pawnstorm | Hold me, this world is falling down on me.

Entry tags:

Hold me, this world is falling down on me.

Who: Alice, anyone else at the cottage, open to anyone ever. This is a free for all for anyone here visiting, you can tag whoever.
When: After the last battle, August 22nd
Where: Caissa's coastal district
What: Housewarming! Domestic shenanigans.
Rating: TBA, guessing it could range between general to PG.

[ Anyone that comes to visit this cottage may be greeted by Alice in her usual attire! Anyone's that received an invitation is welcome to visit. Forgive Alice, she's just a little more on edge than usual. She has no idea how to play hostess and may come off unintentionally aloof and very short. It's nothing personal, really. Visitors will be greeted with a scent of fresh flowers and Alice scrambling about trying to decorate the house. The clear solution to this is flowers! Lots and lots flowers. ]

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[And so here is Gilgamesh and Vietnam, arriving together, which may come as a surprise to Alice considering that she sent the invitations separately, and neither have made mention of their marital status. After all, they were too busy setting up gifts to visit Alice and Sion with! And they are in hand now, having made these hilarious sweet macarons (Gilgamesh even had a hand?!) and a painting of Alice and Sion, created by the King himself (of which Vietnam made the frame) for them to decorate their new house with. TEAMWORK.

Now time to find Alice to greet her.]

Where would she be...the flowers are lovely.

[ Where Alice's carrier is, she's not too far off. Having some newfound free reign, it is seen regularly flying around the cottage when Alice is walking back into te foyer. He comes in first, taking note of Vietnam, hissing louder than usual as he circles around above her head.

Sometimes Alice feels like a scolding mother with him. ]

For goodness sake, that's now how we treat guests, you know better.

[ Sort of. When Alice was in the dormitories, her carrier formed a protective bond and would always react negatively whenever anyone came in the door. He was only acting according to a bad, engraved habit. Alice is back in with a basket of flowers, roses and poppies, a sharp contrast to the blue dress she's wearing. Now she's shaking her finger at her carrier until it perches above a doorway and continues to flap his wings and hiss. ]

Goodness, I'm sorry for him, he always gets in a mood whenever someone comes through the door.

Shunsui showed up late, a habit so ingrained at this point that he probably couldn't have been on time if he tried to be! Still, late was better than never, and this way he could make an entrance!

Which he did. The gun show was in full swing as he carried the sakura tree sapling for the cottage's garden as well as a basket of pastries from his favorite bakery for Alice and Sion. He also had a very nice bottle of sake tucked inside his ever-present kimono, to wish the household happiness!

He had to smile when he was greeted at the door by a very flustered-looking Alice.

"Ahhh, I see I should have brought more flowers! The house looks and smells lovely, my dear. I wish the two of you every happiness here!"

"Mister Shunsui?"

She's never had to play hostess, she's been following from memory of how her mother and sister would play it, as little as it would be. Back in the day, the Liddell house had a piano, tea, cookies, and conversation, not flowers and the little tea she had. She almost feels like a failure, but let goes of the notion of being true to the English custom as soon as she sees the sapling.

Alice manages a soft, small smile, "No, that's perfectly fine," If she could laugh, she would have, "I fear I may tire Sion with more flowers."

Maybe, she's not sure, she's trying not to overdo it, but she can't help herself.

"Thank you for this and for coming."

"Hmmm, he seems like the sort of man who loves a good garden!"

This was founded on absolutely nothing at all, but it did seem rather fitting! And he smiled, charmed by her hostessing!

"Of course! How could I possibly turn down an invitation when it's for a lovely home for two of the people I've fought alongside?"

"I don't know, it-" Alice stops short of herself; she's not sure what Sion thinks and even finds herself sheepish. He said decorate and her only solution was to raid the garden. She could have gone down to Cassia for more things if she wasn't so uncomfortable with the idea.

