of intentions in mind, but… given the circumstances, it was kind of hard to see them as anything but dubious at best, now. "You're absolutely right. And I think that's what lets me know that the town will be okay, regardless of his position on things," because the town would continue to work hard at making sure that they thrived, even with this bump in the road. Big bump or not. "No, that's true… we don't exactly beat around the bush. And you know the locals as well as I do, these people have big hearts -- big mouths, too. They're not going to go down without a fight."
“Mmm, I’ve heard that line many times growing up. Then there’s ’here’s Uncle Qin when he was in college, had a 4.0 gpa and was captain of the chess club. Just don’t ask why Auntie Eleanor why she doesn’t wear the necklace he gave her for their wedding anymore. And then it turns into a whole soap opera,” Alice said, running a hand through her hair. Family was complicated. So she understood why things were also complicated when it came to the town. People said some things but would mean something else. Instead of just telling the truth. “That’s why I know whatever it comes to, it won’t be that easy and no one will back down that quickly. We’ve got some brilliant minds here working all the way up.” She knew the whole resort issue would make for a big story and keep her quite busy for a long while. But it meant learning more about the town as they figured things out.
Katie watched carefully as the dog sniffed Alice’s hand before immediately leaning into the attention like he had been waiting his entire life for someone to pet him specifically. "Well," she laughed softly, "congratulations. You’ve been accepted."
The mutt’s tail wagged hard enough to shake his entire body, and Katie shook her head affectionately.
"This is Murphy," she explained, one hand resting against the dog’s back. "Which is fitting, because if anything can go wrong around here, he somehow finds a way to accidentally be involved in it."
At the mention of Frederick, Katie let out a genuine laugh—warm, easy, and a little too familiar with the chaos being described. "That goat is a criminal mastermind wrapped in fur. Last month he escaped three separate enclosures, stole half a volunteer’s sandwich, and somehow ended up inside the supply closet." Her hazel eyes brightened with amusement as she looked back toward Alice. "And yes, following people to the bathroom is unfortunately very on brand for him. He’s got attachment issues and absolutely no respect for boundaries."
Katie leaned her hip lightly against the fence beside Alice, relaxed in the way she only ever seemed to be around animals. "You picked a good day to hide out here, honestly, though fair warning—if Frederick sees you again, he will remember you."
"Well, that is perfect then," she smiled, and then looked at the dog again. "Hi, Murphy, you're quite a charmer, aren't you?" Alice's smile grew as Murphy watched her.
She looked at the goat, who seemed to also be watching her, staring intently at her now. "They usually have a mind of their own, don't they?" she asked, lowering her voice slightly. The goat was cute, just a little bit mischievous. "You are a little cutie," Alice said with a chuckle and a sigh. "And you are lucky you are cute, mister," she smiled.
"It is a good day to be out here," she grinned. "Weather's really nice," she said, noticing something bumping her by her knees.
She bent down again and pet Frederick's head. "You and I will be seeing each other a lot, aren't we?" she smiled when Murphy walked up to her, she hummed again. "You too."
Jasmine blinked a few times before she said, "Sorry, you're probably the first person who's asked about something other than the game we've got going on." She tapped the top of the sign, before she turned her attention to the comics. "But uh, the 'Absolutes' are pretty popular this month, plus we have holdbacks and some leftover from Free Comic Book day."
"Just taking a look at what's been popular around here," Alice said. "Building a story for the Spring Fling. I'm just taking notes on everything," she said, picking up a copy and looking it over, before setting it back down and taking a few notes on her tablet. "But also yes, tell me more about the game," she gestured towards the sign.
