Sweet Tooth | Alice

Alice had memorized the layout of Honeydukes the first time she stepped foot in the spectacular sweet shop. Any time they changed their displays, Alice knew. She could almost sense it from the street. There was a new shipment of limited edition jelly jubilees, and not all too soon. After a steamy romp with Rabastan, and a feast on original flavored jelly jubilees, Alice's stock had run dry. She could likely find a few strays rolling free between the bed sheets, but there was a chance they'd be a little melted. As Rabastan left for potion supplies, the petite girl found it only right that she make her run for supplies as well.

The short walk gave her time to think about the conversation that had taken place the night before. It had been suggested that this world needed an order of forces to oppose the dark lord. It was a thought provoking mater and though she felt she couldn't lead such an organization, there was a gnawing sensation in the pit of her stomach telling her something had to be done. She could go to Remus; he would help in any way he could. And James and Sirius had at least a decent social rapport, they could surely have some sort of impact. But could she be a leader?

Crossing the threshold of the store for what seemed like the millionth time, Alice made her way directly to the back where the most desired of candies was shelved in sparkling, crystal clear jars. A man stood there, perusing the dishes as she shook open the little paper bag. Glancing over to him, Alice flashed the man a soft little smile. At first glance she thought he might actually be a skeleton. Usually, she might have thought to question that, but perhaps her exposure to the more eclectic figures and ideals of their world had desensitized her to his appearance. It was odd, Alice was not blind to that; but Rabastan was a death eater and she had issues of her own. Who was she to judge anyone. "Sorry... Could I just get past you a bit? I want to get to the jelly jubilees."

Thick, dark lashes bllinked as the eyes behind them watched the man move. His hands spoke with him, and Alice gazed at his every motion. What had just happened? All she wanted was to get past him to get to her sugary addiction. Had she said something wrong? Maybe she was dreaming. That could be an absolutely logical explanation as to why simple niceties could be taken so offensively. No, no. Alice was sure he was the one being rude. "S-sorry? Do you.... scare me?" Alice was very aware that many times when she thought she had been dreaming, she was in fact not, and that even if he was being rude, this might not be a dream at all. As it was. Regardless, Alice knew she had to be careful about her reactions. Dream World Alice had a bad habit of saying what ever came into her mind. It often left her looking like a lunatic.

"No. You don't." Her eyes tracked over to the boy he spoke about, quivering away from them as best as he could. "Well, of course he looks like he'll have an accident. That boy is scarcely thirteen. He likely hasn't seen half of the things that will frighten him in his life time." Alice shrugged and looked back to Tiernach. It was time to judge him. Initially, Alice hadn't intended on doing so at all. However, he'd drawn attention to his appearance and if he wanted to discuss his level of spookiness, she would assess him, then make a proper deduction.

She was not, on the contrary, keen on answering his last question, and the entire conversation took a sudden turn on the girl's rare temper. Propping her hands on her hips she gave him a stern look. "You should be ashamed. Body modifications are a freedom of self expression, not a means for you to go about asking for attention. If I thought you were frightening, should you really have to ask? It's a pity you brand yourself a monster when you wear skin that could very well be considered beautiful. You so quickly assume I should be the type to have my knees rattle together as I break down to tears at the sight of you. Who's to say I'm not the sort of well cultured, expertly educated girl who can appreciate you not only as a person, but as a statement in the world of art? Hm?"

Her voice was stern, as though scolding him, and she was not finished. "What say you about that? Do I scare you? Seems like a silly question turned back to you doesn't it? Perhaps, Sir, it is not too contrived a notion to think that I could be here poisoning the sweets. Perhaps, you'd do better trying to intimidated people who don't sleep with the skeletons in their closets, or the people who won't be defined by a blood status, though I hardly see what that has to do with any of this. Now, could you either step aside and let me collect my Jelly Jubilees before I have a sugar meltdown, or at least be half the gentleman you should be and pass me an assorted pound?" At that, Alice stopped talking and stared up at him, waiting.