"He said to invite people," Clearly, Sion was more of a social butterfly of the two of them and Alice could only think of a few people to invite. So, she shuffles along, stuffing away flowers and then some in the basket she was carrying. Just as she's leading him to one side of the cottage to where he can place the sapling down, Alice realized that what she said is a bit rude. "No, I appreciate it, Mr. "Mister Shunsui. It's nice to step out of the capital, especially when it's not related to battle."

She does force a small smile on her face, despite her exhaustion and stress. "You can place it here in the meantime, so that you don't have to carry it around."

[ Flowers, flowers everywhere, for far as the eye can see—have they other furnishings in the house which are not the vibrant blossoms of roses and poppies; the golden hues of sunflowers and chrysanthemum? Surely, Alice will have convinced all of their friends, their guests to be, that they dwell not in a cottage at all, but in the realm of fairytale, and truth be told... Sion doesn't much mind. That Alice is able to be herself, bustling about from room to room in careful assessment of the décor, is a joy which brings a carefree smile to the King's lips, a light which rivals the summer's sun itself. ]

Alice. [ —he calls for her, voice drifting through the hall. ] Alice, I do believe...

[ And when she nears, it is a pink rose which he slips into the raven-dark fall of her hair, its stem tucked gently behind the shell of her ear...! ]

That you've missed a spot.

Edited 2016-08-29 02:47 (UTC)

[ Well, he did say decorate the cottage and Alice is doing exactly that, putting them all over. She was just sorting through them, by color and size. As summer draws to an end, the flowers won't last long and the next best thing to do is to persevere them by drying them out. So engrossed in thought, she doesn't hear or see him.

Interestingly enough, she doesn't even flinch this time when he tucks a rose in her hair. She freezes, however, drawing a soft hand to her hair, gently touching soft petals. Out of the corner of her eye, she can see pink; it works well against the soft blue she's wearing.

Of course, Alice won't offer him the luxury of being grateful. ]

Very funny, Sion.

[ She tosses some of her hair over the other shoulder. ]

You did say to decorate.

[ She underestimates the power of the unsaid; the unspoken. How, where she cares not to offer his gesture (sweet and frivolous, the placing of a rose in her hair—he has been ever in this mood, as of late) any acknowledgement aside from a light scolding, she does not know that he has already been moved by the allowances she's granted to him: the close proximity they share, the trust that his touch would not bring her harm, only...

Smiles, as Sion's eyes fall upon the flowers that are to be hung to dry. This practice, he has never partaken in, though for the winter to come (an odd thought, isn't it, preparing for winter; funny, how borrowed time has turned into something so, so much more) it is only practical to preserve them; to save their color for a cold day when one is bitten by frost and in need of warmth. ]

But now you've finished, have you not? With a rose in your hair, every surface has been touched.

[ Alice's hair... has grown so very long, hasn't it? She must take pride in the locks. ]

Come, I'll set tea to steep in the kitchen. Will you not sit with me and enjoy all the work which you've done?

Edited 2016-08-30 23:29 (UTC)

[ There's a lot of unsaid things in Alice's posture and her response to him. Months ago, she would have recoiled from him, her body would be rigid with tension. Alice has been very reserved since returning back to the cottage, throwing herself into her "decorating". It still feels odd, doing housework and finding time to actually read or draw. She can't say she remembers the feeling of a lazy afternoon, sitting in the sunlight outside, reading a book or sitting in a garden.

Beyond that, there's still something strange, something off and being the way she is, it makes her anxious. Flowers bring plenty of colors where London was always so dirty and desaturated. Really, Alice hated the fact that the flowers would eventually die in the garden; by drying them, she was at least saving some of that color and memory of summer.

She really didn't define her work as finished, she wasn't sure. Either way, anyone walking in here would assume a woman lived her, alongside a man. It takes a moment for her to respond, after fiddling with her hair. ]

I think you just wanted to fuss with my hair.

[ Or does he? She knows her hair is growing out long; she loves her long hair, after having it shaved and trimmed so many years in Rutledge. As usual, Alice feels the need to be contrary, keeping her gaze on Sion before she shifts along to the kitchen. ]

I don't really consider any of this to be work, I could be more productive with other chores.

