would she find it pretty?

[Alice Hobbs]

Zoe's words had Alice smiling. Not because of the compliment, but because it actually seemed as if Zoe believed so herself, that she was indeed amazing. Alice had watched grow (and grown along with her) from this scared little girl to this beautiful young woman standing before her and it was quite the breathtaking image to take in. Zoe had always been breathtaking, with the way she looked at the world and how she carried herself with such cuteness and awkwardness, but there was something else in there now.

A kind of confidence that was radiating through. Something that made her even more beautiful - if that was at all possible to begin with. "You're quite the flatterer, aren't you?" Alice smirked.

The soft cough had Alice's head yanking to the side and her brown eyes circled the room, watching the various people stare at them in amusement. Her eyes fell upon the man again as she offered him a polite smile before frowning as she felt Zoe hide behind her. Opening her mouth to say something, Alice instead, simply shook her head as she shared the amusement with the people around them.

"This is normally where you say thank you," she whispered over her shoulder. She had to admit that even though she didn't blame the girl, it was all very adorable and cute, if not even a little funny as well. 

[Zoe Wallerstein-Smythe]

Zoe's smile broadened slightly as Alice insisted that she was a flatterer. It wasn't strictly true, though Zoe certainly spent a good deal of time telling people (including Alice of course) how wonderful they were. It was just how she was.

Though it didn't last long, what with Zoe ducking behind people and trying to use her girlfriend as a shield. It would have looked somewhat ludicrous had Zoe not been something of a tiny little thing. Of course, there was still the fact that there were people around them, a fact that Alice seemed fully aware of.

Zoe felt her girlfriend move and looked up to see the words. Zoe nodded and stuck her head slightly around, noting that the crowd at least seemed more amused than appalled. She opened her mouth to say something, but all that came out was a high-pitched squeak. Zoe flushed, then coughed, then stepped around Alice, though her hand went down, questing until it located Alice's to wrap her fingers around and through.

"I, um, thank you, but, really, it's all in the people," Zoe insisted, gesturing. "I just---this is how people should be seen. All of us. That's, um, all," she flushed and shifted again.

There were more smiles, and the two men moved to grab hands, nodding to the two girls, lifting their own hands in a gesture of solidarity. They clearly would have talked: the one who's approached was even leaning forward to do so. However, his partner squeezed the hand. "We'll leave you two alone for now: though we'd love to talk with Ms. Zoe later," and there were more nods and the crowd sort of drifted, though with knowing smiles at the girls.

And Zoe was already moving to hide her head again.

[Alice Hobbs]

Offering Zoe a confident smile as she felt their hands intertwine. She gave the hand holding hers a quick squeeze before she turned to look back at the guy who had addressed her girlfriend. Even Zoe's awkward attempt at responding had the brunette smiling; it was so typical of Zoe to give everyone else the credit, when she was in fact the one who had done all the hard work. Alice almost felt the need to step in and say something, but this wasn't about her. This was about Zoe. This was Zoe's project and accomplishment.

Offering both of the men her most polite smile, Alice's expression softened slightly at their gesture. "I'm sure that can be arranged," Alice replied as they started drifting away. Once the crowd had moved out of reach, Alice turned her head to look at the girl hiding again. She offered her a small chuckle.

"Well, at least now we know you need to work on public speaking," she teased with a warm, affectionate smile. "See, you're already making a change for the better with what you do. You should be proud of yourself and not cower and hide. You have no reason to, and nothing to be afraid of." Alice turned then to properly face Zoe. She lifted her free hand to place it on Zoe's shoulder before leaning in to place a chaste kiss upon the girl's cheek.

"And you need to start giving yourself a lot more credit for your work."

[Zoe Wallerstein-Smythe]

Yes, it would be Alice responding to people for Zoe. That actually relieved the shy poet to some degree, and she nearly let out a sigh of relief. She just barely held it in, as she could already predict precisely what her girlfriend was going to say and do next.

Sure enough, Alice was teasing her. Zoe flushed, feeling embarrassed even as she noticed that smile and heard the warmth in there. She let Alice continue, as she always did. more talk about being proud, about owning what she did, about insisting that she had talent. Along with a kiss that had Zoe going red nearly to her ears again.

