It's No Use Going Back To Yesterday...

I was a different person then. Alice Liddell. 24. A student at Avalon Academy. Part of Wicked Revival RP.

[curious---er-blog]

prettybirbdiaval

He preened under the compliment. “Of course it is. I’m fun.” He wouldn’t thank her for complimenting him, it didn’t even occur to him. His perch on the branch was comfortable, steady enough to shift and smile at her easily. “I promise I’d be a gentleman with someone like you. Totally not a gentleman though.” He hated people who were gross, especially to younger women. He had a game when he was out, if he saw someone making a young woman uncomfortable, Diaval would just make the man uncomfortable.

He hummed, listening to her talk. “Sounds interesting. I know something about ridiculous demands. I knew - well, I watched - a king who was unreasonable. Didn’t even deserve to be king, but the people followed his every demand. His knights especially.” He had hated the man for what he did to Maleficent. Betrayal was the worst crime. “There were different kinds of beings with magic. You had talking flowers - I had Balthazar. He was a tree warrior. Talked, just not in any language a human would know.” He had liked to perch in his branches, not that the tree had liked that. And then there were fairies, of all kinds. Some were sweet, some were like my mistress. And the pixies were idiots.” He hadn’t meant to take so much care of Aurora at first, but watching how careless the three pixies were had frightened him. He had never had young of his own, but he had helped Aurora. “I suppose they did mean well though.”

Alice laughed at his reply to her compliment. “Yeah, you seem fun,” she said with a smile. “Boring people don’t hang out in trees.” Alice raised her eyebrows. “Well, you must be somewhat of a gentleman if you think you should be more polite around ‘someone like me’. I’m an adult, I can have adult conversations.” Alice sat up straighter and lowered her voice a few notes, “Taxes, politics, unpopular opinions, and kids these days with their texting and smart phones,” she fell out of character and laughed, “see, adult.”

“That sounds awful. The queen I knew, if you offended her in the slightest, even if by accident, she’d scream for them to cut off your head,” Alice explained, some sort of phantom sting running across her neck. She always hated the idea of beheading. It seemed so inhumane and painful. Alice swallowed the lump that found residence in her throat. “That sounds interesting. I wish the flowers couldn’t speak a human language. They were so annoying and judgmental. Called me a weed and a wildflower. The wildflower bit wasn’t so bad. Although they meant it in a mean way. I bet if there were fairies where I’m from, they’d have been so snippy and rude too. Or they’d all get high with the caterpillars...” she trailed off, thinking. Then, she turned her attention back to Diaval. “I bet they did mean well. Ignorance is bliss, but sometimes that can appear as stupidity.”

[curious---er-blog]

prettybirbdiaval

He shook his head, wishing he had seen Aurora. Of course, he wasn’t too certain how she would react to seeing him. Things were rather complicated there. “Not her, but my mistress from back then, she’s now my boss.”

Laughter bubbling up, he shook his head again. “I didn’t mean it like that. I mean, sometimes I do mean it like that, but I just meant… never mind.” He had a habit of turning things into innuendos, and honestly, he didn’t mean to half the time. The other half, he was definitely trying. He laughed with her, not holding back as the cackles filled the air. His laughter had always been loud and obnoxious, just like him.

Her explanation had a little more laughter escape him. “Sounds you came from an interesting place. Magic was done by people, where I came from, not objects. Though, some places held power, and you could curse objects, so maybe you just ate something cursed.”

Alice laughed with him. “I know what you meant, I think. If you meant something else please don’t go into details.” She laughed. The conversation was so weird, and Alice actually enjoyed it. Reminded her of who she used to be. He was nice for a stranger in a tree. It was weird that he wasn’t the first person she’d met in this way; lounging in a tree. “Your laugh is fun,” Alice said, her legs still swinging. She did grab onto the branch a little tighter with her hands once she started laughing, though. Didn’t need to fall out of the tree.

“Oh it was,” she nodded along somewhat excitedly. “There were all sorts of oddities there. I think everything there was magic. There were talking flowers and tea parties and a queen who’s company always followed in suit, no matter how ridiculous her demands. Honestly, I don’t even know how to describe all of it; there was so much there. It was wonderful and terrible at the same time.” Alice thought for a moment about Wonderland, the good and bad of it all. “It was all some sort of magic, but I don’t recall anyone having purely magical talents, like cursing objects. It was just a wild world. Your world, though. That sounds a little more manageable.”