[ The house is already clean; so much for any sort of work she used to do as a maid. Alice gives a small sigh, acting as if what he's asking is too much for her. ]

I'll sit with you.

Edited (words and exhaustion don't mix) 2016-08-31 06:31 (UTC)

And if I did wish to fuss, what then? [ —his voice is a soft chime in Alice's wake, his footfalls sounding neatly after her own in their promenade to the kitchen. If he dallies (and how he does), it is because he wishes to commit it to memory, this moment when his radiant Lady leads him through their home full of floral-covered archways and halls. It is lovely, dreamlike as the stories which he'd read with his mother when he was young; the books and tales which always shared the same ending: and then, they lived happily ever after. ]

Would you allow me to brush your hair as I pleased? To plait it as I do my own? Or perhaps, I could see it styled as a flower, more beautiful than any which decorate our home.

[ And while his voice does carry an undeniably musical, playful lilt, the King is not so simply teasing, not entirely—there is perhaps nothing more than he adores than doting upon her, the girl who would scorn him if only because she knew not how to do anything else.

When they reach the kitchen, a tea kettle is already whistling away atop the stove, for while Alice had been immersed in her arrangements, he had...! Well, truth be told, he'd been at something of a loss (what on earth to do with himself? dare he offer his aid with a task Alice deemed to be her own?), and so he'd turned to tea, asking now the too-important question of: ]

But in the meantime, breakfast tea or peach? [ He is rather in the mood for dessert tea, but it is Alice who he will heed, for is she not the Lady of the house? ] Allow for me to be productive with the other chores and little things.

[ A soft hum, a sidelong glance cast from beneath a veil of silvered lashes— ]

Today is your day, is it not?

[ They're already off to an awkward start.

Alice pauses in her step as she enters the kitchen, turning to face Sion as soon as she hears the last part of his statement.

I could see it styled as a flower, more beautiful than any which decorate our home.

He's always complimented her, always prone to teasing her. All Alice can do, as usual, is heave a sigh. No matter how many times he teases or compliments her, Alice is still trying to ease into it. That said, she's not sure how to take his offer other than- ]

I don't know. [ It's an odd offer, she will admit that. ] I like my hair down.

[ She never uses the ghostflower comb to pull it back or up. As far as she knows, women usually wear their hair up, aside from her. A few times other women had told her that wearing her hair down isn't very lady-like and respectable. Truth be told, Alice didn't understand why, in both her ineptness and innocence. Still, having it cut and shaved so many times, Alice found herself pretty protective of her hair. ]

Maybe another time.

[ Alice turns her attention to taking a seat, rather than discussing having her hair brushed and braided, like Sion's. The fact she doesn't turn him down immediately may speak volumes, but she brushes it off. Alice doesn't really give him time to talk about it, finding herself even more awkward, allowing him to be closer in her space to brush her hair, something that boarded on being intimate. Suddenly, her apron became much more fascinating than Sion in the room. ]

Peach is perfectly fine, Sion, as is allowing yourself some leisure time. It's just the both of us right now, it isn't as if there's any real need to do that many chores right now.

[ No little hands to clean up after, just two grown adults and adults don't make that much of a mess (ignoring Alice and her room) to begin with. In the meantime, Alice was content nearly drifting off in her thoughts in the kitchen. That was, until, she met Sion's gaze, faintly raising her eyebrow in return. ]

Is it? [ This is news to her. Did she miss something? ] How is it my day?

