#alice york's wonderland | Explore Tumblr Posts and Blogs

rabbitcruiser · 7 months

Text

National Tell a Fairy Tale Day

Gather round the fire, and make yourselves comfortable… Tell A Fairy Tale Day is all about exploring myths and stories, old and new. From grim(m) tales to urban legends, tap the dark corners of your subconscious and see what you find…

History of Tell A Fairy Tale Day

The sharing of magical, otherworldly stories is a tale as old as time. While the term ‘fairy tale’ was coined in 1697 by Madame d’Aulnoy (conte de fées in her native French), it’s likely that some fairy tales originated as early as the bronze age over 6,000 years ago. And for most of history, fairy tales have been passed on not in written form but via the oral tradition, with each generation telling and dramatizing stories to the next.

The fairy tale’s ancient roots can be traced all over the world, from Vikram-Betaal in India and Aesop’s Fables in Ancient Greece to Arabian Nights in the Middle East. It was during the late 17th to 19th centuries that fairy tale collectors emerged, most famously Charles Perrault and the Brothers Grimm. While the Brothers Grimm aimed to preserve folktales in their pure form, documenting them in the way they were told by rural peasants unable to read or write, Perrault and others reworked fairy tales for literary and artistic effect, with some writers such as Hans Christian Andersen dreaming up their own new stories.

As the fairy tale’s history emerges into the modern day, it’s clear that the genre is still as popular as ever – look no further than the success of Disney movies to see how these stories continue to capture our hearts and imaginations. In fact, the famous Disney castle is inspired by Neuschwanstein Castle in Germany, built by none other than the Märchenkönig (fairy-tale king), Ludwig II of Bavaria, himself. Perched on a rocky hill and with horse-drawn carriage rides up to the front door, Neuschwanstein and its elaborate interior abound in myths and legends – the castle is even home to an artificial grotto!

By celebrating Tell A Fairy Tale Day, you’ll be continuing the magical tradition that has ensured fairy tales are still very much part of our lives to this day.

How fairy tales change over time

Perhaps one of the most interesting aspects of fairy tales is how they change over time. Simple plot structures, motifs and archetypal characters recurring across many cultures make these stories rife for adaptation and reinterpretation.

Although nowadays we usually associate fairy tales with children’s literature, you may be surprised to learn that many of today’s beloved stories have rather dark and disturbing origins. Imagine a world in which no woodcutter comes to save Little Red Riding Hood from the wolf’s belly, or in which one of the ugly stepsisters cuts off her own toes so that her foot fits in the slipper! From the 18th century onwards, many fairy tales were toned down and reworked so that they were more suitable for children.

These stories and the genre itself have also been adapted and reinvented for different time periods and cultures. Alongside original modern-day fairy tales, there are also various retellings, for example in urban settings or different countries. One particularly common type of retelling comes from women writers. Authors such as Angela Carter and Margaret Atwood have taken what are often seen as outdated tropes about women and reinvented them – the damsel in distress becomes the plucky heroine, and the trapped bride leaves her ogre husband for her happily ever after.

Why fairy tales are important

As it is often claimed Albert Einstein once said, “If you want your children to be intelligent, read them fairy tales. If you want them to be more intelligent, read them more fairy tales.” We might not expect such high praise for fairy tales from a world-famous theoretical physicist, but Einstein recognized the importance of the imagination. Fairy tales are incredibly valuable for both children and adults when it comes to learning about the world in which we live and developing our capacity for creativity. Fairy tales have also been considered fertile ground by psychoanalysts. With their twists and turns, age-old themes and familiar characters, our favorite stories may reveal not only the workings of our personal subconscious but also the fundamental elements of our collective psyche.

How to celebrate Tell A Fairy Tale Day

It should be clear by now that, when it comes to celebrating Tell A Fairy Tale Day, you really can let your imagination run wild! And while it’s a day that kids will love, it’s also a great occasion for adults too.