[curious---er-blog]

prettybirbdiaval

The idea of talking dogs just seemed horrible to Diaval. They’d be able to tell him all about the poor birds they’d eaten. No, it was best he avoided any kind of canine. Cats weren’t much better, when he thought about it.

“Of course I like her. I spent…” He squinted, trying to count the years and gave up. “Too many years by her side. I am accustomed to her whims now.” He would never say that she cared about anything, not wanting anyone to use anything against Millicent. The details of their past was to remain a secret, although Diaval would never hide his loyalty for her or how that had come about. For someone so open, he kept a lot of secrets, but those were not his secrets.

He thought about it, remembering his life, and shook his head. “No, I always knew I was a raven. Sometimes, if she didn’t want me to talk, she’d turn me back into a raven and I’d caw at her to try get her to listen to me, and I had some interesting times getting used to my male body, but I always knew exactly what I was.” He had always had a confidence, that was something he had never lost. “How did you grow and shrink?” If she was asking questions, it was only fair he could ask his own.

“That’s nice; do you know her here?” Alice asked with a smiled. “I haven’t met anyone from my past life here. I doubt I’d recognize them, if I’m honest. Most of them weren’t human in the past.” 

“Ew, no, don’t phrase it like that,” Alice laughed, “Just say ‘my human form took some getting used to’. The way you said it sounds super weird. Unless, you wanted it to sound weird. Because in that case, mission accomplished. Way to go, you nailed it,” Alice giggled some more. She also imagined him squawking and cawing  at someone to get their attention, which just kept her laughter going. Gosh, she must seem so immature. But this whole scene was so obscure to her. It was like something from her past life. Sitting in a tree, talking to a raven. She felt like she did when she was a child. Plus, she still saw herself as a child sometimes. Too young and naive. And, in some cases, immature.

She regained herself some. “Some sort of potion made me shrink. I ate a cake to grow. Although, I suppose those things do the same sort of thing here, it’s just less magical, and the growth isn’t really like, a scale up or down sort of thing.”

[curious---er-blog]

prettybirbdiaval

Diaval listened to her ramble calmly. “You don’t need to fit in. I knew a girl like you once. She never let herself change who she was to make anyone happy. Everyone who knew her grew to love her for who she was. The few who didn’t, simply didn’t matter in the end.”

He shuddered at the idea of being around dogs. He couldn’t stand them. “No, and I am not going to give them the chance to get my scent so they can eat me one day.” He smoothed out the front of his shirt. “Dogs are just the worst.”

The idea of Maleficent being called nice had laughter bubbling up. “She’s a horrid woman.” He said it affectionately. “Vengeful, bitter, stubborn. People don’t like her, generally.” He didn’t mind so much, he knew her well enough to see past that. “It feels - felt - like… tickling, almost. Something under the skin, pulling and changing. It never hurt, but it took some time to get used to it. She used to change me mid-flight just to see me stumble.”

Alice gave him a smile. “Thanks,” she said, thinking about the girl. Sounded a lot like herself. Maybe she’d meet the girl someday, if she was here, too. Maybe they’d be friends. 

She let out a small laugh as he shuddered. “Okay, I won’t force you. Although, I don’t think dogs like to eat people. They aren’t the worst. I knew some dogs once that were very kind. Maybe it’s because they could talk.” She thought for a moment, wondering if maybe that was why some dogs were so mean; they just wanted someone to understand them.

Her brows furrowed. Usually, ‘horrid’ wasn’t said in such an affectionate way. “But... you like her? People who are vengeful are just overly passionate in the wrong ways, I think. It means she cares. At least about something.” Alice nodded along. “That must’ve been so strange. I know that for me, growing and shrinking to different sizes, was a lot for me mentally and physically. I can’t imagine what changing whole creatures and abilities must’ve been like. Disorienting? Did you ever forget that you were something different? Like, did you ever try to speak as a raven? Could you speak as a raven? Like, speak to people?” Alice swung her legs back and forth as she waited. 