[ An awkward start...? But Sion is only at ease, listening with an attentive ear as he makes a selection of tea cups, a soft smile playing upon his lips. Where the King often shines and smiles bright (to both maintain appearances and to hide), this quiet expression is his truest self: a serene upturn of the corners of his mouth as Alice does not say no, but instead maybe another time. And why, she even goes so far as to spoil him, perhaps knowing that he is partial to herbal blends and fruit dessert teas—aromatic, the blend smells of peaches and apricot, marigold flowers and white tea leaves, as he transfers hot water from kettle to glass teapot, delighted by its design and self-contained sieve. ]

No need...? [ The tea steeps, coloring the water a stunning shade of amber as Sion looks on, setting the kettle atop the stove once more before meticulously turning off the heat. ] If you'd but seen the mud I tracked in after a day spent weeding the garden, you'd think differently.

[ That, he'd cleaned immediately, leaving behind no trace, no single mote of dirt, startled to have created such a mess. Even in his youth, there hadn't been a time when he'd been covered from head to toe in smudges of earth, his clothes sullied! But then, he'd been giving to caring for his mother as a child, reluctant to play even when he'd the opportunity, and much too anxious to be parted from her side for long—his fear that she would be taken from him by her malady had been too great; the thought that she might be in pain without someone to ease it paralyzing.

At that time... could he have ever dreamed of a day like this?

(No, even then--... Even then, his path had been set in stone.) ]

But of course it is your day— [ And she may spend it how she pleases, even if that should be in quiet inspection of her apron, her green eyes turned away from him in a way they are not so often are. ] —have you not spent the morning preparing to receive company? Will you not be the one to greet them, and will they not see your radiance in the flowers picked by your hand?

[ Three minutes have gone, and Sion pours the tea with an artful flourish, graceful as he sets both tea cups and saucers upon the table, taking his seat beside her. ]

Everything should be as you wish it. You need only to say the word, and I will make it so, for I will confess...

[ Here, there is something of a dramatic pause...! ]

...I am not quite so skilled at 'leisure'.

[ Whatever that thing may be??? ]

Edited 2016-09-03 00:53 (UTC)

[ He gardens? He doesn't seem like the type. Sion saying that he's gone far to weeding the garden gets a slight smile from Alice. How humble. ]

But you clean up after yourself; children don't always do.

[ Since tea is often brewed in a standard, solid kettle, with no opaque or without the strainer inside, Alice is briefly fascinated with the tea cup, watching it being poured into her cup. Alice can't say she's ever had peach tea, so it's a first. In England, it's common to have afternoon tea, even during the late summer. It's not too warm outside nor is it too cold. The temperature remains a perfect even warmth, perfect for anyone to sit outside until the sun went down. To her surprise, the peach isn't quite a peach a hint of it in the taste.

She listens, taking the time to briefly enjoy the scent of the tea more than anything. Radiance. Alice is huffing as she is quietly sipping her tea, refraining from the desire to roll her eyes at Sion. As usual, she shoots his compliments down, she provides an explanation that the task was normal or somewhat lacking. She's always undercutting herself. ]

I could have done more than what I was doing. When my family had company over, we had treats, tea, and my sister Lizzie played the piano.

[ It's the first time she's mentioned her sister by name to Sion (intentionally) isn't it? And here was Alice, so broken and unsure of herself. She rushed to welcome people and felt as if her welcome was pathetic in comparison to her family's open house. Her shoulders dropped, as she decided to let her tea cool down, just a little bit.

He says he's not skilled at leisure and neither is Alice. ]

It would be difficult for a king, wouldn't it? But you must have grander parties where you come from. You have nothing to worry about, neither have I. I don't remember the last time I've ever been able to have tea in the afternoon like this.

[ Truly, she's an adult, now. ]

Alice.

[ —when her name falls from his lips, it is an intonation of affection, exasperation, and merriment all, meant to capture her attention, to hold it fast along with...! The touch of a flower (a tulip, this time, plucked straight from the decorative vase atop the counter!), its petals just brushing the delicate bridge of her nose, perhaps keen upon tickling (or inspiring a sneeze), but if either will come to pass... who knows? At any rate, the King (though he is enamored with her pouting; her stubborn nature where most everything is concerned) is determined, thoroughly resolute and relentless as he'd been on the day when he'd taken to the kitchen garden banking their seaside home, to have his Lady do away with the words I could have done more.