Was this guy serious? Alice was more and more starting to believe this was a dream. Of course she would dream up such a character. He was intense and challenging, everything Alice admired in people from her story books, and even real life. It did seem like the sort of struggle she would subconsciously think up. Either way, the cadence of his voice and the deliverance of his words were enough to keep her listening. She hadn't ever thought of herself as angry, but as he said it, she felt the honest truth come into clarity. She was angry. It couldn't have been at him she was really mad at. He'd only been in her life for a moment. It was more or less his question that had set her off in the first place. Alice was thinking too much about this war and elitism. Why hadn't she told him? Was she ashamed? It was starting to feel that way.

Alice let him continue talking as her mind wandered in and out of their conversation. At his sudden movement, the girl snapped to attention like a dog hearing a bag of crisps opening. Now, he was snacking away on her candy. If she weren't even mildly offended by anything he said, Alice would have paid more attention to her quietly growling stomach. Unfortunately, she was now locked in a battle of words with a formidable opponent. She could feel his warm breath on her face, even smell the sugar on his lips. How could she win if neither were right and neither were wrong?

Her eyes set on his, Alice finally spoke. "We are all skelletons under our skin. There is no wrong or right idea about my proposed sleeping arrangements other than assuming that the man I lie with isn't someone to cross. And neither am I when I'm deprived of my favorite indulgence." Her eyes fell to the bag, and quickly glanced back to him. "To clarify, no one likes adolescent girls, not even other adolescent girls. Also, 'beautiful' and 'art' were indeed intended to be complements. Even if a little back handed."

With little fear, and no inclination of moving away, Alice reached her hand into the bag, and popped a jubilee into her mouth. "These are the best you know. Well, sometimes I prefer gum, or Pepper Imps. Never chocolate frogs, though. Too jumpy for me. I'm not really a fan of taking that risk." Swallowing the candy, Alice angled her round face almost even closer to him."I bleed red, just like you do. Why does my blood status matter? Does it matter more than your own?"

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tags:@mannequin

He had to be real. Someone in Alice's dreams wouldn't have continued to tease her this long. If she was dreaming he'd have dissolved into a puddle of frosting by now. He really knew how to be irritating. Luckily, Alice had dealt with her fair share of obnoxious people. James Potter, most recently. He liked to talk quite a bit. Alice hadn't cared much for James' soliloquy, but the skeletal man before her, was an interesting match for her wits. Alice might have even dared to say she enjoyed their banter. "No, no..." she started as she sucked a sticky bit of jubilee out of her back tooth. "He's less of bulldog, and more of an ex-convict. and we're both seventeen. Enormous difference. But you really should take precaution against the others. If I were any other school age girl you'd already have pigtails and a fresh manicure." Alice waved her clean, neatly trimmed nails in front of him. The very new diamond ring on her finger, glittering in the light of the shop. She'd found it beside her wand this morning and had decided to give it a try for the day. She'd said yes after all.

"I wasn't petting you. That would be weird. You're not a dog either. If I were to guess, I'd think the fleshy parts would hurt more. Parts with lots of meat. Or the strange parts. Like here." her hand rose to point to her own eye socket. "It's a lot of coverage, and a spot that isn't very tough skinned." Blinking her large, bright grey eyes, Alice smiled up at him. He actually had very nice features, he could see that even under all the ink. "I very well might eat the entire shop if I got hungry enough. I might set loose the chocolate frogs out of spite, though."

The tail end of their back and forth continually grew more and more grim. His words, for once, actually scared her. All she would be judged on was her blood. The pure blood that ran through her veins. Further more, she would be judged for marrying into the Lestrange family. One of the purest and most notorious families in the wizarding world. "I... I think you're wrong. About blood." Her voice was soft as she held onto her composure. "I think people can make their own impressions, not just with their blood status."