[curious---er-blog]

prettybirbdiaval

“Crazy is objective, little one.” The endearment popped out casually, without him thinking anything of it. “But I would have to say, if you are here, it was likely to be real. You didn’t fight me though, so that is a relief.” He had only fought knights, fought a king. The more she spoke, the more Diaval liked her. She had a more sensible head on her shoulders than most did, by his standards anyway. Too often, people judged others for things beyond their control, a fact he never could understand.

He watched her as she climbed higher up, making certain the branches she chose looked strong enough to hold her. “Dogs are terrible!” He pouted, wanting sympathy. “Dogs tried to eat me.” He shook his head. He didn’t know how Maleficent felt about him, and he had only ever jokingly tried to prompt a confession out of her that she didn’t hate him. “No, but she was gracious enough never to turn me into a dog again. And I was a raven first. I’d seen her around, we all had, but we mostly ignored her, and she ignored us. It was only because she needed someone who could spy on the king that she saved me.” There was no bitterness or regret in his voice.

Alice didn’t even catch the slight endearment. And if she did acknowledge it, she wouldn’t have told him anything. She didn’t see anything off about it like some others might. “That’s what I think, as well,” she smiled. “I think crazy is more like that saying ‘pretty is as pretty does’. My mother used to say that all the time whenever I’d go and climb a tree or collect insects and come home all dirty, and then later complain that everyone thought my sister was prettier. But I think what she meant was ‘crazy is as crazy does’ because my sister never did anything exciting. All she ever did was worry about me and whether or not I was fitting in.” Alice stopped for a breath, realized her rambling, and got back to the point. “It’s a good thing you didn’t fight me, too. One of us may not be sitting here today if that had been the case.”

“Have you ever gone to the shelter and met the puppies? Puppies can’t hurt anyone. And, besides, you’re much bigger than dogs now,” she gave a small laugh at his pout. It was amusing, seeing a grown man, who was in a tree, pouting for positive reinforcement. He reminded her so much of her friends from Wonderland. From mannerisms to little quirks. And she liked that; most people were too uptight and ‘normal’ acting. “That was nice of her. And that must’ve been weird, the first time you turned into a man. Or a dog. Or a dragon. And I’m sure that if she was nice enough to not turn you into something you didn’t like, that meant that she did care about you, even if it was just a little bit.”

[curious---er-blog]

prettybirbdiaval

“Not many who can say they’ve fought a dragon - or dragon-adjacent - and lived.” He was mildly curious about that, but he knew that it was often young girls who seemed to end up in the most trouble, and most of the time, it was not of their making.

His chest went up and down in a silent heave of laughter. “You like my name? Most people wonder whether they should trust someone calling themselves the devil.” He’d been called demon before as well, and feared for his looks and for his loyalty to Maleficent. He was used to people not trusting him, and it amused him more than anything. They didn’t know the first thing about him.

Again, he wondered what her story had been, but he wouldn’t pry, not just yet. It was easier to get people talking by opening up first. “My mistress. I was being attacked, and if she had not turned me into a man, I would have been left to the mercy to those damned dogs. Which, by the way, means I would have been dead, those filthy beasts have no mercy.” Diaval shuddered, thinking about dogs. “After that, she turned me into things as she needed. I was her wings, her eyes and ears.”

“Well, depending on who you ask, it was all just a dream,” Alice gave a shrug. Sure didn’t feel like a dream, even now trying to pull memories from the event. She had seen the creature in her dreams and it barely compared to what it felt like standing at its feet. “And, now that I’m here, I know it wasn’t a dream. Because normal people wouldn’t come here, would they? They’ve all had something crazy happen to make them wind up here. Right?” Alice looked up at the man. Rambling again. She quickly glances between the tree branches and finds her way up to one almost level with the man. That way they could talk in a more comfortable manner. 

A smile came across her face. “I just think it makes you more unique. And, if you’re called the devil, then you’ll probably meet less people with the same name as you. Plus, you can’t judge someone based upon a name. Most people don’t get to choose their names; it’d be unfair to punish someone for something they had no control over.” If she had gotten to choose her name, she probably wouldn’t have gone with Alice. It was so plain. But, then again, nowadays, Alice wasn’t as common a name as it once was. The only people she met with that name now were older ladies. 