Gather your friends and family and take it in turns to share your favorite stories with one another. Time to brush up on your acting skills, as the more dramatic enactments the better – whether you’re good at impersonating a wicked witch or excel at acting out the characters’ quest through the enchanted forest, you’ll want to really make the tale come to life for your audience. And why not sit around a bonfire toasting marshmallows or string up some fairy lights in your living room to add to the atmosphere?

Alongside sharing the stories we know and love, fairy tales are the perfect genre for getting creative and honing your writing skills. Take a well-known story and tweak it to fit a different time or setting, or have a crack at inventing your own. It may well start with ‘Once upon a time’, but it’s completely up to you whether there’s a ‘Happily ever after’! Many libraries and literary organizations will also share stories and creative resources and even hold events to help mark the occasion.

If writing’s not your thing, then there are plenty of films and programs based on fairy tales for you to enjoy. Disney’s Snow White and the Seven Dwarves, Cinderella and The Little Mermaid are just some examples of the media giant’s adaptations, while movies and TV series such as Into the Woods and Tell Me a Story interweave and retell various classic fairy tales for new audiences.

And if you feel like going all out, why not host a fairy tale themed party? Encourage your guests to come in fancy dress, put on an enchanted feast of yummy snacks such as gingerbread houses and toadstool cupcakes, and throw some legendary party games like hunt the pea and castle building.

However you choose to celebrate Tell A Fairy Tale Day, it’s sure to be a magical occasion!

Source

5 notes · View notes

exquisiteserotonin · 11 months

Text

Footsteps to Follow: Part 4

The Dangers of Fate

Series Summary: The loss of a loved one lasts forever and every person finds different ways to heal.

Pairing: Alice York x Foodtruck owner! Joel Miller

Warnings: MATURE. Descriptions of violence and intent to commit violence. TW due to some talk of human trafficking and rape (nothing described, just implications of a bad guy involved in organized crime might be doing). Hints of romance and fluff. ANGST. If you are UNDER 18, please DNI. MDNI!!! AU, Foodtruck Owner Joel! No outbreak.

Word Count: ~3.5K

A/N: I'm glad that my writer's block more or less fixed itself for the time being. I hope that you enjoy this chapter. I think we are finally getting somewhere. Things are starting to move! 💜💜💜

To my magical sluts: Thank you for helping through my neurotic feelings if inadequecy regarding my writing @imalrightllama @magpiepillsjunior @youandmeand5bucks @pink-whiskey-woman @redhotkitchen @legendary-pink-dot @sparklefarts38 @arcanefox207

Taglist, thank you so much for reading my work: @drewharrisonwriter, @casa-boiardi @nerdieforpedro @secretelephanttattoo

Alice sat with her legs tightly crossed one over the other on a quaint, earthy green bench situated in the middle of a garden. The aroma of the coffee in her hand paired with the ocean breeze wafting through the arched breezeway sent an invigorating energy through her body. Another country, another job. She took a sip of her coffee, surrendering to the warmth it spread from her lips to her chest, and stomach. The vibrant color and smoky sweet scent of lavender plants filling the air were beguiling to the senses. There wasn’t anything quite like it at home.

They were countless, the times she wished her next destination would be to a place of her choosing, at a time she found convenient, during a time she desired. But for the first time, she longed for the feeling of returning home. With another deep breath of her coffee, it was like she was back again, sharing one with a middle-aged man from Texas with patchy facial hair, a man more handsome than he had any right to be.

***

“I’m sorry our first date had to be over shitty hospital coffee,” Joel had apologized.

“Is that what this is?” she asked, treading carefully along the bridge between disinterest and full-on crush.

Joel’s hands wiggled as he raised his brows towards her and twitched his mouth at the quip. The way faint lines on his forehead revealed themselves and the line that appeared on his bottom lip as he puckered them in thought sent a light flutter inside Alice’s stomach. She squeezed her eyes tightly, blowing out a nervous breath.

“I’m so sorry,” she said, scrunching her face in consternation, “I’m so not good at this.”

