Question Corner!

CRASHERFLY: Hello, everyone! Crasherfly, here, author of Alice and the Pale Horse! We’re taking a brief break from the story this week to answer some questions about the series. I hope you don’t mind! Manga authors like to do this at chapter breaks. I always thought it looked fun, so I wanted to try it for myself. And of course, in keeping with what writers before me have done, I brought some help!

ALICE: HEY. This is supposed to be my story! People are here to read about me, so stop taking up so much space!

CRASHERFLY: Alice! Uh, this is a surprise. I thought I’d be hosting this with Mother Moon.

ALICE: No one wants YET ANOTHER EXPLAINER from Mother Moon, jeeze. Haven’t you ever heard of “show not tell”?

CRASHERFLY: This is going well.

ALICE: Why are you taking a break this week anyway. How many breaks are you going to take?

CRASHERFLY: Sorry! I’m just really busy, sorta.

ALICE: You spent your whole weekend playing video games.

CRASHERFLY: Yeah, see? Busy! Very busy. I even blogged about the games I played.

ALICE: And how many people read that?

CRASHERFLY: More than read this!

ALICE: Ouch, my confidence!

CRASHERFLY: How do you think I feel?

ALICE: Well, you’re the writer. It’s not like you have no say over this.

CRASHERFLY: T-true, maybe we should get to the questions. ahem Okay, let’s see. Here’s one- “How old is Alice?”

ALICE: Who asked that.

CRASHERFLAY: Uh, you know. The readers!

ALICE: What readers.

CRASHERFLY: B-best not to overthink this. Anyway, Alice is 28-ish.

ALICE: Am not.

CRASHERFLY: Y-you’re not?

ALICE: I’m…more -ish than I am 28. But I will say I am a Capricorn.

CRASHERFLY: Oh, hey! Just like me!

ALICE: That’s suspicious.

CRASHERFLY: Okay! Next question- “What was Alice’s job in the “Real”?”

ALICE: It was the worst, most boring, most tedious, most soul-draining job a mortal could take on.

CRASHERFLY: This sounds ominous.

ALICE: I worked in a call center.

CRASHERFLY: THAT’S NOT NEARLY AS OMINOUS AS YOU MADE IT SOUND!

ALICE: Clearly, you’ve never worked in a call center.

CRASHERFLY: Actually, come to think of it….I have. Okay. You have a point, it’s pretty terrible.

ALICE: Every day you march closer and closer to the inevitable cessation of your existence, one pointless phone call at a time.

CRASHERFLY: Ok, next question- “What were Alice’s parents like?”

ALICE: I don’t have any.

CRASHERFLY: Really? That’s news to me.

ALICE: It’s not my fault you don’t plan things out before you start writing.

CRASHERFLY: But what happened to them?

ALICE: I’m an alien. I was dropped here from another planet and raised by humans. Someday my people will return for me and I’ll go back to my home planet to share what I’ve learned. Isn’t that quite a twist? Now none of you will have to keep reading!

CRASHERFLY: STOP WRITING YOUR OWN STORY!!! I mean, uh, er, folks, that’s probably a lie, just now. Please keep reading. Nothing was spoiled, I promise!!!

ALICE: Tch. Fine, here’s one question for you, Mr. Author. “Is Alice inspired by anyone you used to know?”

CRASHERFLY: Oh, that’s a, uh, tricky question. Let’s see…I guess you could say she is! But probably not how you think. I didn’t wake up one day and say “Oh, this person has inspired me to write a character!” It was more a culmination of experiences. Of course, there was Lewis Carroll’s Alice, ya know, THE Alice. I drew a lot of inspiration from personality profiles for The Fool, which is Alice’s tarot card, as well as her chosen sign, Capricorn, which coincidentally is my own sign. So there’s a bit of me in Alice, too. But I also have a few friends and old acquaintances (and even enemies!) in Alice as well- small details like a piece of clothing, a physical detail, a particular like/dislike, all find their way into her character. But I can’t say too much about that or it would ruin the fun. Otherwise, because this is an “adventure series” of sorts, I drew a lot of inspiration from various shonen anime and manga I’ve consumed- Fairy Tail, One Piece being chief amongst them. Actually, it was those manga in particular that gave me the idea of running a question corner!

ALICE: Nerds. Nerds everywhere. Don’t we have a question that wasn’t submitted by nerds?

CRASHERFLY: Hm, let’s see. Oh, here’s one. The handwriting on this is very nice! Let’s see… “Will Alice fall in love with someone during this story?”

ALICE: That’s a dumb question, obviously submitted by another nerd who probably has “one thing” on their mind.

CRASHERFLY: I mean, it’s just asking if you’ll fall in love! That seems pretty innocent.

ALICE: I have no time for love. I’m seeking out the Great Silence, the end to all things. When I find that, there will be no world and no love.

CRASHERFLY: Sorry, all, seems this question is a bit of a sore spot. But if I had to guess, I’d place it at a big 70/30 in favor of not falling in love. I mean, someone will probably fall in love during this story. But I’d be lying if I said I knew who. Like Alice, here, I don’t think too many steps ahead. I didn’t even know what I was going to have for breakfast until I woke up this morning!

ALICE: I had a full pot of coffee.

CRASHERFLY: If I had to guess, I’d say if Alice falls in love with anything, it’ll probably be coffee. I guess that’s not too surprising, given the writer’s sensibilities here.

ALICE: Coffee will never let me down the way people will.

CRASHERFLY: R-right, well, just remember, folks, she said it, not me. Anyway, that concludes this week’s question corner. Next week, we’ll pick back up at the Hermit’s Hovel where we will meet all sorts of fun new characters! I bet you all can’t wait! Thanks for coming along with me this far. Let’s all do our best this week!

ALICE: Bye everyone! And please submit better questions next time so Crasher doesn’t have to keep making up weird ones. <3