Chapter Text
It was a sunny afternoon, normally, for Aleksander he’d be feeling better, but unfortunately a manhole was left wide open. And conveniently enough, he just so happened to be facing a different direction..
Currently, he took a perch on a white staircase in an empty area, grumbling and sulking a bit, who leaves a manhole open like that to the public?—
“Ouch!”
He grunts, as he feels a jab of a stick.
“Ah! Excuse me, I’m so sorry, truly.” A woman’s voice from above rings out to him. He glances up, and is met with a small short blonde, her hair was cut a small length, and she had on a green coat, and what seemed to be a walking stick.
“Are you alright? I didn’t hurt you did I?”
“….”
He sat there silently, gazing up at the woman, who had a look of slight regret and worry plastered onto her face. She was quite pretty.
“..this is why I don’t like sticks..”
She mumbles quietly.
He sits there for a moment, still looking up at her, then, he stood up, now towering over her instead, she was also a quite short woman.
“It’s no problem.” He reassures.
“What about you? Are you alright?”
“!—“
She seemed a bit surprised, her head tilting up to meet where she guessed his head was.
“Mm? I heard a voice coming from below, and now it’s from above! You’re quite tall, really tall even.”
She exclaims, the surprise eminent in her voice.
He stays quiet once more, his gaze locking right onto her, auburn eyes burning holes right into her face.
He was just about to reply, when suddenly—
“There he is!”
“Put your hands up copper!”
The voices of multiple children call out to him, his eyes immediately snapping up to the direction it came from.
“Damned!—“
He says, as the children scamper around, pulling and tugging at him.
“Really, I have nothing on me today I swear!”
He says, the kids continuing to snag at his coat.
“Get taxed!”
They say as they all run away.
“You’re supposed to look both ways before crossing!”
He shouts out to them, watching them disappear.
“…”
“..little candy thieves, nobody can stop them, they’re too quick.”
“They didn’t rob you too did they?”
He says, returning his attention back to the blonde woman next to him.
“Hmmmm….I don’t think so.”
She replies.
“So you’re a policeman?”
“Woah, how’d you guess?”
“Intuition I suppose.”
He reaches a gloved hand up, pulling off his papakha.
“My papakha should serve as the papers you’d need.”
He says, handing it to her. She takes it with small curiosity.
“Say, I have actual papers myself.”
She says as she hands him a red notebook.
He takes it just as she did, opening the notebook and skimming through the pages.
“…woah….” He thinks to himself. “You must’ve come a long way I see.”
“…I suppose this is her address…”He thinks to himself once more.
“….I’d say, this is the very first time I’ve seen a person who keeps their eyes closed.”
He says, turning to face her.
“Uuh— no offense.” He quickly adds.
“None taken.”She says. “I’ve never seen anyone at all, so you know…”
She trails off, he hands back her book.
Then she maneuvers around him. Heading for the staircase he was just on.
“Careful, there’s a staircase infront of you.”
“No need to worry about me, I can take care of myself.”
“And let me warn you now.” She starts.
“Following me won’t lead you to wonderland.”
He blinks, processing what he heard. “Hm? Do I look like Alice to you?” He questions, his eyebrows raised.
She stops abruptly at the top of the staircase, one hand grazing against the wall.
Then she giggles.
“Maybe you do!” She exclaims, turning her head over her shoulder, as she giggles again. “Don’t be upset, it’s my favorite story!”
He reaches the top of the staircase after, a small grin on his face.
“She laughed..!” He thinks to himself.
“Maybe you’re right.” He begins.
“Earlier today I almost fell down a hole.”
“A manhole was left wide open, and I was looking elsewhere…”
He grumbles, he could still feet a stinging pain in his legs.
“Ah….thats why you were sitting down..” The woman replies.
“…When the rabbit bumped into me…” He suddenly says, her face turning into soft surprise.
“..Now I’m left wondering where that rabbit is off too..”
She stands there for a moment, lost in thought. “Well….I was just planning on going for a spot of tea you see…Mr. Policeman…You wouldn’t happen to know a nice shop around here would you?”
“My…” He starts. “Maybe the police station I work in?” He suggests.
“Really?”
“It’s a tea lovers den, especially the commissioner.”
“..who probably ought to open a tea house….”
“The kitchen area offers a wide variety of qualities and blends to satisfy any taste.”
He trails off, then..
“..And we even have a room for lost children.”
He teases.
She huffs at that, irritation in her face.
“I am not a lost child.” She corrects.
“Err…..I’m looking for work.”
“I swear!”
“No way?!”
“I’m telling you I am!”
“Ah..uh..my apologies..”
“What luck! I mean..”
“Our section is….looking for someone to take calls!”
“Taking calls hmmm…?”
She mumbles to herself.
“..You really think I’m qualified for the job?”
She questions, she was used to people doing every single thing for her.
“Hmm..”
He thinks for a moment.
“..why don’t you give it a shot?”
“I hope you won’t get too bored.”
He remarks with a smirk.
“Don’t fret about that.”
She retorts with a smile of her own
“It can’t be worse than staying at home.”
“Well..uhm….to get there, you…”
He trails off, thinking of a way to direct her to the station when suddenly—
“Will you lend me your arm?”
Blessed, now he doesn’t have to worry about her walking into traffic.
“Hnh? Ah, of course.”
He says as he holds out his elbow, letting her hand rest on his forearm.
“You’ll watch out for holes right?”
“Whaa…”
“…”
“…Certainly.”
He says, as he leads her over to the station, the new job awaiting her.