“Now, I don’t know ‘bout that,” Joel responded, as he stretched out his feet under the table, the toe of his boots just inches from her sneakers, “I think you’re doin’ alright.”

“How can you be so sure?”

“I’ve got a few years on ya, Alice,” Joel replied in a self-deprecating tone. “So, tell me, how’d ya fall into nursin’?”

The answer was easy, but the guilt that accompanied it was equally apparent.

“Helping people, trying to anyway, seemed like,” she paused for a moment to think, “the appropriate choice. I kind of rebelled, pretty terribly as I got older and probably hurt a lot of people in the process.”

“Well, I’m not ‘bout to judge people by their past,” Joel shared.

“Human nature, huh?” Alice commented. “We’re all a little bit broken.”

“Like an egg,” Joel countered, his posture straightening and his eyes lighting up.

“What?” Alice laughed, curious about his unique comparison.

“You know, like an egg can break, but what’s inside is usually helluva lot better,” Joel explained, “like you can eat it, could be a baby chicken, too.”

So many people might have ridiculed him for the simplicity of his comparison. Ever observant, Alice took in the moment, took in the words, keeping the charm and wisdom that were present underneath the rugged exterior.

“That’s pretty wise, Tex,” Alice praised, tipping her cup of coffee to him in salute.

Joel took a sip of his simple, black coffee and pushed against the table with a long, nervous sigh, “Truth is, Alice, I ain’t really good at this either.”

He waved his hand in the space between them.

“I don’t know about that,” Alice hummed, “you seem to be doing OK to me.”

***

“It’s beautiful, isn’t it?” she heard a voice muse, bringing her back to the garden.

Alice looked up, shifting her eyes towards her handler. She closed them with a silent nod of her head.

“Romantic even,” Firefly murmured, out at the impossibly, vibrant blue water of the Dubrovnik coastline.

Is she talking about my father?

It was an exercise in conflicting emotions to watch her handler’s face change, each line filled with a story, each gaze and each sigh held a memory which Alice knew nothing about. Some days she wanted to ask her what those memories were, searching for any strings that could tie her even closer to her father. Other days, she was simply scared to ask for fear of the emotions it would stir in them both.

How did you know he was in love with you?

Did he talk about me? No. Don’t answer that question.

Did he treat you better than he treated my mother?

Why didn’t you save him?

Standing up, Alice followed Firefly through the archway leading up to the quiet, nondescript apartment she had secured for their stay just on the outskirts of Dubrovnik. The walls of the apartment were made of stone that varied in shape and size. Each one climbed up to the top of the building revealing beauty, age, and distinction in their grooves and crevices. The owner at the front desk barely acknowledged them with a smile on her aged face. She stared out the arched window, closing her eyes to the breeze, occasionally waving to locals she knew.

In a single file, Alice followed her handler up the narrow, steep stairway to their room. It was cozy, clean, and simple. A couch with a pullout bed greeted them, a small coffee table placed before it was a perfect space for working. Past the living space was a narrow but open archway leading to the bedroom. Alice explored the small space as her handler immediately took her laptop from her briefcase. The change back to cutthroat professionalism was jarring. She opened her laptop, her fingertips clacking at the keys as she ensured that she had an encryption to protect their location, their identity, and everything else in between. It was no wonder her dad had fallen in love with her, she was just like him.

Alice sat next to her, as she began to bring up all her files on their target: Vojislav Đorđević. The dossier Firefly had compiled on him was extensive and at first glance, overwhelming. She and Alice combed through information: wanted in the Netherlands, Germany, and France for human trafficking of women, children, and migrants, firearms trafficking, and participation in a criminal organization.

A trembling feeling began to percolate in Alice’s stomach as she continued to read about the man’s atrocities. It was as though someone had stuck their hand down her throat and was churning her intestines. Kidnapping, torture, rape, and murder. Just seeing the written on the same line, in the same sentence as children sent a scorching rage igniting inside her. She felt her shoulders and chest beginning to tighten as she fought to keep herself from seething. Before she even realized it, an enraged tremble began to quiver beneath her skin. It grew with each file she read and each photo that she had to go through.