Alice gave a light chuckle. “Dogs aren’t so bad. I’ve always liked cats more, though. Birds are nice, too,” she added, casting a glance over at him. “And, it sounds like she really cared about you, but did you ever get a say as to what you got turned into? And, if she turned you into a man, were you a man originally? Or were you a raven first?” Alice almost couldn’t help her curiosity. 

[curious---er-blog]

prettybirbdiaval

Diaval would never pass up the opportunity to brag about himself. “Oh, I was a raven first. I’ve also been a horse, and a dragon. And a man, obviously.” He had rather liked changing shapes, not that he would ever tell Maleficent that. He had simply wanted to be able to have some say in the matter.

The riddle had him thinking for a moment before he came up with an answer. “Inky. They’re inky. A beautiful, inky black raven, and a writing desk where the ink from the quill, or the pen, has gotten all over it.” He had no idea if that was correct or not, but he rather liked that it sounded logical. “Hello Alice.” Had he been able to in this position, he would have bowed. Alice had a sweet, open-minded innocence that made him think of Aurora. “I am Diaval. It is lovely to meet you, even if you are only a girl.” There was a gentle lilt of teasing in his voice.

Alice smiled in awe. This man would fit in amazingly in Wonderland. “I’ve fought a dragon in a different life. At least... he was similar to a dragon.” The Jabberwock was an interesting beast that still haunted her nightmares on bad days. 

“I like that answer,” Alice told him honestly. “I could only think of ‘things Edgar Allan Poe likes’ as an answer, but I doubt that would be the riddle my friend would tell. He could be rather childish. But I like your answer. It has a nice visual to it.” She looked up with a smile when he introduced himself. “Nice to meet you Diaval. I like your name; it’s different.” Most people would’ve found some parts of this situation and his introduction a little off-putting or a reason to walk away, but none of those warning bells were in Alice’s head. He seemed nice enough. She laughed lightly at his comment of her being ‘only a girl’. “I’ve been small as a mouse and also as big as a house, though. So I have some experience with being different from normal. Not quite the same, though, I know. How were you able to turn into so many different things?”

[curious---er-blog]

prettybirbdiaval

Diaval debated ignoring the voice, but he knew there was a 50/50 chance they’d keep chirping at him, or call the police, rather than just leave him alone. Wait, no, that made a one in three chance. The odds weren’t in his favour, so he shifted on the branch to stare down at the girl. “Why shouldn’t I be in a tree?”

It sounded argumentative when he spoke in that dry voice, and he didn’t feel like ruffling feathers for once, so he added a smile. “I can’t seem to shake old habits. I was a raven.” He preened a little, fixing the collar of his jacket. He had always been proud of his beautiful self. “Perhaps you should climb up, it might give you a different perspective.”

Alice was relieved when he moved. She didn’t know why she thought he might be dead; just a dark thought that passed through her head. She smiled at him when he replied, though. Usually adults didn’t have that sort of response to things. Of course, adults weren’t usually in trees. 

Her eye’s lit up. “A raven?” she asked. “That’s so cool. I’ve always just been a girl. Not much changes when you’re the same forever.” Alice hopped up, grabbing one of the lowest branches, and began climbing the tree. She probably looked like a ridiculous klutz, but she didn’t care. She didn’t really care what other people thought of her.

“I had a friend once,” she started, looking up at him as she climbed. “And he’d always ask me this riddle: ‘How is a raven like a writing desk’. But he’d never give me an answer. I think, if there ever was one, he had forgotten it.” Alice paused, sitting herself on a branch below the man while she thought of another way up higher, seeing that she was much too small to make the grabs she could only assume the man had taken. “I also used to have lots of animal friends. But, I’ve never met a raven before. So... Hello. I’m Alice.” 

[curious---er-blog]

prettybirbdiaval

It was a pastime he’d always enjoyed, and he saw growing up as no reason not to continue it. It would make it easier if he could fly up into the trees, but fortunately, he’d grown accustomed to this human body and had learnt how to climb trees. He rather enjoyed, if he was being honest, finding his way up in the most ungainly way possible, only to gracefully lie back on a branch without a care in the world.