Therefore...! ]

I wish you would not belittle yourself so. [ And then his voice is soft, his expression a tender thing, lashes lowered to half-mast as he considers the tea which he hasn't yet touched (the cup which Alice has set down, leaving its contents to cool.) ] Do you not remember...? This adventure is ours, yours and mine; something wonderful and new.

[ With a wisp of a motion, he draws the flower away, touching the tulip now to his chin as he seems to mull something over in only the deepest, utmost consideration...! ]

But we do certainly have tea, there is still time enough to make sweets, and perhaps, in the place of piano... [ His gaze, then, turns toward the double windows which serve as a secondary entryway to their home. ] ...we can treat our guests to the sound of the sea by casting open the windows.

[ "I'm sorry, Lizzie, I suppose I'm not good at this as you were.", Alice had said once upon a time, and Sion wishes he'd known what it meant to adore a sibling so before he'd arrived in Blanc (he'd learned well enough afterward, gaining a darling, troublesome little sister of his own, but even so... if his brothers by blood had not been so monstrous, he would not have had to lay them to rest, burying them alongside his Lord father). ]

Your family, your sister... would they not be happy, to know that you are finding your way? To know that your welcome is filled with all the vivacity of flowers and the warmth of a summer's day?

[ Leaving his tea behind, untouched, he makes to stand, returning the tulip to its vase as he makes to assess what ingredients they have to make an afternoon sweet to enjoy with company...! ]

Though I am a King, and have indeed attended many grand receptions, I... would trade each and every one of them for a day like this, my Lady.

[ Really, they've nothing at all to worry for. ]

Edited 2016-09-03 19:30 (UTC)

[ As soon as he withdraws the tulip, Alice is rubbing her nose, glowering at him briefly. Alice speaks openly, with a soft sigh escaping her chest that feels like it's growing tighter by the second. ]

I think they would be happy that I was speaking to someone, at all, let alone a king.

[ She's sure her sister would be swooping around Sion with a magnifying glass now that she thinks about it. No one was more protective of Alice than Lizzie. No matter what, Alice doesn't let herself be held down by the memory of her family. Her gaze follows to the double windows, with a bit of a grimace. All of this still feels so strange to her. Leisure is one thing but calm and quiet is another thing, not after years of screams and shouting in the dirty asylum walls. Alice's eyes follow to Sion's hands.

his adventure is ours, yours and mine; something wonderful and new."

And frightening. She drums her fingers on the table, her eyes still on Sion's hands as she takes another sip of her tea. It's a fleeting idea that floats in her head to take a hand of his to just affirm that it's real. With the memory of a proper mana exchange and being reminded of his arms around her, carrying her to the wall keeps her hands firmly on the table. She doesn't want to admit that she didn't mind it when touch was usually so revolting. ]

Then, next time, perhaps. [ Alice finds herself dreading the idea of throwing parties and being a hostess. She can only handle so many interactions. Alice's eyes finally meet with Sion's, his bright golden eyes that she's just now admiring the color of. ]

You're not fond of spreading yourself out like that, are you? You must like quiet days. It's better to be around familiar things than faces that you don't know very well.

[ Whatever has happened to Sion, she can see it. He's lead a rough life, too, he's had his fair shares of loss. He doesn't have to say it, his disposition says it all to her. They're really not that much different from one another. When she hides her hair, she's suffering from her insecurity. When she looks at him... well. She is setting all of her attention onto him. ]

Still, all of this is very strange and I'm waiting for it to be a dream of my own creation. Even now, something seems different and I don't know what it is.

[ Feelings outside of anger, guilt, grief, and anxiety are strange. She wasn't aware of the different spectrums outside of four she knows so well. ]

But if you would like to share it with me and continue being the oddball that you are, I would not complain. [ A pause and Alice shifts in her seat reclining back with her tea. She's so casual when she says it: ] If I were to ask anything, I would ask that I could still stay by your side here and that we're not separated when we go off to battle.

