Entirely Bonkers

Toby chuckled, nodding his head. “Good, good.” He had noticed the way Micha’s cheeks flushed, but he told himself it was just a trick of the light, nothing to really pay any mind to. “Oh wow… Okay, yeah I guess you haven’t really been to England, then. Neither have I, though. I’ve been outside of Monaco before, but never anywhere very far. Not as far as England, at least.” He couldn’t imagine how Wonderland existed underneath England, but he figured that maybe there were just some things he didn’t need to fully understand. They could just be. When Micha said that he had a favorite flower, Tobias followed and watched as the boy plucked out a white flower and moved to him. He smiled, letting Micha place the flower behind his ear, noticing the way he lingered. “It’s alright, thank you.” He reached up and touched the flower. “How do I look?”

“Then that’s all that matters, right?” Tobias figured that as long as Micha liked Wonderland, then that was a good thing. When he mentioned that things were different in Wonderland, he wasn’t really sure what he was getting at. “So exactly how different is Wonderland? It’s certainly not a country I’ve heard of, and I’m certain I’ve heard of them all.” He walked through the door. “Thank you,” he said, stepping outside. “You look pretty normal to be from a place called Wonderland.”

“Hmm... I wouldn’t say it’s a country at all, really. But, for starters... it’s a, um... rather peculiar place. We celebrate unbirthdays, and just about everyone there is a bit… well, crazy, I guess you could say. The best kind, of crazy. We all get along, for the most part, except for with the queen of hearts. Think of, Wonderland, as... a place without logic. Nothing really makes sense, there, but that’s why it does, at the same time. Anything, could happen.” His cheeks flushed when Toby said he looked normal, unsure if the boy knew how much that had actually meant to him, when everyone in Wonderland thought he might be going as crazy as his father. Even in a place without logic, his father was deemed quite too peculiar. “Thanks... So where are you from?” he asked, leading him to the gardens out back.

“Great, thanks.” Tobias wasn’t sure if this was the best idea, but he was certain that Micha would be able to warm up to him soon. At least, he hoped he would. “I think I can handle strange,” he replied, following Micha out of the library before they managed to make more of a mess. “Wonderland? I’ve never heard of a place like that. Is it called that in a good way? Like it’s wonderful? Or is it the opposite?” He asked, truly wanting to know more.

“Well, I think it’s rather wonderful,” Micha shrugged, though he wasn’t sure if everyone would. There didn’t seem to be anyone back home who disliked Wonderland, other than what the Queen of Hears had been making of it. “I don’t think... it’s always been called that, Wonderland, but that’s what I have known it as,” he explained. “People tend to, wonder about it, I believe that’s why. Things are, very different, there.” Micha led Toby to the back of the palace, pushing the door open and letting him walk through first. 

“You’ve already seen the garden? Then maybe you can be my tour guide. I was going to head outside anyway,” Tobias replied, figuring that a walk outside might do them both good. Micha probably needed some fresh air. “And you can tell me a bit more about where you’re from, I’m pretty intrigued.”

“O-Oh... Okay, um.. yeah, sure. I can do that,” Micha nodded, giving a weak smile. Fidgeting with his hands to stop the anxiousness rising in his chest, Micha hesitated. “Oh, right. It’s a pretty, er— strange place, I must admit. Much different, probably, than you’re... used to. But I don’t mind, telling you.” Micha awkwardly gestured toward the exit of the library, heading in that direction before they got yelled at by the librarian for talking so much. They weren’t being loud, per say, but he was still worried. “For starters, it’s called Wonderland.”

“Hm…” Toby nodded, listening to how Micha was explaining it. “I think I understand, then. It seems a bit boring, right? When nothing really changes.” Unless Micha hated change, then it would seem to suit him perfectly. He could tell that, when he had put his hand on his arm, Micha had gotten a bit tripped up over it. Toby wasn’t completely oblivious to signals, and it seems like there might have been some sort of attraction there. If he was wrong, he’d look full of himself for bringing it up, so he figured he should keep it to himself for now. “You’re right. Have you explored a lot of the palace yet?”

“Compared to the weather here? Very...” Micha laughed, nodding his head. He wouldn’t describe Wonderland as a necessarily boring place, but the weather was certainly lackluster compared to this. “Change can be nice.” Though it was a little anxiety provoking, Micha was slowly starting to get used to change, particularly with living at the palace. “No,” he shook his head. “Not much. I um... I’ve really only seen the garden, and kitchen, other than here. What about you?”

Toby didn’t really mind that Micha was being a bit quiet or awkward, it just meant that he would have to do more of the talking. He wasn’t really a stranger to being direct. “The weather’s not good where you’re from?” He asked, wanting to know more about him. “I’ve lived by the ocean all my life, so our weather is pretty much always nice.” When he said that he wouldn’t bother him anymore, he put a hand on his arm. “You’re not bothering me. If I had to choose between reading and talking to someone, it’s definitely going to be the latter. That is, unless you have something you’d rather be doing.”

