Rewrite for WCMI
"Cricket." He had said with fondness evident in his voice.
He grinned as he watched her jump. “A jumpy little cricket.”
"Why…" She had tried to keep her expression the same but Reginald was able to see her mouth fighting to have, at least, a small smile. "…do you call me that?"
His grin widened as he heard that question he's been wanting to answer for quite some time now. “There’s a cricket living in the floorboards beneath my bed that chirps all night long. I can’t catch the bloody thing, try as I might, and the chirping keeps me awake. For two or three nights in a row, at times. It’s not an unpleasant sound, that I’ll admit, but a fellow does need his sleep.”
Alice arched a blonde eyebrow. “You’ve named me for something that vexes you, then. Very fitting. Well, I may very well chirp from time to time but I certainly don’t go creeping about beneath beds.” He had wanted to snicker at what she said but knew it was neither the time nor the place to do such a thing.
"True, that. As best I am permitted to know at least."
"Nor do I keep you awake at night. Rather, it seems to be the other way arou…"
He allowed the grin he'd been holding onto drop as he interrupted. “Oh, on the contrary…” Along with his grin disappearing, his cheery voice had gone down an octave. “…you do.” The small cricket that keeps him awake with pleasant melodies it produces as it rubs it's two back legs together. Alice, however, keeps him awake by being the only one he sees is pleasant by how she acts and how she looks. A cricket that keeps him awake with thoughts of just her and her melodious voice. This cricket vexes him because he realized that unlike before, when he would easily go with any girl he had lusted for and just leave them without a second thought, this cricket has his attention like no other moth has, it might even be the thing he never wanted. So, yes, Alice does vex him enough to keep the hatter up all night.
He grinned as he watched her jump. “A jumpy little cricket.”
"Why…" She had tried to keep her expression the same but Reginald was able to see her mouth fighting to have, at least, a small smile. "…do you call me that?"
His grin widened as he heard that question he's been wanting to answer for quite some time now. “There’s a cricket living in the floorboards beneath my bed that chirps all night long. I can’t catch the bloody thing, try as I might, and the chirping keeps me awake. For two or three nights in a row, at times. It’s not an unpleasant sound, that I’ll admit, but a fellow does need his sleep.”
Alice arched a blonde eyebrow. “You’ve named me for something that vexes you, then. Very fitting. Well, I may very well chirp from time to time but I certainly don’t go creeping about beneath beds.” He had wanted to snicker at what she said but knew it was neither the time nor the place to do such a thing.
"True, that. As best I am permitted to know at least."
"Nor do I keep you awake at night. Rather, it seems to be the other way arou…"
He allowed the grin he'd been holding onto drop as he interrupted. “Oh, on the contrary…” Along with his grin disappearing, his cheery voice had gone down an octave. “…you do.” The small cricket that keeps him awake with pleasant melodies it produces as it rubs it's two back legs together. Alice, however, keeps him awake by being the only one he sees is pleasant by how she acts and how she looks. A cricket that keeps him awake with thoughts of just her and her melodious voice. This cricket vexes him because he realized that unlike before, when he would easily go with any girl he had lusted for and just leave them without a second thought, this cricket has his attention like no other moth has, it might even be the thing he never wanted. So, yes, Alice does vex him enough to keep the hatter up all night.