Alice Liddell 001 // In a World of my Own

[madcuriosity]

Who: Alice Liddell and whoever wants to help her
Where: Somni
Style: Either
Status: Open ♥

Comments

[charientisms]

So she was indeed Alice Liddell, and Break was aware that that brought their total number of Alice's in this world to three. It might have been amusing, except that Break found it so very peculiar that of all books, a children's fairy tale seemed to be one with the largest impact on other worlds. But now that he had a very reliable source for more information on said books, he was determined to find out why...And if such information could be used to predict the events of his own world. She was clearly a polite young girl--but that was not so surprising, for she had been that way in the book--and so Break smiled and replied, "A pleasure to meet you, Miss Alice. My name is Xerxes Break."

And he bowed in response, for a good impression needed to be made if he planned to use her for information.

Giants, though? He considered this, looking around, but he gathered quickly what she thought. The buildings were far taller than any he'd seen, but he had figured out that they were, quite simply, used to house more people in less space, not to house giants. What an interesting little girl, though, to come up with such a conclusion first.

"There are not many giants here at all, so there is no need for concern~ Very nearly everyone here is the proper size for a human," he said cheerily, and though there were people who were not entirely human, Break dismissed the idea of bringing that up. Besides, they were still mostly the proper size.

[madcuriosity]

Oh thank goodness! She wasn't in a land of giants. But then who would possibly need such massive buildings! And so many of them at that! She was quite glad to hear that most everyone was a normal size. Although she would like to meet a giant... at least... if it were a nice giant she'd like to meet one anyways. Oh it would be quite lovely to meet a big friendly one she supposed! So long as someone friendly she wouldn't mind meeting anyone of any size! But that wasn't really the issue at the moment. Although her curiosity made her wonder what was inside such large buildings.

"How do you do Mr. Break," she said with a smile. While he was dressed quite oddly Alice was at least happy to see he was pleasant. And it was nice to hear that everyone was the proper size. She had had quite enough experience shrinking and growing to last her a life time. She didn't want to go through that again (though she admitted she wouldn't mind being a little taller).

"Mr. Break, would you possibly know where we are?" she asked. "You see, Basil," she held up the dreamberry, which had returned to being a stuffed rabbit since she hadn't been using it, "is a very useful little bunny... but not a terribly talkative one I'm afraid. But he has been terribly kind and helpful thus far, so I really don't intend to hold his silence against him. But it would be very useful to know where I am so I can then try to get home."

She liked this world she had fallen into for the moment. She wondered if there was a garden around such a big... well, she wasn't sure WHAT it was. She supposed she should call it a city. It was certainly tall enough to be a city! Taller than a normal city in fact! She wondered if there was a word for that. A neighborhood was bigger than a house, and a town was bigger than a neighborhood, and of course a city was much bigger than a town... So then what was a place like this called?

Well, it was a good thing she had asked Mr. Break, he clearly knew so much already. He would probably know what to call a place that was bigger than a city.

[charientisms]

Alice, he was quickly realizing, was a very innocent child at times. He had known that, for he had read it, but meeting Alice meant that he understood it. And with such an innocent child possessing such information that he wanted, it added one more concern to the situation.

For Vincent was sure to find out that she was here, and when he did, he would likely try to prevent her from speaking with him, even silencing her if necessary. And though death was not permanent, it would be rather bothersome. But from the way that she was speaking, it appeared as though he was the first to come across her. The situation could still be salvaged.

And so he nodded, still smiling pleasantly, and responded, "I do indeed know where we are. This is Somarium." And then, to help the explanation along, for if anyone was comfortable with dream worlds, it would be Alice, he added, "It is a rather interesting Dream World that we have all been brought to."

And he nodded to her explanation of Basil, smiling, and said, "Well, we certainly won't hold Basil's silence against him. At times, such silence can be rather useful. Though I do doubt that he shall be silent for much longer~"

After all, if his hunch was correct, that stuffed bunny was her Dreamberry; Break was quite aware that they could transform shape to fit the person they were with. And if it was her Dreamberry, it would soon be talking quite often.

[madcuriosity]

She took being told she was in a dream world quite easily. She even smiled at being told that. Well, that was quite easy to remedy! If she wanted to leave she simply had to wake up! She wondered if this gentleman was a part of her dream, or perhaps if she were a part of his. But then... she was greatly reminded of the situation with the red king. Was this how he felt? Was he constantly asking if he was dreaming everyone, or everyone was dreaming him. Or if just one person was dreaming him. Alice had been dreaming them of course but it had been a good question all the same, who had dreamed it.

She was glad that Xerxes was very understanding of Basil's situation. She would hate for Basil to feel inferior just because he was silent. And Xerxes was quite right. Sometimes silence was a very good thing. Alice hated trying to think whilst there was a lot of noise or someone talking at her. She moved to hold Basil back against her chest and smiled up at the silver haired man.

