Berqe was fairly nice when one got to know it. Despite wanting to be reclusive and focusing on learning to cook David would often declare the lesson over if he felt she was flagging. When he did, a walk through the city or park was often how he let her relax, very rarely would he let her just stay at the house to rest. Dorothy would often accompany them on these walks, but because Alice couldn't easily communicate off the page of her notebook beyond simple gestures, many walks ended prematurely because they'd inevitably end up arguing over something.
"Evening Mr. Bour"
David: Say my name, i don't want people confusing my sister for my wife!
(laughs) "Sure David! Evening to you to Alice, lovely seeing you out and about."
She waves timidly to the man, a slight smile on her face.
When he first started taking her out, she had only been introduced to the most immediate neighbour's, the ones most likely to complain about the noise. Alice had quickly become known to much of their neighbourhood, and become associated with David to all who would see them around the city. Dorothy would end up the least known, not always going out with them and preferring to keep to herself, the neighbor's who did interact with her regularly though liked having her around to "balance" David's usual demeanor. Most however preferred it when David was with Alice, cause while he wouldn't be nicer, he also wouldn't be unnecessarily mean like he could be when he was alone.
"hey there's that silent girl."
" Yeah, they say she can't speak at all."
"You think she'll want to play?"
"I'm not inviting her, she's creepy."
Keeping her gaze forward she attempts to ignore them.
David: (whisper) Ignore them, kids are just mean.
Alice: 'They weren't mean like that in Risnan though then i could engage with them, bit they might have done so causetheir parents asked them to'
While there was a generally positive attitude toward Alice from the adults, not so much with her peers. In a crowd of children her silent demeanor and often lack of a smile made her painfully easy to spot from any distance, not helped by being slightly tall for her age. Most of the people who she got to know were either elderly who didnt mind the lack of noise, or already close to David and wanting to keep it that way.
"How good is she gonna be?"
"Yeah, your teaching her right?"
David: Don't know yet, she can make her own stuff now at least.
"And how thin is that?"
David: (smile) You'll have to wait, maybe I'll invite you over.
For the most part, Alice was fine with being behind David, letting him talk for her. She had gotten used to the fragility of her different home situations, had to stew in Risnan for years watching the war escalate from the sideline, always just close enough for the feeling of safety to be a false one. Staying in Ishval made it crystal clear to her that there was no safety to be had, and coming back everyone had been so kind, but they should all have hauled their way out of there instead of revelling in their assumed safety.
"Ah David, nice of you to finally invite me." (smile)
David: Come on in, the foods already prepped.
Alice: 'That's David old boss, why is he over?'
Boss: You haven't slipped a bit David!
David: Of course i haven't, who do you take me for!
Dorothy: A five year retiree?
Boss: You couldn't tell from this.
David had made one of his specialities, very finely cut meats layered over a more normal dish as a sort of skin thats then cooked for an iconic meal. Apparently there was still a marked for it.
Boss: Alice, this is the food your granduncle was known for, one time before he retired the fuhrer even came for a bite, and you know what he said?
David: That nickname is horrendous.
The boss still looked expectedly at Alice, so she shrugged her shoulders.
Boss: He said "This is a fine meal Bologna Bour"
Dorothy: Bologna?
David: It was weekly thing, we switched the meat and dish and he happened to come when that was what we served. Honestly the amount of such names he has given out is far beyond coincidental.
Boss: David and many other cooks believe there is a conspiracy to give them all horrible nicknames. (smile)
David: Well what else could the reason be?
Dorothy: You got unlucky?
David: (Grumble)
Boss: Its also why we havent had as many officers as customers recently, they ask were 'Bologna Bour' went and leave when they hear you retired.
David: You can't convince me out of retirement Garry.
Garry: I'm just saying, you were essentially the main course for all the years I've had control, and the customer numbers havent been stable since you retired.
Dorothy: No need to stroke his ego, it already fills the house. Is there a decline?
Garry: There was a big drop after he retired, but it's been up and down since. There are rumours though, about an apprentice?
David: Really? first I've heard of it.
Garry: Come on David, that soup she's got, she made it?
David: (devious smile) no, i made that, she cut for the other one.
Garry stills, takes some more food to his mouth, and promptly seeks confirmation.
Garry: Truly? Have you taught her that well? Wait, so you coud have taught someone at the restaurant to take over for you after all!
Indeed Alice had been the one to cut and prepare all the ingredients, exept the ones for her own soup, while she can make most of them thin enough she isn't consistent enough for David to let her make it without his oversight. Had Garry taken a bite from David or Dorothy, he would've noticed the difference immediately.
For the rest of 1908, David had kept to this as an almost schedule for Alice. The only other main inclusion was the reason for her continued exclusion from the various friend groups around town.
"She hasn't started school yet?"
"No, she probably won't."
