M e s s a g e 2 6

[curiousher]

I have a question for all of you! It's come to me very suddenly, like a dream, or some sort of vision.

[And Alice sighs, as if trying to have that dream again. But it is gone, and she will just have to ask what she wants to ask instead.]

If you could be any you, who would you be? No restrictions or rules - if you could simply be someone new suddenly, which new you would you be? Would you do it? What if you had to; what would you pick then?

I think I'd want to be a Princess. It sounds lovely, doesn't it? Princess Alice. Really, it's much better than being a Queen. You get a very nice crown and you don't have to be so responsible all the time. That gets so tiring, you know!

[She would know, after all.]

So, who would you be, if you had to be someone else?

Comments

[oversight]

Dunno who I'd be, but I'm ready for that tea.

[regretel]

Even if you ask that, it doesn't change who you are.

[curiousher]

Oh! That's right, I did say we'd have tea, didn't I? Oh, I feel horrible. I'd forgotten all about it!

[Alice is a wee bit scatterbrained, you see.]

I'm free now though. Why don't you come to one of the tea rooms? I'll make sure there's tea and sandwiches and biscuits ready. You should come up with an answer between then and now though!

[curiousher]

Maybe it could, if you tried hard enough! Though, you could always go back to yourself in the end, if you really wanted to. Or into someone else again!

[oversight]

You're just curious to know, then? [Because if it means he has to choose now, Blake's not too interested.] Or do I gotta pick for good?

[curiousher]

Well, you can always change your answer, you know. I don't think I'd like to be a Princess forever. I might want to try lion taming one day, and I can't think of any Lion Taming Princesses.

[oversight]

Yeah, okay. Thinkin' I can come up with somethin'. See you soon, then?

[You'd better make it, Alice. :| John's not much of a tea person, but he'll take what he can to move forward with this riddle.]<./small>

Video -> Action

[curiousher]

Wonderful! I'll see you there then, John!

[Mysteriously, she didn't say which tea room, but no matter which one he picks, there will be a full spread of tea and sandwiches cut into triangles with the the crusts removed and tea. There's even a pot of coffee in the mix, as if she was aware he might prefer it over the tea.

And of course, cute little 12 + 148 year-old Alice is there, already sipping at her tea. Sometime between when the video ended and her arrival at the tea party, she has acquired a tiara, because she is now Princess Alice.]

[watchthedetective]

Do you have visions a lot?

Action

[oversight]

[What luck to find her. John has a feeling he could be at it all day otherwise. He must have taken a cue from Alice, or perhaps he'd come to the conclusion on his own, but he arrives in a hat. A fedora, actually. And a jacket. And a whip. Like Indiana Jones!

He smiles at Alice as he steps up to her table.]

Your Majesty. Thanks for havin' me. S'pose you could call me Indiana Blake if we're pickin' roles or whatever.

[curiousher]

Not too often - every few weeks or so. But they're always so exciting!

Action

[curiousher]

[She squeals a little - she wasn't expecting him to show up in full costume! It's amazing how excited she can look without any eyes to express it.]

Ooo! An adventurer! What an magnicifent choice!

[But she coughs a little into the back of her hand, remembering that she is a Princess and should probably act accordingly.]

It's pleasure to have you at my most royal of tables, Indiana Blake! Please, have a seat and help yourself!

Action

[oversight]

[He offers her a smile (more for himself than her, obviously). While he's still standing, he grabs up the teapot and goes to pour into her cup. That's right, you're getting served, too, princess.]

Looks good. Kinda interested in these sandwiches. Know what's on 'em?

[watchthedetective]

And you were a princess in this one? [Joan smiles at the screen, wondering if the girl can even see it. She must be able to see somehow if she doesn't even realize her eyes are gone, right?]

You know, what I want to be is a detective.

[regretel]

But if you keep becoming someone new, how will you know who you are?

[throughthedark]

[...

...this is actually pretty cool, even if he'd been hoping for the Cheshire Cat again. And even if her sudden appearance and cryptic message can mean nothing good for any of them.

Oh, well. Playing along helped last time.]

To what extent are we changing ourselves?

[hypercompetent]

Anyone else in the whole world? [ So the actual Alice appears again. The last time around Stiles hadn't gotten the chance to talk to her, but today he was making sure to be there before she mysteriously vanished. ] I'd be a policeman, like my dad.

[ And now the questions. ] Sounded like a pretty great dream.

[petabytes]

If... if I could be anyone...?

...

I'm sorry... I... if I was going to answer that question honestly... it'd be too personal...

[Text]

[kunsel]

Princess Alice, huh? It has a nice ring to
it. But then you'd need a knight, because all
of the best princesses from fairy tales have
knights in shining armor to protect them.
As for me, I'm not really sure. Maybe someone
who never forgets anything. That'd be useful
and fun, huh?

Action

[curiousher]

Oh! Why, thank you, Indiana Blake. You're such a gentleman.

[She beams right back at him, before adding more than generous helpings of cream and sugar to her tea.]

They have cream cheese and fruit! These over here have strawberries, and those are cucumber sandwiches. Though, I suppose cucumbers don't count as fruit, do they?

[Royals question important things in their spare time, like whether cucumbers are fruits or not.]

[curiousher]

Well, you'll still be you. Just a different you!

[curiousher]

I was a lot of things! It really depended on the moment, I think. But being a princess was my favourite.

Ooo! That's a good one though. Like one of those Private Eyes?

[Well. At least she's heard of eyes. Sort of.]

[theshepherd]

You'd be surprised at how much responsibility a prince or princess has.

[curiousher]

To whatever extent you'd like! You could be anyone you wanted, and take on any role.

Who would you be? Maybe you'd want to be grown up?

[It's said innocently enough.]

[curiousher]

Wow! A policeman! That sounds like an exciting choice. So, I simply must know - would you be the good cop? Or would you be the bad cop? They usually come in sets like that, don't they?

[She gives a wistful sigh.] It was definitely a fun dream this time.