[ Now excuse Alice, she'll just sip her tea and pretend she's never said that. ]

[ My, my, that glower. That charming glower juxtaposed with a much too endearing (and much too innocent!) rubbing of her nose. But then, there are sweets to worry about, are there not? What to make, what to make...! With the King's liking for fresh fruits (when he cares to eat, it is always a clever pairing of apples, bread, and brie, or some similar trio comprised of produce, baguette, and cheese!), they've pears on hand, and pears can be poached to perfection for a decadent, but simple dessert in no more than fifteen minute's time, but... Alice's voice centers him, bringing him back to earth when she puts an end to the task at hand, saying next time, perhaps. And while he is happy, overjoyed that they will always have next times to look forward to, she seems troubled by something, at a disquiet in a way which has precious little to do with guests.

Turning from his assessment of the kitchen cupboards, the pantry, he bows his head, tucking an errant strand of silvered hair back, behind the shell of his ear before he speaks: ]

There is something about the gentle accomplishment of making a home which I have always thought to be a luxury, more so than any I have ever known. Given the chance, I would sooner flee from an extravagant affair than partake in it, and have. [ They... do not speak much of their lives outside of Enprise, do they? Once, she had told him of her home in Oxford; of the loss of her family as she recalled both bleak and happy times, telling him of how very much it rained in England, but when the sun so cared to shine, that she would oftentimes take to the garden with her sister to read in the noonday light. Perhaps now he can offer her something in return, a story delivered with a featherweight laugh, a smile: ] I fled from my twentieth birthday party in a horse-drawn carriage, creating work for myself. 'Inspections' in a nearby town, I claimed, which could only be completed by the King's hand and no other's.

[ Oddball, indeed. ]

Needless to say, I do favor the quiet. [ Familiar faces, too, and even the comfortable weight of he gaze. When she looks at him, he feels tethered to the here and now (like he will not disappear, one day). ] Even if... I've yet to grow used to it.

It is strange to me too, that we should be allowed anything close to permanence in this realm, but...

[ Returning to her side, he reaches out (not with a flower, not this time), the very tips of his fingers brushing the backs of her knuckles as she holds, yet, to her cup of tea. The gesture is slow (he does not wish to startle her), lingering (with faint traces of mana), and undeniably sweet.

(What is it that troubles you, Alice, and how might I assuage it?) ]

I am glad for it, glad for you. My answer to that which you would ask of me, my Lady, is... [ Standing still, he cants his head to the side, his response as natural and effortless as drawing breath: ] ...always.

That is, if you are able to tolerate my oddball behavior in the days and weeks to come. [ An airy laugh, a beaming smile! ] Who knows if I will always continue to clean up after myself, after all?

[ Read: he will always clean up after himself, he is immaculate to a fault, but as ever and as always, the King is prone to silliness when confronted with happiness beyond his ability to bear it, and his Lady...

How she has made his heart soar.

(This feeling, he'll not forget it.) ]

Edited (you saw nothing!!!) 2016-09-04 01:40 (UTC)

[ There's a lot of things that are happening at once that make Alice only listen to half of what he says. She doesn't recoil yet again as he sits with her, not even when he reaches out to brush her knuckles. Not that long ago, Alice likely would have stood up and yelled at him for even the slightest touch. She doesn't, she's left there sitting in confusion as to why he's doing it, to begin with. That and the feeling that follows with it. No thanks to him, she knows what fluster feels like. She's just not sure what to make of it and how she wouldn't mind it.

It leaves her staring at him, the question on the tip of her tongue - "What are you doing?" and how his touch lingers for a bit. As always, Alice dismisses it, she chooses not to address it. She chalks it up to her feelings being nothing more than ensuring Sion is never hurt, because he rescued her. That's all it has to be -- gratitude, didn't it? ]

Fleeing from your own birthday party. [ She lets herself breathe, turning back to her cup. ] I wasn't aware that you're supposed to celebrate a 20th birthday with a party. I thought that was for children. How like you to flee and find a project or others to fret over. And you dare scold me for doing the same.