That was what he was doing now, lying back on a wide branch, head resting against the trunk as his legs swung either side of the branch. It was a public park, but with the weather being the way it was, no one had seen him yet. His eyes were closed, but he hadn’t fallen asleep, not stupid enough to risk falling asleep when it might snow.

@curious—er

Alice was walking home after one of her classes. It was getting colder. She felt like it had only been a few days since she was enjoying fall, and now it was already winter. Time flew. The year was almost over, and that was almost as shocking to her as seeing someone else in the park. Well, not just someone else in the park. But seeing a man up in one of the bare tree. At first, she thought she imagined it, but when she looked again, she could clearly see the man in a black coat. He stuck out like a sore thumb against the grey sky. 

Curiosity piqued, Alice made her way over to the tree, looking up at the man. Was he asleep? Or dead? “Excuse me,” Alice called up to him, her voice sounding louder than it was in the empty world, “What are you doing in a tree?” She hoped he wasn’t dead; that would be a poor way to kick off the upcoming new year.

[curious---er-blog]

5, 16, 23

Get Inside Her Headcanon

5: Cleanliness habits

Alice is a pretty tidy person when it comes to school/ work space. And, in her own way, her room and personal stuff is organized. Of course, to any other person, it just looks like a huge mess. Piles of random books and papers. Pillows and blankets everywhere. But, Alice has a system in all that clutter. Just like most things in her life, there is some sort of method to her madness.

16: Biggest and smallest long term goal?

Her smallest long term goal would be to figure out what she wants to do with her life, study it, and get a steady job. Her biggest long term goals are to do something impactful; something that she’ll be remembered for. Whether that comes with a career or through something else she does, it’s something Alice would like. That, and one day having her own family. Mostly because she wants to correct what her mother did; she wants her future children to feel accepted for all their quirks and ‘flaws’. She’s in no rush for this goal, though. It’s just something that’s always in the back of her mind as something she one day would want.

23: How organized are they? How does this organization/disorganization manifest in their everyday life?

Relating to the first one, Alice is organized in her own way. Her notes, journals, books, and papers all look like they are randomly thrown. Alice, however, has her system. Her notes might look all over the place, but she has them in order of facts that least interest her to most interest her, that way she’s forced to read the boring facts first. Her books are organized by favorite book and favorite genre. The very first book on her shelf is The Kite Runner, because it’s her favorite realistic fiction book. Next is fantasy and all the books in their respective order. And so on. Alice is meticulous about those sorts of things. She wants things to be organized, but the way she deems it fit to organize just looks like a disheveled mess to everyone else.

[curious---er-blog]

Carreau, Lilith, Baal

Demon Meme

Carreau: do you consider yourself compassionate or harsh to others? why?

“I like to think I’m compassionate. I care a lot about others.”

Alice is kind by nature and very optimistic. She cares about everyone she encounters and would rather be kind than be harsh. But, her somewhat opinionated, and sassy personality sometimes gets her to be overly passionate and come off as a bit abrasive. Her social filter is sometimes lacking because she has a lot of thoughts and she likes to share–sometimes when people don’t ask. But, all in all, Alice is very compassionate, and she realizes this.

Lilith: what was your biggest rebellion against authority? why did you do it?

Answered

Baal: if you were a god, how would you prefer to be worshiped?

“Hmm… I guess I’d want people to leave flowers at places, or other stuff related to nature.”

Alice loves nature, and she she feels that if she were to be a god, it would have to have something to do with nature. And she wouldn’t expect much from people. She’d just want everyone to be happy and find the beauty in even the darkest times.

[curious---er-blog]

lilith and abaddon

Demon Meme

Lilith: what was your biggest rebellion against authority? why did you do it?

“Um… Probably that time I ran away.”

Alice’s past life was basically one big rebellion against authority, whether it be her mother or the Queen of Hearts. Here, though, she at least tries to stay on the good side of authority. Emphasis on tries. She did, however, run away from home when she was sixteen for almost a week. She had been angry with her mother for telling Alice, once again, the careers she should go after, what she should and shouldn’t do, and how she should be more like her older sister. She did eventually return home though, feeling only a little guilty. Especially when she realized how worried her mother and sister had been.

Abaddon: what person, place, or thing have you most wanted to destroy? 