“Well, um... it’s, it’s not that the weather isn’t... good. It just sort of... is. I don’t, really know how to explain it, other than there really isn’t any weather. Or, more like, it stays the same, year round, minus the occasional wind, I s’ppose.” Micha shrugged, knowing it probably didn’t make sense, but it was true. “That sounds... nice.” When Toby put a hand on his arm, Micha froze for a moment, unsure what to do. “O-oh... I see... No, no... I didn’t, um.. there’s not really.. anything else, that I was wanting to do. But, um.. I don’t know if the library, is the best place to keep talking,” he laughed, a bit awkwardly.

“That’s alright. I didn’t scare you, did I?” Tobias figured that might have been why he had accidentally knocked down the books in the first place, but he wasn’t quite sure. When their fingers touched as they went for the same book, he couldn’t help smiling. “It’s fine, really. No problem.” He helped him put the books back up on the shelf, hoping they were in the right order. “I’m Tobias, by the way. You can call me Toby if you want.”

“Um...” Micha hesitated, quietly laughing to himself. “Actually, a bit, but, it’s not... it’s not your fault. I um...” He paused, shaking his head. “I’m, pretty easy, to scare, I mean,” he quickly recovered. Micha carefully pushed each book back onto it’s respective shelf and arranged them so that they were all in line, neat and proper. “Toby,” he repeated, smiling softly to himself, now that he wasn’t facing the other, and rather reading the titles along the spines of the books. “That’s a nice name.” Realizing he hadn’t yet mentioned his own, he panicked slightly, turning back to face him. “My uh... I mean, I’m... Micha.” After a brief moment he continued. “You didn’t, you know... have to help me, or anything, but... I— I appreciate it. Do you normally like reading?”

Tobias usually knew what to do when people were acting awkward around him, and he had meant to help the poor guy with the fallen books, but he couldn’t help chuckling to himself about it. “Don’t apologize to me. You should be glad the librarian isn’t around here to kick you out for disturbing the books,” he replied jokingly. The books fell out of the boy’s hands again when he looked up and hit his head, Tobias running a hand through his hair before crouching down to help him with the books. “Are you alright? You seem to be having a bit of trouble.”

Micha wasn’t used to people being this nice to him, let alone cracking jokes and acting so casual. That was one thing he was sure that he didn’t know how to do, act casual. “I um... I’m fine, really... just, a bit flustered, that’s... that’s all.” Frantically reaching once again for the books that he had dropped, Micha had hardly been paying attention as they both reached for the same one, their fingers touching. “Sorry...” he instantly retracted his hand, his gaze flashing up quickly and offering a small hint of a smile. “Thanks...” His voice was quieter now, as he slowly stood this time, starting to place the books back. 

Tobias wasn’t much of a reader. That is, unless it was something short, quick, and entertaining. He had already explored most of the palace, or at least he thought he had, so the library was one of his last destinations. When he got there, though, he found that it was actually a nice little getaway. There were massive shelves of countless books, and it smelled like paper and ink mixed with the wood that was burning in the fireplace. He found a shelf that looked interesting, grabbing it from the shelf and opening it up. Suddenly, he heard a few books off the shelf and apologize. He glanced up and through the shelf, finding a boy on the other side. “Are you alright there?” He walked around the shelf. “Need some help?”

Originally posted by bens-hardy

Micha had spent so many years with his anxiety that it was very common to react first, think later, and that was exactly what he had did. His natural reaction to seeing someone he hadn’t known was there was to get spooked. He hadn’t even realized until the boy was talking to him that he didn’t see Micha at all when Micha saw him. If he had remained calm, he probably could have just walked away and nothing more would have happened, and he could have escaped to some corner of the library alone and unbothered. Now, he had to deal with the fact that this boy knew he was there, and was talking to him. “No! I-I mean... I’m, fine... I just- books- feel over- sorry...” As he scrambled to pick up the books, he happened to glance up at the male in front of him, properly looking at him for the first time. His eyes widened slightly, cheeks flushing uncontrollably. He was cute, and, realizing he was probably staring, Micha dropped his gaze and rose too quickly, hitting his head on one of the shelves, the books spilling out of his hands once again. “Ow...”

Fine. She knew that word well and just what it could imply. Still, Adeline smiled warmly and nodded. “Well I’m pleased your well.” Her brown eyes softened as she cast her gaze down at her feet before looking back at. “I’m doing a little better now. I was a feeling a bit homesick but this place is nice.. I love it’s garden in particular.”

Originally posted by camilaamendess

Micha was never good at this; socializing. Though, he was trying his best, since he had no other choice, really. “Do... do you, you know, have anyone here? With you?” He was on his own, which made things inevitably harder.  

“Not at all. If I may ask, are you alright?” Adeline couldn’t help but notice the little stutter from him. Sitting up she tapped the seat beside her. “Please sit, I wouldn’t mind some company.”

Originally posted by olsenelizabet

“I’m fine, yes...” Micha nodded, a bit awkwardly, as his eyes glanced to the chair beside her. “Oh, alright... how, erm.. h-how long have you been? At the palace, I mean.”