It was when Alice stepped outside a London courthouse for un-stifled air that she caught sight of a familiar white cat. As a grin suddenly appeared on his face Alice noted, with gloom, that if animal continued to smirk in such a humanly wicked manor she wouldn't be his only audience. And as if feline had read her worries in the same moment they crossed Alice's mind he nodded his head in a direction his body soon ventured toward.
Though glad that privacy seemed to be as much a priority to small pale create as it was to teen girl Alice fallowed with lead steps and a great sigh. Hoping, but not expecting, the cat to hear sound; nor interpret gesture correctly.
Alice found feline posed around a corner and down a narrow ally; postured atop an abandoned building's windowsill.
"How's the trial going, dear Alice?"
"It's not a trial, simply a hearing." Teenage girl snapped at her Cheshire cat's lurid tone; not bothering to ask how he knew of current events in this reality. Somehow her beast always knew the happenings of both London and wonderland. "And better then I had imagined actually. Kier Cheston is proving himself quiet a worthy ally in deed. I don't think I've ever seen anyone more entertaining or more rational in the mist of an occupation that is essentially nothing more then glorifier arguing."
"No thorns to cut yourself on with this Mr. Cheston then?"
"Not as of yet. But my adventure with him, as I recall you titling my recent life happenings, is not yet over. And if I know anything it is that several true nemesis's don't show their genuine intentions until they have gained what they are after. Besides I do recall you mentioning the appearance of a villain somewhere down this road I've chosen to take. I wouldn't expect anything less from my life if a new friend turned out to be a fiend."
"You can tare a butterfly apart, attempting to see how it works, but you may loose site of what it really is Alice. If I didn't know any better, I'd say your treating Mr. Cheston much like-"
"You don't know any better Cat." Alice snapped feline quiet before he could finish his thought. She knew were he was going with it and she didn't need the memory of that man adding extra strain to her brain.
The expression that formed on her cat's face after she grabbed at conversational rains was unlike anything Alice had ever seen. And that frightened her. While his smirk remained constant the feline's features twisted in anything but glee.
She could see thoughts trampling across his mind like a stamped of beasts. His gleaming irises narrowing darkly. The cat's small nose wrinkling in such a manor that his smirk almost looked more like a bearing of teeth then anything else. Yet before her cat made another sound a uninvited hue joined the pair.
"Alice Liddel? What are you doing back here?" With panic she had not felt sense in the presence of the doll maker Alice spun so fast she almost felt as if she had hovered in air for a moment. Her vexed eyes coming upon rose red hair and a figure the same shade as mahjong blocks.
"Ms. Irving." Alice managed to greet young woman across from her. More amazed that she had been able to recall Keir Cheston's secretary by name then alarmed to see her at edge of alley.
"Formalities are pointless among persons' of the same class. I believe I've told you that sense Kier introduced us. My name is Asia. Use it- oh!"
Her eyes flying back to her cat Alice was relieved to see his smirk had been replaced with the normal gloom all London cats appeared to express. In fact, Alice nearly choked on a nervous swallow at how normal he was acting; bathing himself with his tongue and a paw rubbing against a face.
"And who might this adorable little creature be?"
"Cat-" Alice choked as she finished the word. Was it odd that she referred to her Cheshire cat simply as cat? Once she had called him friend, many years before the asylum and the fire. Yet it had never occurred to her to address him as anything more then what he was. For all she knew he had a legitimate name that the feline had never bothered to share with her.
"Well that won't do." Asia exclaimed, startling Alice out of her thoughts by picking up her cat and snuggling him in cradled arms. "You can't simply call an animal by it's title. Then it will aspire to be nothing more than a dumb animal. We should give him a proper name."
"Uh- I-ah- Maybe we should be heading back to the courthouse." Stumbling with language teenage girl attempted to hold onto head of conversation with a new party added. As pleased as her cat looked with Asia's attention he had never spoken to fondly of Alice's reality's residences. "I'm sure your employer will be wondering were I have gotten to; if not the both of us. When I stepped out I did say I'd only be gone for a moment."
Asia simply giggled at Alice's suggestion; shocking teen girl even more as she successfully stroked white cat in her arms with out being attacked or hissed upon. And, if her ears weren't misleading her, Alice found herself, again, bewildered to hear the Cheshire cat purring under Asia's touch.
"No offence attended Alice, but you and I are not the only persons in Kier's life. He has additional clients and work that can be handled during recessed time. I'm sure he's too busy working on his other, don't take this the wrong way, charity case right now. Kier wouldn't want to disappoint Candice, or the public for that matter."
"What?"
"Oh! You don't know? Honestly Alice, don't you pay attention to current events with as much enthusiasm as the rest of this country? The case of Candice Avery verses Emiel Avery is a recent source of legal gossip. Nearly as gossip worthy as your case has become. "Keir Cheston, a talented but un-experienced small village attorney has taken on the case of Candice Avery for next to no financial charges. Allegedly Miss Avery has been the victim of a forged will that has left a once high society young woman without a penny and her cousin with a minor fortune." Or that's how some paper's have summarized it."
"My case and an additional trail complementary of charge? Why would he do that? Why would any lawyer?"
Lost in her own confusion Alice barley notice Asia shrug, place feline still in her arms down with a final giggle, nor the Cheshire cat's disappearance until young woman came around to Alice's idea of heading back; after conversation had greatly reached an end.
"Rumor says Kier is trying to make a substantial and quick name for himself in London. Other whispered words claim that he is trying to outdo other prominent attorneys as a odd sort of jest on their pride. I've also heard theories that he is either overly ambitious or trying to teach Britain's legal system a lesson. Nothing that really comes close to the truth."
"What is the truth then? And how would you know of it?"
Again, Asia giggled. Her palm extending to pat Alice in a similar manor a mother would to a inquisitive child. "Nothing gets passed clerks and personal servants Alice. I know Kier's intentions better then I think he does. In all honesty, no matter how he happened to come across both your case and the case of Candice Avery, Kier wants to see a happy ending or two. It makes for a pleasant change from the horror story that most of London is twisted up in."