“My inhibitions. Or, maybe some of memories…”

Alice never really had a desire to destroy anything. She’s a pretty passive person. But, in her past life, after discovering the darker sides of Wonderland, and what the Queen of Hearts wanted to do to her and her new friends, she did have a feeling to get some sort of revenge on her. In this life, she’s always had some desire to destroy the part of her mind with the memories of whichever past is fake. She doesn’t want to be confused anymore. And while she knows she’ll be upset either way, she’d rather just know the truth.

[curious---er-blog]

foxyfitzgerald

Despite being a teacher, Mary hadn’t loved school. She’d never felt like she was good at it. “Hey, nothing wrong with changing your mind until you figured it all out. I didn’t do what everyone expected me to do.” She smiled, hearing she volunteered at the library. “They do love story time. They love adventure stories.” She’d taken to telling them stories of Robin, providing endless source of entertainment for the children, and it meant she could just tell the story rather than read from a book. “Sometimes, I do wonder how I handle them. But the good news is, there’s usually only one being naughty at any time. Three at the most. So it’s easier to handle that way.”

“What did everyone want you to do?” Alice let her curiosity get the best of her. “I mean, if you don’t mind me asking.” She listened, nodding along. “They get so excited when you tell them adventure stories. They’ve always got a little something for everyone. Action, mystery, humor. Heroes overcoming their obstacles.” Alice smiled. She had contemplated telling her own stories from wonderland, but she feared parts would turn too dark for the children, or that her tone would get too bitter. “That’s good. I used to have these two friends who were more like children; they were brothers, but they’d always get into trouble. And when both of them started arguing, it’d be almost impossible to get anything done.” She smiled again, reminiscing on her friends from the past, wondering where they all were now. “But they were kind. Chaotic and excitable and sometimes not the wisest. But they always tried their best.”

[curious---er-blog]

insidiousficnd

Padraic’s eyes narrowed slightly and his forced smile remained pressed onto his lips, though a slight sneer tinged the expression. Was she having a crack at him for being older? The little shite. Girls like her reminded him all too much of that Flaversham brat. Too clever for their own good.

He knew she was trying to get something out of him. Why or what it was, he wasn’t quite sure. With a little huff, Padraic once again put on an air of aloofness. ❝ Conversation. A lonely man with the desire to talk to anyone who will listen, ❞ he said, gesturing at her. ❝ Even if they are cheeky little girls. ❞ Her rambling about the holiday spirit drew a half-eyeroll behind his glasses, however. ❝ I’m sorry. I didn’t realize I was speaking to the Ghost of Christmas Past, Present, and Future, ❞ he scoffed under his breath. Why did people insist on trying to get him in touch with his feelings this time of year? Feelings were deceptive. The only thing he ever felt this time of year was emptiness. Like every other day of the year. But at least during the rest of the time, he could distract himself. Not so during the holidays. Not when reminders where strung up all around him. ❝ And sometimes people see a gingerbread house for what it is: cheap biscuits held together with hard icing and a prayer. ❞ He dragged his gaze back to the girl, staring hard. ❝ Not everything in this world has a grander meaning, young lady. Sometimes things just are the way they are. ❞

Alice folded her hands in front of her, staring in through the window still. “Well, conversations are always nice,” she glanced up at him for a moment with a small smile. “Even if they are with grumpy old men.”

“Well, it’s quite fitting, don’t you think, Mr. Scrooge,” she said, though her tone is much lighter than his. She couldn’t change his thoughts, she realized. Not that she wanted to force him into believing anything. She just wished people would be a little happier. Especially at the holidays. But, she supposed, everyone has different memories and beliefs. 

“Held together with hard icing and a prayer,” Alice repeated with a small laugh. “I like that description. You’re right. Sometimes things are just things. But sometimes they’re everything to someone else. Like, that tree,” Alice motioned to one of the planted trees. “It’s just a tree to us. But, it’s a home to a squirrel, or food for a beetle. Sometimes everything is nothing. Other times, nothing is everything.” She turned back to face him. “So, agree to disagree; disagree to agree. In the end, we’re both wrong, and we’re both right. It’s all about who you ask.”