[ Try as she might ignore it ignore the fluster or, for lack of better words, the elephant in the room, she can't. She hopes Sion won't mention it or tease her for it. ]

I'm glad as well; I'd prefer it be no one else than you, truth be told. And-

[ She stops. She has something to say, but she doesn't. She refuses to divulge the thought further, burying it down in her mind. The fondness in her is for a friend, isn't it? That's what it's supposed to be. She nearly finishes off her tea, finding herself drinking it rather than sipping it, hoping that it buys her time to process things and answer Sion, if at all. Much to her chagrin, the rosy color on her cheeks won't go away. ]

I've tolerated your oddball behavior this long, Sion, I can do so for much longer, as long as I know you. My only hope is that you enjoy yourself or don't find another silly project like inspections in a nearby town and find a way to leisure here, too. I'm not worried about messes, I'm worried for your well-being. You need to take care of yourself, too.

[ Precisely in the moment when he is about to sample his tea, Alice's words give him pause—I'd prefer it be no one else than you—and he is left to stare at her, golden eyes wide with equal parts bewilderment and delight as he regards her from over the rim of his porcelain cup, uncertain of himself more than anything. Rather than continue to admonish him (something which he admittedly boasts great fondness for, the way her voice does not rise, but simply becomes emblazoned, impassioned with the vigor of her scolding his normalcy), she catches him by surprise (stilling both his breath and heart), and then he is blushing, his fluster standing to rival her own, and truly he would not dare tease her for the pink staining her cheeks, even if...

Just as it had been on that day, nearly one month ago to the date, when she had given him her ghostflower comb as favour—a token to see him returned to her safe and sound—blushing is... still a rather nice feeling.

(Though he is quite certain he must look ridiculous, rather akin to fluorescent light, a lamp as he glows.) ]

My well-being... [ Funny, that he has echoed the very same words back to her many a time. That even by suggesting they take tea together amid all the bustling about in preparation to receive company, he had wished only to ensure that she took her rest; that she might be able to find her leisure, too. ] ...but Alice, I have enjoyed myself every day since I've met you, and will for as long as I continue to know you.

[ Does he not shine bright when in her presence? Is he not at peace...? Could she be unaware of how, when he'd reached for her, brushing his fingertips against her knuckles in a gentle caress, that he'd wanted to reassure her; to set her at ease? Touch between them is new, and will continue to be new each and every time, and that she trusts in him (that she no longer recoils when he treads close), makes him...

...happy.

(He can ask for no more than this.) ]

In that way, haven't you seen to my well-being already? More than anything, I want to make a place... [ "I want to make a world where you can be free." ] ...where you can be every bit as happy as you make me, my Lady.

[ Every day. ]

Edited (nests in your inbox with edits o3o) 2016-09-05 01:26 (UTC)

[ Unlike him, Alice won't tease him for blushing. He does seem to have a soft glow when he blushes. She supposes that's cute, she's not sure. It makes him still very human, no matter what he's told her about his world, his struggles, and his kingship. It makes Sion a little more approachable than anyone else; it's a vulnerability she can appreciate. ]

Yes, your well-being.

[ She's fully aware of the fact she sounds like a hypocrite. He, too, scolds her for her own well-being and encourages her to have a sense of accomplishment. She sees parts of herself in him and notably, the both of them give up so much of themselves in the process. She hates it, too, there is another part of Sion she sees in him that worries her.

I have enjoyed myself every day since I've met you, and will for as long as I continue to know you.

She isn't sure how to respond to this and eventually, that fluster fades away, as her eyes drop down to his hands, her own neatly in her lap. Will he try again...? Why is she so curious about it to begin with? But Alice moves past those issues as always, by pretending that they don't exist. It comes off aloof, but it's not her intention to be cold to him. ]

Then I suppose I'll just have to look after you more.