"It's, um, more that---" she gestured, before taking a deep breath. "I--was embarrassed. Not, um, at us. I love us, I love you. I just... it's not proper, getting that---that intimate in public and it---it threw me off," she looked away, swallowed, then flushed. "And I do think that the people who were willing to be my models deserve it too. It is my name on every poem and on that sign," she pointed at the sign, even nudging Alice slightly toward it as if to remind her.

[Alice Hobbs]

Nodding at Zoe's words, Alice couldn't help but to continue smiling. After she'd finished, Alice leaned in to place a chaste kiss on Zoe's lips. "I know," she whispered, "What I'm saying is that even with the help you got, it was still your idea and still you who put the work behind it and made all of this happen." Pulling back, Alice's arm went around the smaller girl's shoulders. "All in due time though; Alice didn't doubt that one day, Zoe would be able to do this with beautiful and well earned grace.

Giving her shoulders a little squeeze, Alice sighed. "As for the public display, I don't think they minded. In a way, I think they kind of expected it. That is what couples in love act like, right?" Another teasing smile was tossed in Zoe's direction along with a chuckle. Letting her hand drop to her side, Alice rolled her shoulders as she turned back to look at the photograph Zoe had taken of her.

"One day, you're going to have a whole gallery for yourself and this kind of thing--" she gestured at the room and the display. "--is going to be the place to be." She tossed Zoe a glance then. "You're going to do wonderful. And that's assuming this is something you want to do in the future." She wondered about that; she hoped that Zoe would, because she was clearly talented, but Alice was hardly one to talk, seeing as how she loved cooking and swimming, yet she had opted for studying medicine to become a surgeon.

[Zoe Wallerstein-Smythe]

Zoe took the chaste kiss, even moving her lips back. More whispered insistence followed, stating that this was her idea, that she put in the work. It made Zoe blush, blush and lower her eyes. She did know it was true; she couldn't exactly argue that point. Though it didn't diminish her blushing a whit. She knew that Alice knew that she knew too.

A squeeze, and a reminder, a reminder that had Zoe flushing again. "Well, yes, but..." Zoe managed. She chewed at the inside of her cheek. Had Alice never gotten the prejudice for liking girls? Because there had been the Lesbian Pikachu and some of the school staff and just... just everything, but Alice just acted like, well, like Zoe wished it was. And there were those men who seemed more amused, in fact, everyone seemed more amused, like they were watching a scene in a romantic film than reality.

Alice's words tore Zoe from her thoughts, and she looked around, then flushed. "I'm fine just having shows in places like this," she said, looking around. "I just... I want people to see it. It would be nice to make a living but... I don't need attention or anything. Just... just for people to see it, to know what I mean..." Zoe chewed her lip, looking around at the photographs, at the people literally seeing it. In many ways, this was like seeing her dream, and she could feel her eyes welling with the sheer emotion of it all. Just... to be there, with people admiring her work, knowing she did it, standing next to the woman she loved, who loved her, a love that people accepted... it really couldn't be much better, could it?

[Alice Hobbs]

One; No, Alice wasn't used to the whole dating girls in public thing. Up until Zoe had come into her life, Alice had seen herself as attracted more to males than girls, but right now, she couldn't have felt more lesbian even if she tried. Men had slowly grown to become less and less appealing. Maybe it simply was her obvious attraction to Zoe, but really. And two; Alice could care less who minded that she was dating a girl.

If they had a problem with it, no one was forcing them to watch. She wasn't going to put up with people judging her because they were too damn narrow-minded to get their heads out of their asses.

Opening her mouth to protest, Alice sighed instead. She knew that Zoe already knew what Alice thought about the matter, and she hardly had to voice her opinions again. Instead, Alice wrapped her arms around Zoe's shoulder and pulled the slender girl closer. Kissing the top of her head, Alice offered her a smile. "You did amazing today, Zoe. This is beautiful." Another kiss and Alice's hand dropped from Zoe's shoulders.