"What? How lucky is she?"
"Yeah, i know. Grandma claims that her grandma is teaching her, but like that isn't the same!"
"Yeah, she wouldn't last with a real teacher in front of her."
"I bet she gets to skip math!"
"Huh!, than it isnt school at all."
Alice: 'Math is my favourite, its easier than the convoluted mess that is history.'
The history books Dorothy had acquired left much to be desired. Not only were they blatantly incomplete, ignore all other perspectives, talked down on those who stuck their noses in places they shouldn't they implied quite strongly that by entering the military all barriers to learning would be removed.
Alice: 'Drachma, Cameron, Aerugo, Riviere, Creta ... Ishval and so many more on all sides of Central. This country is so bloodthirsty for just no good reason, Whoever's incompetence started them all, Central still sent troops to escalate things.
Dorothy: These will probability be outdated at some point too if past precedent holds true.
.. Where would that be?..
Dorothy: Hmm, it would be the closest point to Central, most likely, I'd say Fotoset.
There was a general interest in what Dorothy had been up to since 04, but she and David would always deflect off the topic, they'd even interrupt the speaker if Alice was close by. Most had excepted this a week or so after Alice started taking walks with David.
"I'm just saying, she worked in Risnan for a lot of years and should have know them all."
"Keep your voice down, stop being so stubborn about it, she doesn't wanna say, thats fine."
"86 people dead and three captured and the military still is nowhere near solving the case, I'm just saying maybe something she knows can be relevant.
In August of 1908 the Freezer alchemist Issac McDougal went to a radio interview to discuss why he left the military, during the interview the broadcast was cut of by a national address stating the story of Risnan and asking for any clue the public might have. When the interview came back on, apparently Issac had fled, with no stated reason for doing so being given.
The amount of speculation was intense and Alice's presence or absence was rarely a cause for caution for some.
David: You'll start at the restaurant, day shift, in February.
Dorothy: Why? They want your replacement?
David: It is an opportunity for you to get proper experience, think of it like a test for what you've learned.
Dorothy: You don't dictate that David.
Alice: 'He's not gonna budge'
..Fine ..
Dorothy: Alice, don't just let him walk all over you.
David: She has a point. When you start in the restaurant you'll call the shots, you can not allow others to question you then.
Dorothy: That wasn't my point David! Call shots? She can't speak David!
David: well, what was your point? Let others decide for her or not. And she can, she just needs to toughen up.
Alice: 'Why can't they stop arguing, it's really tiring'
Deciding to leave them to their arguing she returns to her room, it's become uncommon for her to have moments to herself, especially in her room. Wanting a palate cleanser she takes her alchemy notes out of her shelf and begins to lazily read through them. Interspersed within her notes are the notes Isan gave her, carefully rewritten on solid paper with many blank pages in between still to be filled by her.The actual physical notes Isan gave her is in a sealed box, transmuted under the floor of the living room lamp.
One of the reasons she enjoys reading through the notes again and again, is to get glimpses of the ancient Ishvalan language and the Xinghese language. Listening to Isan speak those tongues switching between them had always fascinated her, it was incredible to her that so many languages could even exist and make sense to just one person.
Remembering how he pronounced or emphasized certain sounds while reading back up on the theory, a few interruptions by Isan's brother would occasionally pop up too, most often if they were arguing particularly loudly downstairs. Sadly it had become a luxury and David seemed intent on making it more so.
Alice: 'It could be good, I'd get to go into a business, see how they work at the restaurant. Toughen up? It's really painful to speak with any volume, and according to David wispers aren't clear enough. Maybe i could try it, see what works about it, leave if it doesn't.'
Of all opportunities David could have given her, the restaurant will probably be fine, it's the inevitable extra practice with David, before and/or after working the kitchen at the restaurant that should've had her worried.
Garry: Good showing Alice, let Ben take over, and have a lovely night (Smile)
Ben: I'll be needing this and (ruffles Alice's hair) you'll need a shower. (smile)
Despite throwing Ben the stink eye Alice couldn't quite drop the smile she herself carried. When Alice started in February there was much anticipation from older customers and while they'd concede she's not on David's level, against the other chefs the race was close.
Her naivety in the kitchen had been stretched as far as it could go, budgeting, time management, orderlies constant updates the whole stressful environment shared with two other chefs at all times. David would still say she's naive if questioned about it, but Garry, and the other chefs would rave about her tolerance for bullshit. When something went wrong there was never a whine or whimper from her, the stress of customers waiting didn't bother her until someone else started stressing. Indeed she had more fun when she knew there was a deadline, the threat of losing her opportunity was most effective when it was mostly real.
David: Practice is important, you cant slack of just cause you got a fancy job.
Alice: (silently) I'm just resting.
David: No, you are flagging.
Dorothy: Oooh, I'll take you outside, we can meet up with some of the walking ladies.