She drew a deep breath and stood up, turning away from the computer, placing her hands on her hips. Pacing around seemed to be the only way she could tear her eyes away from just one photo she saw, one photo that was enough to strengthen her resolve to kill him in the most terrible way imaginable. A shot to the head would be too merciful. Perhaps a knife to both eyes before cutting off his dick.

“Alice…Alice?” she knew it was her handler, but her voice seemed simultaneously close and far away. “Alice, you ok?”

After a few blinks, she refocused herself and turned back to Firefly.

“Sorry…,” Alice replied, her brow furrowed still, “I’m fine…I’ll be fine.”

Firefly turned away from her laptop and closed it, “I know I’ve told you this before, but I need you on your A-game, there can’t be any distractions.”

“I’ve heard this all before, I know if I get distracted, I get killed,” Alice said, her voice spent with exasperation.

“Personal feelings about this aren't going to make you execute the job any better,” Firefly declared, her face firm and authoritative. “I need your head clear.”

Alice turned back to her handler, the tightness in her shoulders beginning to settle as she unclenched her hands that she had formed into a fist. She returned to her chair, her posture straight and attentive. Leaning forward, she pressed her forearms against the table.

“You’re right. I’m ready,” Alice conceded. “Tell me the plan again.”

***

Alice awoke the next morning, rested and ready. She left the apartment in the early afternoon living, breathing, and becoming one with the town. The breeze off the ocean danced through her hair as she walked through nearly every quiet side street of the seaside city. Alice checked her watch, the time ticking down to the job. She stopped outside a busy cafe ordering a coffee from the counter. The humming chatter of tourists filled the air as they sat down for a snack and a respite from their day of exploring.

Once she finished her coffee, she went inside to the bathroom, opening her bag which held her uniform: a boxy and plain blue shirt and black pants. She examined herself in the mirror straightening the creases on the shirt and pants of her housekeeping disguise.

The warmth of the setting sun was slinking away as Alice strolled through the side streets approaching the luxurious hotel where Đorđević was holing in for the evening. She crept past a few hotel staffers arguing amongst one another on their smoking break. Other hotel staff walked in and out a side door that was easily accessible to the public, but also easy enough to slink through amidst the rocky hillsides and floral strewn hills that provided a natural landscaping that would be easy for her to navigate.

I’m in.

Alice texted Firefly quickly.

Blending in easily with the cleaning staff, she gained access to their supply room, surreptitiously grabbing a keycard that one absent-minded young individual let fall to the floor from his hand She pushed the giant cart of cleaning supplies in front of her, glancing at her reflection in one of the spotlessly clean mirrors. Not a spot of makeup. Hair pulled back into a tight low bun. Completely plain. Completely unnoticeable.

As Alice inched closer and closer to the top floor where the Presidential suite and Đorđević rested, Firefly kept a lookout and waited for the job to be done so they could return home. Her eyes scanned the glimmering, midnight blue water as tourists and locals strolled along, breathing in the night air. A tightness grasped her like a fist punching through her chest. Her eyes narrowed on a figure familiar to her, age lines littering his face, and his once golden blonde hair was nearly white in his old age. He held his head up with an air of privilege and entitlement she thought she would never have to see again. The stench of his ego threatened to hitch a ride on the wind. His shoulders were pulled back in an arrogant posture, a posture she could never forget. It was the same arrogant, self-assured posture his son once shared with him before he was killed.

Alice looked down at her phone, seeing a text message light up the screen.

Mission compromised. Abort now.

Seriously? Alice thought. This can’t be happening.

Can still finish job.

She typed her words quickly as she walked through the halls of a floor a few levels below the top floor.

Negative. Hold position.

Alice paced back and forth stepping away from the cleaning cart. The cold, carbon steel pressed securely to her leg with her ankle strap.