Pulling her phone from her purse, Alice looked at it as she turned towards the photograph of herself once more. "When do you want us to leave for our dinner date?" she asked; she didn't mind them waiting with that, of course. This was Zoe's moment, and Zoe deserved to have it for as long as she possibly could. "We still have several more hours to go, so don't feel rushed," she added with a smirk.

[Zoe Wallerstein-Smythe]

Zoe could feel the hands wrapping about her, encasing her yet again in that emotional warmth. She felt lips once more go to the top of her head, drawing that blush right back out of her. Amazing, beautiful, words that Zoe never would have expected from the girl who ran into her only those few long months ago. They slid into her, wrapping around her heart along with all the others, forming that barrier that was replacing all the walls Zoe had spent the last year building.

Then Zoe watched as Alice moved to pull out her phone. Curious, Zoe leaned forward to look, wondering if there was a message or something. It took her about three seconds to realize how rude that was, and she almost immediately puled back. She looked nearly startled at Alice's question.

"What? Oh, um, I should probably stick around for a while longer?" she said. Zoe shifted, chewing at the inside of her cheek as she looked around. "I do want to be able to answer some questions and, ah, you've only really seen the one photo and---there are others and some are of my friends and such," she looked away for a moment, as though feeling that she was forcing Alice into it again.

[Alice Hobbs]

Nodding at Zoe's words, Alice put the phone back down again. "Alright, Miss Wallerstein-Smythe." Alice turned then, facing the girl she'd just proclaimed her love to, and whom she was sure was pretty much the world's entire goodness entirely embodied and wrapped up in one, tiny girl. "You should show me around then." Alice cast a glance around, the corners of her lips tugging somewhat. "I can't stand around watching the photo of myself all night long. People might start thinking I'm conceited." She actually smirked at that.

Alice was actually kind of eager to see the rest of Zoe's work. Up until now, the only picture she'd really glanced at was the one of herself, and although it was both touching and amazing, she wanted to see what else her girlfriend had cooked up. She doubted that the other images would be quite as emotional as the ones of herself along with the poem, but that was a different story altogether.

Giving Zoe's arm a nudge, Alice shifted slightly as she stepped to the side. She then tossed a glance over her shoulder. "Come on then," she said as she chuckled. "Don't make me beg or cling to your leg." Another smirk and then yet another chuckle; god, this girl made her far too happy for her own good. She almost felt like a normal teenager.

[Zoe Wallerstein-Smythe]

Was it horrible that Zoe's heart still kept fluttering whenever her girlfriend looked at her like that? She kept half-expecting to wake up and find that this incredible woman didn't know her, let alone love her and want to be with her. Somehow Zoe managed to push through her own denials and hear the reality, feeling the girl there.

"Right," Zoe said, nodding. She had to laugh a little at Alice's comment." That would be weird, as that's what I usually do," she said, nodding, trying to show that she was poking fun at her own weakness. She let her fingers grace Alice's again, gently guiding her along, moving toward a few of the other photographs. There was an easy place for them both to start:

the photographs showing Elizabeth Edison using her fire, including one or two where her fiance perfectly mimicked it.

After all, Liz was a mutual friend, and it was another one of those bright, vibrant photo displays, unlike some of them, like, the almost unnerving one of Oneyka transforming into Zoe...

[Alice Hobbs]

Following after Zoe, Alice remained quiet as she looked at the various photos. She knew Liz, but Zoe already knew that. Liz was probably one that Alice would considered the closest thing she had to a best friend. Her smile warmed slightly as she looked at the picture of the blonde. "You did a good job with that one," she said, nodding. Then again, that was hardly hard to do, as it was Liz after all.

Taking Zoe's hand, Alice let Zoe lead her through the book store and show off the various photos of various people, most of which Alice had no idea who was. That didn't change the fact that Alice enjoyed the tour. It was nice, getting a chance to see all the hard work Zoe had clearly put into it all.

Despite being out of her element, Alice found herself.. Enjoying it a lot more than she thought she would have. She was actually having... Fun. Which rarely happened beyond the simply act of just being mildly amused. It was a strange sensation, she didn't doubt came from being around the enigmatic girl she was lucky enough to date, and love.