"Somarium is a Dream World," she repeated. "Am I dreaming you then Mr. Break? Or are we all dreaming one another?" she asked. He said they were all brought here, but didn't someone have to be dreaming someone else at least? And who was everyone else? She hadn't seen anyone else so far. Alice wondered if she thought about more people being on the street then more people would appear? Which would be a terribly powerful thing to be able to do!

Wonderland and Looking Glass had been a dream. But someone had to wake her up on the real world for her to realize she was asleep. But she was aware that she was asleep now, so why wasn't she waking up?

[charientisms]

The questions she asked were questions he himself had wondered when first arriving in Somarium, and questions that Break had still yet to get answers for. When the further dimension of the fact that Alice--this little girl in front of him, in fact--woke up and finished the parallel novel of his own world, it made for a very, very peculiar situation indeed. Was he now in a Dream World within a dream? Or had his world not been a part of a dream? Or perhaps his world was simply a dream, but he had left that dream for this one?

Or nothing was a dream at all.

It was hard to say. And so he, smile unwavering, answered, "That is indeed the question, Miss Alice, and I am afraid I have no answer for you~"

There were so many questions that he did not have answers for, here in this world. It was quite the bother to him, and the most frustrating part was that he knew very well that, no matter how he dug and searched and pressed for information, he would never solve these pressing questions. The world itself, at times, seemed to be conspiring against gathering said information. And considering that he was rather certain that the world itself had a sense of humor, Break would not have been surprised if that was actually the case.

[madcuriosity]

"Oh..." she blinked and then looked down at her stuffed rabbit. The rabbit only looked at the sewed on pocket watch that was in his paws. She sighed and gazed at the world around her. Well, if Xerxes didn't know she most certainly wouldn't hold that against him. At least she had a name for this place, and the knowledge it was a dream world. "Do... you know how much control we have over the dream world?" she asked. If she had a good amount of control the first thing she would do was to get herself a coat. She shivered and hugged Basil closer.

After she got herself a coat she would try and make herself a place to stay. She had no intention of sleeping on the streets! Or... well... did one sleep while they were already dreaming? She supposed it was possible. Anything was possible in a dream, so why wouldn't she be able to sleep in a dream? But that seemed like such a terribly dull dream. To sleep in a dream. Unless you dreamed whilst you were dreaming of sleeping. Oh goodness! A dream within a dream. She could only hope she didn't dream of sleeping yet again if she was already dreaming of sleeping to begin with. She would never know when she had truly awoken!

Alice shivered again and wondered if a dream world experienced seasons like England did. Goodness she hoped the summers were a bit better than an English summer.

[charientisms]

Of course, Break noted the shiver; it did not take one especially observant, after all, to see it, and he was anything but unobservant. And in the interests of working his way into Alice's good graces, so as to be able to more easily manipulate her, he supposed that there was only one option.

"We have little control over it, in fact~" he said, shrugging, still far too cheerful. But then he looked at her, adding, "Oh, but why are we standing out in the cold, Miss Alice? How terribly rude of me! Surely I should have invited you inside for tea~"

Break smiled at her, so innocently and charmingly. This was one solution, and then he would not need to give up his coat, which he would prefer not to give to a little girl who was, quite frankly, a stranger. Though he did know he rather well from the book, Break was also interested to see how her true personality and reactions would differ. So this tea party would serve as a test, of sorts.

[madcuriosity]

She blinked and looked around and then back at him. While tea and being inside sounded lovely... where would they go? Would they go into one of the tall buildings? Oh how curious to go inside of one! And tea! Goodness, she would finally have something she was used too. Which she needed. Really she did.

"That's very kind of you Mr. Break," she said with a smile. "And a warm cup sounds lovely! Are you sure you don't mind?" she asked as she clasped her hands together. Oh, a cup of tea sounded lovely. It truly did. She was freezing! "But where would we go Mr. Break?" she asked.

[charientisms]

Their being in Somni was quite convenient, for it meant they were not far from where Break himself lived for now. So they would have tea, and he would assist the young Alice in finding her own home, and then, presumably, he would be able to ask her about those interesting adventures she was sure to have had when she went through the Looking Glass. At the very least, he would know if the destruction of those books had merely been Vincent's attempt to anger him.

And thinking of Vincent...Perhaps it would be best to convince Alice to stay away from Vincent as best as she was able to now. The thought made Break smirk, but only momentarily, as his smirk quickly slid back into the smile he was wearing for Alice.

"But of course not, Miss Alice. Surely it would be best to get out of this cold, and my home is not far from here!" he answered, still cheerful. "In fact, it is just this way."

