Alice Liddell 022 // Baa Baa Black Sheep

[madcuriosity]

Who: Alice and somarium
Where: A park in Espoir
Style: You decide
What: Alice is just enjoying the day in the park.
Status: Open!

Comments

[godchild]

The weather was fair. Still, Cain squinted up at the sun as if it offended him, face moist from the brisk walk back to their cottage. It would be more comfortable if he shed his jacket, but why would it occur to him to do that?

As a boy, the outdoors used to be refuge. He would crawl between the flowers and cry. At least the garden would not mock him; the breeze embraced him, and there was no one nearby to hear.

Cain paused in his walk upon hearing the old nursery rhyme. He also recognized the young feminine voice singing it, and followed the sound of Alice's singing out of alarm rather than interest.

She shouldn't be alone in the middle of the day. Ach, there was no getting through to the girl.

"Alice," he called, hoping not to startle her.

[madcuriosity]

She stopped swinging and paused before she looked over her shoulder.

"Oh! Cain! Good afternoon! Are you well today?" she asked as she remained seated in the swing. She was unaware that Cain was bothered by her being alone. But if he told her such she would respond that she wasn't, that Basil was with her.

And Basil was her brave little bunny who could help her in any time of need.

"Isn't today beautiful!"

[godchild]

"Very beautiful," he responded, in a soft, remote voice, contemplating giving her a brotherly lecture, but apparently deciding against it, not wanting to spoil the pleasure she took in the day. Add to that the melancholy he typically felt in a garden or walking outdoors, and it might begin to explain why Cain looked so sad as he approached.

Merryweather would be enraptured and happy to be outdoors, free of being trapped in the cottage - or their manor, back home. He was very much to blame for keeping her there, as he felt compelled to do with Alice, but he was not her brother, nor her keeper. And what sadness would it give her to keep her away?

"You've found a pleasant spot."

[madcuriosity]

"Oh yes, it's very pretty! Several butterflies have come by!"

Perhaps it was the sensitivity all children had, or perhaps Alice was just especially attuned to Cain that she sensed something was wrong. What was wrong she didn't know, but she knew something was upsetting him. She stopped swinging completely and tilted her head, her brow knitting together.

"Cain? Is something wrong?"

[bakaicenine]

It sounded like someone was humming along, but it certainly couldn't be the girl sitting a few feet from the playground freezing the nearby flowers. The air grew pleasantly cool as she got down to her "work", smiling pleasantly all the while.

[madcuriosity]

Alice blinked and went over to the other girl, her curiosity growing at how it could possibly be cold so soon.

"Hello," she said.

[bakaicenine]

As Alice got closer, she may notice that it got even cooler around Cirno. She looked up from what she was doing and nodded at Alice.

"Hi!" She responded.

[madcuriosity]

"May I ask what you're doing?"

[paradoxfeline]

Wondering who was singing such an unusual song, Schrodinger observed the girl swinging back and forth. "What kind of song is that,Fraulein?"

[madcuriosity]

"It's a nursery rhyme sir!" she smiled as she gazed at the boy with the ears. "Have you not heard it before?"

[paradoxfeline]

"No, I haven't." The catboy smiled back at the girl, "Is there a point to the rhyme?"

[madcuriosity]

"Does it have to?"

[bigass_sword]

Zack had taken Talus out for a walk, as he did a few times a day, when he saw Alice swinging in the park. It was strange. Zack didn't really like kids, but Alice acted more like a young adult, so maybe he liked that she wasn't an obnoxious brat like he'd run into before.

As he approached, he called out to her, making sure Talus didn't disturb her in case she didn't like dogs. "Heya, Alice!"

[madcuriosity]

It took her a moment to recognize him as they had not ever really met in real life. But as soon as she realized who it was she slowed down her swinging and got up.

"Good afternoon Mr. Zack!" she said as she gave a curtsy. However attention quickly fell on the dog. "A puppy!" Whether the dog was a full-grown Great Dane, Alice had the habit of calling all dogs "puppies" until they were very old. "I didn't know you had a dog Mr. Zack!"

[bigass_sword]

He sent a smile her way, unsure why she was doing that weird half-bowing thing, but he wouldn't question her customs. Different worlds and all that.

Her excitement made him chuckle. "Yup. This is Talus." The lab puppy, for he was still one, wagged his tail excitedly and strained against the leash to get attention from the new friend. "I kinda inherited him, actually. Apparently he belonged to the previous me."

[madcuriosity]

Alice went over to him and crouched down to rub his chin and scratch behind his ears.

"The previous you?"

[playingmusic]

Kanade is doing a stroll. She's walking while humming a totally different song.

She spots Alice, and says, "Beautiful day today."

[madcuriosity]

"Oh yes today is simply lovely!" She dug her heels in and slowed down her swinging.

[playingmusic]

Her expression then switches back to her normal: emotionless. She looks at Alice, then her small smile returns.

" ... what is the title of that song?" she asks curiously.

[madcuriosity]

"Baa Baa Black Sheep! It's a nursery rhyme."