I’d just need one moment. He’d be dead faster than a lightning strike.

The fast whirring of the staff elevator raced to Alice’s ears. Like a startled cat, she acquired her knife and held still behind the large cart. The steel took on the warmth of the anticipatory heat that flowed through her palm and her fingers. She stood ready to eliminate whoever was about to come through the elevator to thwart her. Her slow and silent breaths quieted the fast and loud thumping of her heart. The thin, mechanical hiss of the opening doors set off a countdown in her brain. Slow footsteps echoed through the quiet hallway.

“Excuse me, I seem to be lost; could you show me where the indoor pool is?” a sing-song voice called out.

Firefly stood before her, a stern look washed over her face while Alice rolled her eyes, twirling her knife behind her wrist.

“What are you doing here?” she breathed through her teeth.

“I told you we were compromised.”

Hooking her arm with Alice’s they walked briskly towards the stairs. Alice was huffing with the speed at which she followed her handler. The chill of anxiety began to creep into her bloodstream the closer they got to the ground floor. In the stairwell, Firefly took a quick scan of her phone tapping into different cameras in the building. All clear. Their sprint had ended when Firefly walked ahead, grabbing the handle of the door to the lobby.

“Meet me at the Tisak booth after you’ve changed.”

Alice rushed to the bathroom, her heart beating faster with the lack of knowledge her handler was refusing to provide.

This is the kind of shit that’s going to get me killed.

She slipped into a soft, black linen dress and applied a swipe of red lip gloss across her lips and a quick coat of mascara on each set of eyelashes. With her hair down, she looked like a different person. As she glided past the front desk, she noted everything around her, nothing seemingly out of place until spied a tall, older man with bright, silvery blonde hair, his shoulders pushed back beneath the sleek pressed fabric of his polo shirt.

“Oh yes, thank you sir.” Alice overheard the polite and discreet voice of the front desk agent. “Someone will be down to accompany you to his room.”

Alice shook off the urge to follow the man, certain he was being accompanied to the Presidential suite. She stored the image of him in her brain, filing it away, certain she’d have to return to it later.

Is this old man really the one she’s worried about?

Distractions will get you killed.

I could have gotten killed.

She walked with long strides, her small traveler bag on her shoulder. Her personal artillery shifted inside, and she slowed her steps, cognizant of any attention that she might inadvertently bring to herself. The adrenaline rushed to her ears as she saw her handler’s car. She entered through the passenger’s side, pulling the door closed with a loud slam.

“What the fuck was that?” Alice demanded.

“I told you we were compromised, and I made the call to drop the job,” Firefly responded quickly and firmly.

“No, no, I fucking put my life on the line out there and that’s the bullshit reason you give me?”

“It’s not your concern anymore,” she added, looking in her car’s rear view mirror as she left the city walls of the old town heading towards the airport. “I will take this one moving forward.”

“You’ve got to be kidding me,” Alice groaned, rubbing her eyes and forehead in frustration. “What? Is this some kind of fallout from an old job you and my dad had? Couldn’t keep your legs closed, so karma’s knocking at your door?”

Firefly swerved the car with a sharp turn of the steering wheel, stopping at the side of the road. Faster than Alice could open her mouth to speak, her handler slapped her in the face. Tears sprung from the corner of her eyes as she brought her hand to her face, which was left red and stinging.

“I just saved your fucking life. Trust me, if you needed to know about this, I’d have already told you.” Firefly said as her eyes, darkened by the nighttime sky, held back tears. “We’re done.”

The quiet of the deep night took over the road, the rush of the world zoomed past the car while the silent, stifling air that filled the vehicle threatened the life of any noise that tried to pierce it. Alice tried to calm her seething anger, looking out the window at the stars in the sky only moving her eyes towards her handler in quick glances. The silent noise continued until they arrived at the airport.

***

“Here are your tickets,” Firefly said, her face laden with lines of distant confusion as they walked through the sliding glass doors of the airport terminal. “Take some time for yourself. If something comes up, I’ll notify you.”