And he nodded to her and began to stroll away, clearly intending for her to follow him, pace slow enough for her to do so.

[madcuriosity]

Oh tea was quite lovely and Alice was certainly hoping she would actually get some this time. She followed after him quite happily. Alice felt no sense of danger and Xerxes was a perfectly pleasant sort of man. Besides, if this was the dream realm then no true harm could come to her. She continued to follow him. She could still remember the last time she had tried to get tea. Well... Xerxes wasn't the Mad Hatter or March Hare so perhaps she would actually be able to get some tea... though she wondered if Xerxes was fond of riddles?

"Mr. Break," her mouth was far ahead of her and she blinked in surprise. She hadn't intended to ask, but well... she supposed it was too late for that. She blushed, but well... she had started the question, she may as well finish it. "Are you fond of riddles?" she asked as they continued to walk back to his home.

As they walked though Alice couldn't help but look all around her. She saw... big metal carriages and she didn't understand what they even did! And they were empty... how did they attach to the horses? She hoped they didn't hurt the horses!

[charientisms]

The question seemed rather random on the surface, though Break knew very well that it was the Mad Hatter that had asked the riddle of the Raven. But no, he had nothing in common with the Mad Hatter from Wonderland, though his Chain was called such, and Break was quite certain that Alice had not been able to make that connection. It must have simply been curiosity that prompted her to ask him. And he felt no need to inform her that he was called the Mad Hatter in his own world; those parallels he would keep to himself.

"Riddles? Well, I do suppose riddles can be quite fascinating things~" Break answered by not really answering, as was his way.

He glanced back at her momentarily and noted her wide-eyed interest in everything they passed. It made plenty of sense that she was amazed by all of the new things that existed in Somarium, so Break found that unsurprising. And it served well to keep her attention as they walked through the snow and towards the apartment that, for now, served as Break's home.

[madcuriosity]

"Would you like to hear one then?" she asked since she took his answer for a yes. It was something to pass the time until they reached wherever Xerxes was taking her. She would love to be warm for one. Besides, she felt quite... calm, around this gentleman. There was something familiar about him. She wasn't sure what. She was actually.... almost reminded of the Cheshire Cat with how he answered her questions with a question. Which was very peculiar, she hadn't met anyone that was like Cheshire except Cheshire.

[charientisms]

Break looked back at her, tilting his head slightly and smiling. "Why, certainly, Miss Alice."

He honestly saw little problem with riddles and was quite interested to see what sort of riddle she would come with. Break was aware of how very revealing such small exchanges could be, after all.

[madcuriosity]

"Hmmm..." She wanted it to be a good riddle. Riddles were very telling of intelligence. She knew Cheshire was a terribly clever cat because his riddles were almost impossible to figure out! She thought for a few more seconds before she smiled.

"Ah! I have one!
I herald the darkness which descends on all creatures.
You will know my approach by moans and wracked features.
I visit the hippo, hyena, and horse, But never go near snails and spiders, of course.
I would circle the glove, leaping one to the other, Should all the world's people ever clasp hands together. What am I?"

She was terribly pleased with that riddle.

[charientisms]

Break considered this riddle for a moment as he approached the apartment in which he currently lived. He opened the door and, of course, held it open for the girl, saying in his lilting, sing-song tone, "After you, Miss Alice~!"

When they were both inside, Break smiled. Most telling in the riddle were the first two lines, and most confusing the last. But then, that was all riddles were: a twisting of facts to make them less visible, but all of the pieces to the puzzle were always provided and always would be. It did not take him long at all to come up with an answer that perfectly fit the pieces, even as he led Alice to the door to his room.

"Well, I do believe your answer would be 'a yawn'," he answered, smile slightly edging into a smirk. It was the clearest answer he could see, and thus he was confident that it was the correct one.

And he opened the door, smiling at Alice, and gesturing that she should go in.

[madcuriosity]

"Oh you got it!" she smiled. However, the joy in the riddle was replaced with the surprise of the room! She had never been in such a small home before! Were most houses like this? And then there was such... she blinked when she saw such curious lights and her eyes widened. "What... curiouser and curiouser!" she exclaimed as she looked at several light fixtures and furniture. She had never seen such odd things. She knew a chair was a chair of course, but she had never seen such odd lanterns! And there wasn't a fire in sight!

She went over to a lamp on a table and gazed at it before she looked under the shade and then blinked and pulled away. She tried to blink the spots in front of her eyes away. She continued to look all around her and she gazed at as much as she could. Much like the metal carriages and the size of the buildings she was seeing so many new and curious things in these rooms.

Alice turned to look back at Xerxes, curiosity practically eating at every fiber in her being.

"Did you invent and make all these things Mr. Break!"