[curious---er-blog]

foxyfitzgerald

Mary had seen so many people who didn’t love their jobs, and she wished that wasn’t the case. It was much easier to deal with the bad days when the good outweighed them. “What about you, where do you work?” Since Alice was so cheerful, Mary hoped she was one of those lucky ones who got to love their work. Of course, she wanted everyone to love their work, but that was beside the point.

“Oh, I don’t work anywhere right now,” Alice said with a shrug, “I’m still in school; I took a gap year and I’ve fiddled with my major a few times, so it’s a slow and steady thing. But, I like school, well, mostly. I like learning. Not a fan of assessments, though...” she was rambling again. Alice cut herself off. “But I do sometimes volunteer in the school’s library. I like when I get to read to the younger children at Avalon, but hats off to you, kindergarten teacher, because I don’t think I could handle a whole classroom full of them.”

[curious---er-blog]

mythospinetree

Dipper smiled. A small smile, still, but more genuine than the others he’d given out, since she’d put the picture in his head, a picture of being renowned and respected for all the work he’d put into the field of interest that most people dismissed as nonsense; surely that would make anyone smile. “If I ever get something onto the big screen, I’ll be sure to send you an invite to the premiere showing,” he said. He tapped his number into her phone and made the trade with a nod of thanks. “And I’ll, ah, I’ll keep in touch, yeah?”

Alice returned the smile as she got her phone back. “And I’ll be sure to be there,” she said. She nodded, sending a quick text-- ‘Hi it’s Alice :) ’--so he’d have her number before tucking her phone back into her bag. “You better keep in touch. I want to hear more about all those anomalies you’re talking about. And, you know, I liked talking with you.” She gave a little shrug of her shoulders, a small grin on her face.

[curious---er-blog]

insidiousficnd

Padraic matched her smile as she brought up Picasso. Clearly they were both very good at smiling when not meaning it. A soft, lilting chuckle left his throat as he cocked his head to the side at her. ❝ What a clever girl. ❞ And no doubt she, too, thought of herself as very clever judging by that smirk of hers. Oh the presumptions of youth, assuming you knoweverything when you’ve hardly lived at all.

There was a moment where his eyes lingered on her behind his frames, cold and hard, before he dragged his attention back to the window. ❝ There should always be a point to what you do. Whether it’s art or not. Everything needs a point…even if I don’t agree with it. ❞ And with a deep inhale, Padraic tried to keep his attention fixed on the display by analyzing all the little pieces of candy and frosting as he processed her question. After a moment, the older man gave a shrug. ❝Obviously the holidays are about family. Loved ones. Warmth and unity. ❞ All the things he never had. Pushing that bitter feeling down, he shook his head. ❝ Concepts that one cannot properly express using stale biscuits and gumdrops, I’m afraid. ❞

Alice knew they probably had mutual thoughts of one another. Not that she cared what he thought of her; she didn’t care what anyone thought of her. But, his patronizing tone did rub her the wrong way. “Well, thank you,” she gave a small, probably too sarcastic curtsy. “That means the world to me, especially coming from such a wise and,” she looked him up and down, “very well-versed  man such as yourself.” She held his gaze, keeping her smile. 

“Well, if there’s always a point to everything, why’d you start talking to a stranger about gingerbread? Just to share your woebegone opinion with a stranger? And what’s the point of sharing an opinion? Just to get a reaction? What’s the point of that reaction?” Alice looked over at him, clasping her hands behind her back, waiting. “And, technically, you’re wrong about holiday spirit. That could be what they mean to you,” although she doubted those last bits, “But the holidays spirit doesn’t have a finite meaning. It’s just however you see the holidays. It’s about traditions and feelings. The spirit of the holidays could lie in family and loved one for you, but for others, it could hold deep feelings of sadness or loneliness. Or for some, the true holiday spirit could lie within the sugary walls of a gingerbread house.” She looked up at the man. “Because a gingerbread house isn’t about the final product. It’s about the memories you make while making it. Jokes with family members and friends, listening to Christmas carols while eating too many gumdrops. Just like a Christmas tree. It’s not about how it looks when it’s decorated; it’s about the memories made and remembered while decorating it.” She let out a soft sigh, looking back through the window at the little gingerbread display. “Sometimes it’s only about emotions; sometimes people don’t care about facts or logistics as long as you can feel something.”