“Please…,” Alice urged, letting out a sigh of frustration, “why won’t tell me what’s going on?”

“Alice, I could have gotten you killed,” her voice cracked with the words, “I’d never---I’d never forgive myself if something happened to you.”

A dull ache crept across Alice’s neck as she observed another moment of sentimentality escape from her handler. Anger, disappointment, and frustration. She felt all of these things and yet through it all, there was never a question regarding trust. Not in Alice’s mind. She’d always been able to trust Firefly.

“Why don’t you trust me?” Alice questioned.

“I could ask you the same thing,” she replied, this time her eyes demanding Alice’s attention and gaze. “I promise you that once I have all the intel, once I have it all clear, I’ll find you again.”

Alice stood dumbfounded as Firefly turned away, disappearing into a crowd of travelers. An unwelcome and familiar feeling of dread veiled itself over her. She dug her hands deep into her pockets, squeezing her keychain as she turned on her heels to join the sprinkling of travelers. Her footsteps heavy with the unwanted memory of a broken promise.

***

Bright sunlight greeted Alice as she disembarked the plane that had touched down on the tarmac. She stretched her arms over her head as she walked through the terminal.

“Shit,” she swore under her breath as she recalled that she didn��t plan for a ride home.

Signs littered the airport advertising taxis and ride shares. Exhaustion and confusion had already set themselves within Alice and the desire to curl up in the warm covers of her bed was strengthening its resolve. As though in a trance, she opened up her phone contacts, swiping through the names of co-workers and lingering longer than she wanted to admit on her sister’s name before her thumb settled over a name she knew she shouldn’t call.

Stop being ridiculous, Al. She heard her inner voice groan.

As though her thumb had a mind of its own, she discovered that she had already dialed the phone number for Joel Miller.

“Shit, shit, shit…” Alice whispered as she began to walk with hint of panic in each step.

“Hello?” The sound of his rugged drawl came clear over the phone.

“Um, hey, Joel, it’s Alice,” she greeted, her fingers trembling along with her voice, “I’m sorry to call all of a sudden like this.”

“Hey come on now,” Joel assured, “it ain’t no trouble. You OK?”

“Um yeah…,” she lied through shaky breaths, “I just got home from a trip and realized as I landed, I didn’t make the right pick up plans and I---,”

“Need me to come pick you up from the airport?” Joel offered, the tone of his voice rising eagerly. “Where should I meet you?”

“Yeah, if you could? I’m in Terminal A, if you can do it.” Alice asked with a slight tone of embarrassment. “If it’s not too much trouble.”

“Already said I would,” he replied with a low chuckle.

“Thanks, Tex.”

Alice restlessly shook her knee as she sat on a bench just outside Terminal A. The nerves of waiting for Joel and the anxiety built up from the last 24 hours combined to create a particularly biting panic attack. She watched as car after car passed, until a metallic green pickup truck slowed in the passenger pick up lane. The way he practically leapt out of the truck to grab her suitcase was enough to set her spirit soaring.

It should be a crime to look as good as he does in an old t-shirt and jeans. She thought to herself.

She followed him as he placed it in the back passenger seat. He turned to face her; his smile was like a bright beacon that guided her through the fog of her panic.

“Welcome home, Alice.”

“Joel,” she greeted, her voice shaking as she stepped towards him.

“Hm?” He smiled, showing off his ridiculously attractive dimples.

With one bold move she pulled him close towards her, tugging at his shirt before her eyes lingered on the calming glimmer of his deep brown eyes until they followed a natural line to the pout beneath his mustache. And with one soft caress of her lithe fingers from his forehead to his chin, she kissed him.

#juice collective #pedro pascal character fanfiction #pedro pascal fandom #equalizer 2 #dave york #dave york apologist #joel miller fanfiction #joel miller fic #joel miller x original character #joel miller x female character #joel miller x alice york #angst #fluff #romance #hurt #alice york's wonderland

25 notes · View notes