There was no way to deny that the man who's looks had not deterred the petite girl, had words that were capable of striking fear deep into her stomach. Even the way his eyes roved over her features made Alice feel uneasy. The girl kept quiet as he spoke, too nervous now to speak. Hold on. Was he implying that he had tattoos down... there? Alice would have been lying if she said she wasn't in the least bit curious about it. What did he have on his....? How big was it? Alice found herself staring just below his waistline until he tilted her chin to appraise her.

Sucking in a quick breath, Alice blinked a few times, clearing her brilliant grey eyes. A new feeling of self doubt crept over her as he spoke. She wasn't sure how the man managed to make her feel so terrible about herself. The word 'pretty' sounded more like 'ugly' when he spat it at her, and her minimal makeup suddenly felt thick and cakey on her face. The bag felt heavy, thrust into her hands. She didn't want to cry, and swore she wouldn't. Her eyes had a different idea. Alice was not ugly! Or fat! It had take her a long time to be okay in her short little body; with her hips a little wide, and her face round and childlike. The confidence that had been built up in the last few years was shattering to pieces, all at his doing.

If all he spoke was true, he must have been a pureblood. He smiled while making the girl feel tiny and guilty. It wasn't as if she chose to be a pureblood. The tears formed in her eyes, but froze there at the feeling of his breath on her face. "Are..." her voice stuck in her throat at first. "Are you a pureblood?" It frightened her to ask such a question, but he seemed to fit the bill. "I haven't done any of those things. that which makes a pureblood isn't me. I'm just Alice." Fumbling a little, the bag tumbled from her hands sending the colorful candy skittering across the flood. Her eyes cast down from his face, but she was too afraid of the man to move, and left the pieces where they fell.

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tag: @mannequin

Alice had been wrong. The Man covered in ink was no longer a piece of art to her. He was a monster. Their faces were so close that in any other setting, her cheeks would have been as red as pepper imps. She had wished that maybe something she'd said would have changed his outlook; even if only his perspective of her was the alteration. Truly, the girl was possibly one of the nicest and most kind-hearted people one could ever meet. Tier didn't seem to think that. Despite his ability to make her feel immeasurably minuscule, Alice felt a surge of bravery and moved quickly. As he stepped away, the girl raised her hand and struck him across his left cheek.

The slap resonated in the quiet candy shop for a second, and Alice was giving him an earful before he could recoil. "How dare you even mention Faith. Biblically I am a child of God; beloved by Him always. And My insides do match my outsides. But I don't need to wear my skeleton on my skin for people to see what a beautiful soul I am." It hadn't been long since religion had come into her life, already it was important to her. Earlier in the year she had patched up her broken friendship with Joram and in doing so, she had let the lord in through some soul searching. With a little help from Joram, Alice had adopted the Catholic faith. Not that she was very deep into the religion, but it still offended her that he would even bring up anything that remotely related.

Then, as much as she wanted to just be angry with him, he had to go on using imagery that suggested he was scum; that he was somehow beneath her. It mad Alice sympathize with him. She constantly sought out the good in everyone. Of course, she wasn't sorry for slapping him; but he wasn't mud on her robes. "Maybe you're right. Maybe you are filth." Bringing the back of her hand up, Alice brushed a tear off her cheek as it escaped her eye. "But you're not mud on my robes. And you wouldn't be no matter what life sustaining plasma coursed through your veins. You're filth because like the chauvinistic elitist swine you seem to detest so much, you pass judgments on people based on their genetics, their lineage. You don't bother to listen to anyone or try for a little compassion."

Her anger had boiled back into a full soap-box worthy rage. Stepping back to press her face close to his, Alice locked eyes with him. If he wanted to hurt deeply he'd have to try harder. "There is no way of knowing my blood-type just by looking at me. You judged me before you could even know for sure. You're no better than them. No, you're exactly like them. It's no wonder I assumed wrong. You're all horrible monsters." She gulped down the dry, stinging lump in her throat. Alice had had just about enough of him. Pushing past him, Alice began roughly filling another sack of sugary jubilees.

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tags: @mannequin