David: More slackers?
Alice: (Soft laughter)
April 20th 1909 a local outbreak had forced the restaurant to close early, suddenly having a time limit imposed and a surge of customers wanting in before the new closing time. Alice and Ben had to run all over the kitchen to get everything done. Of course, the early surge made the outbreak worse, so Garry closed the restaurant for that whole week
Alice: (lowly) aaaaa, ooo (pain). 'That one hurts more, maybe i can replace it with another letter.'
Dorothy: Hmm, I'd say just avoid it. Will be easier for others to understand.
Alice: (softly) They'll get it, whatever i say.
Dorothy: It helps to have a plan.
On july 7th Alice had botched several ingredients because of a headache and being to dizzy to work properly, when Garry found out he ordered she either go home voluntarily or permanently, Alice snapped to attention and wanted to argue before relenting. Dorothy kept her home for the next three days to rest and let the fever Alice had hidden get better.
Ben: How'd Alice do today?
"As well as always, we haven't gotten a complaint yet so that may have stopped."
Alice blushes.
For the second week of October Alice had decided to experiment with spices, the problem? she didn't have the time to taste test every experiment, so every day prior someone had complained.
Garry: It has, right Alice? When we try new stuff we talk about it first.
Alice (whisper) yeah, thats right (slight irritation)
Ben: She speaks! What blessing has been bestowed upon us?
Garry: Only the curse of speech.
Ben: Hey, boss contribute to a positive environment maybe. (smile)
Alice: Garry's maybe a plus whenever he wants. (slight sarcasm)
Garry: Alice, that sentence is weird, dont force it. Also get going, i don't want David on my ass for holding you up.
Alice left the restaurant through the back entrance passing several other employees.
Alice: 'Today has felt positive, hope that'll hold when i get back.
Not wanting to get caught off guard, she always held some focus on the pulse. Sure that made work and practice in the kitchen harder, but the many times it's to her benefit makes up for it especially during work. Many times the undercurrent will cary the customers patient levels to her, letting her ignore the stress that sometimes befell the other chefs.
Dorothy: Oh Alice, welcome back. David's reading some mail in the living room, he might find something interesting in them.
Alice: (softly) Sure he will.
Dorothy: Maybe he'll find something other than looking over your shoulder too do.
Alice: we can wish.
David: Alice, come over here.
Dorothy: What is it now David.
David: Is your name Alice?
Rather than letting them start, Alice walks over to were David is sitting. He indicates her to sit in front of him.
David: I have once again been asked out of retirement. They want me to fill a spot up in Briggs, a military fortress by the border up north.
The undercurrent is slimy.
Alice: (restrained) Have luck with that.
David looks right at her eyes, that slimy feeling oozes from his next words.
David: I'm retired, but i can have someone fill their open spot.
Alice: why?
David: A restaurant is one thing, a cafeteria is another. There you can't focus on any one dish, everything must be made on time, to a minimum level of quality, yes, but nowhere close to what's required at a restaurant.
Alice: can't send a sorry?
David: I discussed it with Garry, given that you can make your own food, a proper test of your skill without me as a crutch is next in order for you. This position in Briggs is simply convenient for you.
Alice: No. (pain)
David: Alice, I and Dorothy will still be here when you get back. You can't cling to us from the distance you want us at. This chance is good, best of all, it is very unlikely to be any conflict by that fortress.
Dorothy: What fortress?
Alice: He wants me away.
David: Don't use my sister as a crutch Alice.
Dorothy: David is that true, that won't work with our story.
David: Yes it will, i don't coddle anyone, least of all those i want to succeed.
Dorothy: You were nice to me, when you were younger.
David: Yeah, i wasn't the smartest back then.
Alice: (a little more volume) I decide? (irritation)
David: I can give you the alternative.
Dorothy: David...
Alice tried to hold his gaze for as long as possible, tried to find any cracks to worm into, but could find none. What feeling she got from the pulse was firm, the slimy layer shown for the distraction it was, there was no getting through to David.
Alice: Ok (pain)
Dorothy hugged Alice from the side, wanting to give her whatever comfort she could. Nothing Dorothy could do would change the reality, her safe situation had once again been proven false, by the one providing it.
"They can't just vanish?"
"No they can't, but they were insistent that Ishvalans were responsible"
"They may be lying"
"They're definitely lying, but about Vanessa and her parents they weren't. I could tell, they had no idea were they were taken."
"Taken, by the Ishvalans? unlikely, someone else, who'd that be?"
"Find me their last full town register, everyone alive we'll search."
Briggs chapter? yeah, so funny story. The story that inspired this one made me want to mirror that OC with my own, and well, that meant a relationship with Briggs. It's most convenient to place the start of that here, November 1909 - September 1910. This chapter encompassed July 1908 - October 1909 btw.