[ She's half-joking as she says it to him, even toned as ever. At least he gets somewhat of a smile from Alice. ]

I'm happy with what I have now and I'm happier when my friends are safe and unharmed. As long as this place exists and I can continue to see them, I'm happy.

[ And she is, despite the exhaustion she always wears on her face and how she rarely cracks a smile. Expressing that and how much it pleases her to hear any of this is difficult for her. There is something else, she's just not sure; after saying how much she cared for him, she's unsure how to say "I'm very fond of you". She goes back to her tea, each time, but with no more tea to drink, Alice just sighs to herself and struggles to do something simple: relax. ]

The simple things are the best things, Sion, I hope you remember that, you don't ever need to do anything extravagant.

[ Simple, is it?

Simple, like the delicate clink! of his teacup set back atop its saucer, its contents still very much untouched. Commonplace, as the small gesture of care when he slowly nudges saucer, teacup, and peach tea all toward Alice in one fluid motion. Unspoken, like so very much between them, but illustrated through action, because I am very fond of you can be said in so plain an offering as a cup of tea given to someone who has run out and is still very much in need of a spot.

No, Sion's hand does not make to find her own (out of respect for her, Alice who has already shown and told him so very much today), but his fingers do drum lightly, playfully atop the counter as he studies her, admiring of the faint traces of her smile. ]

Nothing so extravagant as filling the entirety of house with flowers, hm? [ —though the words are teasing, his voice is at a soft, reflective quiet, colored with all the sentiment he thought he might never again be able to possesses. In so very many ways, she has helped him to reclaim the lost facets of himself, and though he does not know how he ever might able to repay her, he can certainly begin with: ] Our guests will find it so very breathtaking that they'll be bound to return for both an encore, and...

For you, Alice. [ He'll protect her, her happiness, the home which they share. ] This place will always exist wherever we might go, never doubt that.

You and I, our friends... we will always have a place to return to.

[ After the war, fire, and storms, they've more right than anyone to enjoy all that which they've fought for: flowers, and a peaceable afternoon spent in good company. ]

And I am still more than happy to make dessert for those planning to visit this afternoon. There is still time, yet, especially if you should so care to join me.

[ She's not even sure why she's entertaining the thought of what if he takes her hand again. She shouldn't find herself curious about it after one simple gesture meant to reassure her. She keeps her eyes right on Sion, doing her best to hide all of that. ]

I'm sure that they will return; it's a beautiful location. It is next to the sea, after all.

[ Outside of the garden and flowers, the coastline was Alice's favorite part about the location. Alice decides that's enough tea for today, attributing the anxious feeling to too much tea. Caffiene had that effect on her. ]

I know. It's not the roof over my head that makes a home for me, it's the people I live with.

[ The Liddell house could be standing right now in Oxford but it wouldn't be home without her family. The fire that destroyed it took away much more than her home. Heaven forbid, if that were to happen again (and how Alice fears it) as long a Sion was safe, that's what mattered. She resumes fiddling with her apron just to have something in her hands other than a tea cup. Swinging her feet as she sits, Alice glances around the kitchen and then abruptly turns back to him- ]

Sion.

[ No, that's-

That's something she can't do. She wants to say something to him, she just can't really find the words or understand why she is held by the urge to say something to him that's not related to the subject. How obnoxious. She rolls her eyes and waves a hand. ]

Never mind.

[ Suddenly playing hostess, after dreading more social interaction, was more interesting than whatever she blanked out on him. Sion was a friend, that's what mattered... she couldn't be thinking of something else beyond that. Why would anyone entertain the idea of being interested in her, a mad woman, in that way. ]

If you insist, I'll help you. I suppose one of us must make sure that everything goes right.

Edited 2016-09-05 06:25 (UTC)

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

Hold me, this world is falling down on me.

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prosing because screen reader, no need to match me <3

if you're using a screen reader, i can match you

haha thanks! it's just a little tough for me to put html in my tags using it xD

i figured!

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