The Dreams of a Girl Named Alice

Sam had been wondering around aimlessly. Wonder if there is anything to do around here. Sam looked down the street to see a girl with a bunny hat. Are those bunny ears? Sam walked up to the group and waved hello to them. Xe had been looking for something to do. Might as well meet new people.

"Hmm..." Kai thought for a moment, Didn't I pass a little diner on the way here? She remembered, "I believe there's a diner just down the street, how about we try it out?" She said. "It can't be that bad."

"I'm not a picky person," Cheshire said with a nod. Offering Alice his hand, Cheshire helped the little girl up who looked like she was trying too hard to hide her excitement. Cheshire turns to Kai and asks, "So where is this diner?"

Kai smiled and said, "Just down the street, no more than a five minute walk." She looked at the little girl, glad that she could do something to help her out. "Does that sound good to you?" She asked the girl, a bright smile still on her face.

"S-Sure," Alice mumbled, looking at the ground, a slight pink color coming to her cheeks.

"Lead the way," Cheshire said.

Kai gave a small chuckle at the girl's nervousness, "Alright, let's go then." She said, proceeding to walk back along the sidewalk she had come down. She quickly glanced over her shoulder to make sure they were following.

Cheshire and Alice walked with Kai keeping about two steps behind.

Kai continued walking, Jeez, not much for talking, are they? She thought, "So...uhh...What do you do?" She asked the boy, "Are you a student? And you don't have to walk behind me like you're subservient or something." She said, feeling a tad awkward at having to talk behind her.

"I apologize," Cheshire says. He increases his pace slightly, pushing Alice along with him until the two matched paces with Kai walking with her on her right with Alice in the middle of her and Cheshire. "As for me, I am currently a student at Beacon. May I ask what your occupation is as well?"

"You sound like you have a rod shoved into your spine," Alice commented coldly.

A laugh escaped her lips at Alice's comment, and she glanced over at the mention of Beacon, "Really? I go there too, although I haven't really gotten settled in yet." She said, "It's a small world, it seems." That's funny, it's a wonder I haven't seen him around.

"The world is only as small as your own mind they say," Cheshire stated.

"Now you sound like a fortune cookie," Alice mumbled.

"Enough with the comments," Cheshire said. "I am a first year. I specialize in tactical combat. Because of my preference in fighting I probably don't stick out much unlike some of the more... explosive hunters."

"You're just a shut in with his nose glued to your books-hey!"

"This little one makes me worry sometimes," Cheshire said, his hand rubbing on the top of Alice's hat in a friendly noogie.

"I'm not a kid dangit!" Alice whined.

Kai chuckled, She really is cute. She thought, And funny too. "That makes sense then." She said, "I'm a third year, so I guess we wouldn't have run into each other before." She thought for a moment, then said, "How do you like Beacon?"

"It's a good school, respectable academic qualities, a few too many nutcases though," Cheshire said plainly. "And what about you? Do you enjoy being in Beacon?"

Kai nodded, "Yeah, there certainly are plenty of crazies." She said, "But I like it, overall. It's quite different from what I'm used to, but in a good way." She looked up to see the diner on their left, "Oh, here we are." She said.

"Oh, so this is the place?" Cheshire asked looking over at the establishment. In two steps Cheshire was at Kai's left and he held the door open for her and Alice. "After you."

"You should drop out of Beacon and take up Butler work," Alice mumbled walking in.

Kai let out a small laugh at the girl's comment, She has a very...dry sense of humour. She thought, "Thank you!" She said as she walked through the door. The establishment she entered was plain. It didn't look like a five star restaurant, but it was nice enough. It wasn't very crowded, there being only two other tables occupied. Kai looked around and saw an open booth near the corner.

"Is that where you want to sit?" Cheshire asks Kai as he followed where her eyes looked.

Kai shrugged, "Why not?" She said, and walked over to the booth, unlatching the large blade from her back. She set it down to lean against the side of the booth and slid into a seat.

Following Kai, Cheshire set down Baskerville and Helsingr, letting them lean against the booth seat before sliding in. After him, Alice unslung her weapon Scarlet Empress and leaned it next to Baskerville before sliding in a seat next to Cheshire.

Cheshire looks slightly uncomfortable, obviously not used to sitting down for a meal with a gil like this. Alice smiled seeing how nervous he was.

Kai took her seat and looked at the menu. It seemed they had a variety of lunch sandwiches, but not much else. She placed it back on the table, raising an arm to lay it across the top of the booth. She looked across the table at the pair, seeing the boy being somewhat nervous. She let out a small laugh, "Hey, relax. We're just getting a bite to eat." She said, "No need to look so nervous."

Cheshire raised his fist over his mouth and cleared his throat upon hearing Kai's comment. Straightening up he replies, "Sorry, I'm just not used to this sort of thing."

"Because you're a shut-in," Alice commented as she skimmed through the menu.

"So tell me a little about yourself," Cheshire said ignoring Alice's last remark.

Kai smirked at the painfully generic question, but answered it nonetheless, "Well, I just recently moved to Vale from Kyron. This place is pretty different from the island fortress but I certainly don't mind it here." She paused for a moment, remembering the Order and the people she left behind to come here. "What about you? What's your story?" She asked.

"Nothing special. Just a hardworking student trying to be a hunter," Cheshire replied. "Sometimes I take some odd jobs to earn money on the side to help Alice and the other people at the slums."

"We of the people at the slums thank you for that," Alice said, "But next time come with news of work for me."

"You're too young to go hunting," Cheshire mumbled.

"I'm only two years younger then you," Alice said puffing her cheeks.

Sam came into the small restaurant and took a seat. She pulled out her scroll and looked at her to do list. Let's see. I need to do...crap. No way I can do all these things. She then over heard a girl say something about a job. Her ears perked up. I wonder. She stood up and walked to where the girl was and tapped her shoulder. She typed up something on her scroll and held it to her. [Did you say you need work?]

Alice looked up at the stranger then looked down at the message on the scroll. "Um... yes I did. I am looking for work so I can eat," Alice stated. "Who are you?"

Sam typed on the scroll for a bit. [Name's Sam and I need some help with things. I'm willing to pay you enough lien to eat for a three days for each job.]

"What kind of work are we talking about here?" Alice asked. Cheshire wrapped his arm over her shoulder protectively as he glared at the stranger.