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-"Dialogue"-

("Inner thinking")

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A Seal And A Sealed Heart

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Joker had barely been able to sleep after that encounter with Aria, and it seemed that only 5 minutes passed when White was awoken by some shifting weight over his chest that poked over his flesh and was accompanied by a light tug to his golden hoop earring.

"Nya"

He opened his eye and a few centimeters from his nose he saw a pair of slitted olive green eyes on the face of a feline face looking curiously at him. Its relatively large front paws were set over his chest while the jester blinked in owlish surprise.

Upon seeing the man awake, the creature tilted it head happily and then licked White´s nose before enthusiastically bumping it's head and rubbing itself over Joker.

The jester rolled around to his side and caused the critter to fall onto the bed and look at him while tilting it's head as if asking why he did that.

White had never seen a beast like this. The critter was bigger than a cat, almost the size of a medium dog but agile like a mini panther with sleek, smooth fur of multiple golden shades with black spots and rosettes, especially on the back where they blend together to form irregular curved stripes or bands; at the top of its long triangular ears there were little fur tips like a lynx's but it clearly wasn't such. It was definitely cute, however, despite its exotic appearance what caught White's attention was that fastened around it's neck, it had a collar held the earrings Joker had been holding in his hand last night.

The critter jumped over him and pawed at his hoop earring again before affectionately rubbing it's head against White's face and then accommodated over the circus master in order to cuddle. White sit up and set the kitty over his lap to pet it somewhat as it started to purr contently in his arms.

"Why does the design of the fur on your back seem familiar?" - His hand trailed over the back of the kitty as he examined the not random pattern. His eye suddenly widened in realization and Joker gulped down and softly asked - "Aria?"

The feline looked up at him in recognition and meowed happily.

White became stiff. He could hardly believe it. This cute, cuddly and friendly creature was… No. This wasn't Aria because Aria was running around causing heartless havoc. However this critter had her eyes but slitted and the fur on its back was equivalent to the tattoo on the foreigner's back. He pet the feline more and his hands landed on the collar. The little masks were definitely the artifact that Aria had thrown back at him, albeit they were fastened at the sides of a small key. He felt it because the little relic was directly connected to his role, in fact, it had been a connector previously belonging to a past Joker. It was real, but…His eye widened again. Even for him this was too unexpected and fantastic- "You must be the seal of her heart"

The critter tossed so it could rub itself on the redhead's chest and then jumped over his shoulders to lay across so she could rub her little furry head against White's face while she lightly yowled asking for attention or perhaps for affection, which was confusing on itself. It was weird. Aria was definitely not that friendly or attention seeking, much less as happy as this critter seemed.

Black tossed on the bed and White took a hold of the feline by the scruff of the neck at arm's length. It pawed in his direction with both paws and recoiled its hind legs while the tail lashed once and coiled on the body. It didn't look happy that the cuddling had stopped. Joker knew he had to keep this little bugger safe, so he snapped his fingers and a cage appeared at the side of the bed.

"Isn't it only proper to seal the seal of her sealed heart?

Joker tried getting the critter into the cage, but the critter's previous friendly demeanor changed into chaotic panic. The little beast twisted in the air while slashing White's arm with its long and sharp claws, jumping to latch over Joker's arm to scratch it with it's hint paws and biting his hand so the jester would let go. The feline landed over Black's sleepy face and then ran towards the door and escaped into the jail's hall.

White jumped on the bed too, rolling over his other self to chase after the critter, who had run out of the living quarters and not very far away had run into a line of criminals and over an after image, making it drop the keys for the inmates shackles that scattered around and caused the line of prisoners to break, all trying to catch the keys while some others assaulted Joker that had appeared running before the feline. A couple prisoners tried to grab the agile critter to use it against Joker, but the feline jumped up over an afterimage and then crawled between the chaos, before running towards another route.

"Wake already and deal with the prisoners, Joker!" - White called out, knowing his counterpart could hear him throw the mask transmisor at his waist, while shooting prisoners to open a way and abandoning the rest in order to catch his fleeing target. Sometimes it was very useful to be two. - "Aria! Just come back here kitty!"

The critter ran along a corner where Joker knew there was a room without end. He would be able to catch it in there, except that when he remembered what was in that room, White's smile faltered.

"Aria, stop!"

He entered the room just in time to see the tail of the feline disappear into the mirror that connected the prison with the circus.

"Shit!"

He jumped behind the cat and as soon as he was in the circus he saw a tent in fire and the fire breather screaming about and escaped damn cat , people were trying to put that off while balloons were caught into tree branches or flew into the air, some of the performers were fighting among them because the cotton candy machine had gone crazy after some cat jumped over its controls and set it off making it go wild in the vicinity, there were a couple scared horses, one was being put under control but the other was running around and kicking the cages of the bunnies from the magic acts and setting them free as much as making another tent fall over the clowns props… It was pure chaos.

Joker tried asking where was the cat but everyone pointed in random different directions. He then gave orders to catch the feline 'alive and unharmed' and deal with the chaos. He then started searching for it himself.

He had been running around looking for the living seal of his ex-friend's heart without luck, when a loud roar made his blood freeze. He turned around and run towards the tent where the wild big predators cages where.

("Why does she has to run towards the most dangerous place!?" Any of those animals could and would rip a little boggling feline like her to shreds! The lion could eat her, or the bear could easily kill her with one paw and …! )

Joker entered the tent and immediately saw the runaway kitty. But rather than being between impaled in the fangs of one of the dangerous beasts for the acts, it was placidly cuddling with the big male tiger that had just recently been replaced and was not tamed yet. That tiger had already killed two of the faceless staff and here he was, licking the scared kitten's head affectionately while she rubbed on his chest in a thankful manner.

White felt a vein popping on his forehead despite he being the jester part of Joker. How could Aria cause so much trouble even when it wasn't really her? Well, the seal of her heart ought to be a mini version of her. More or less.- ("Why do you insist on been troublesome, Aria?" )

Both felines turned to look at him and upon seeing him, kitty Aria curled against the tiger while trying to step away and run from Joker again, which prompted the tiger to deem Joker a treat to his new friend, so he stood up with a roar of warning towards the ring master.

"You always had a perk for managing to get along with the most fearsome males in Wonderland, don't you?" - White of course included himself in that statement while he took out his whip. - "I should be jealous. "

The tiger let out a snarl while the smaller feline crawled between the striped legs of the bigger cat and ran behind the cage to pass through the bars while the tiger swiped his sharp claws at Joker who had gotten too close. But the little bugger didn't got too far.

"Catch'ya!"

Black appeared, holding the feline however he could to avoid being bitten or scratched more than he already was as he transported himself back to the prison and threw the feline inside the room that Aria had occasionally used. Once that was done, he locked the door before snapping his fingers to call one of his afterimages.

"Watch it and keep it safe!" - The warden barked while he went to fix the trouble she had caused at the prison.

"Well done, Joker"- White spoke to his counterpart through the mask on their belts. -"Now keep it alive while I go find out how this happened and what Aria is really doing"

"Fucking dammit" - Black growled at the thought of needing to run the circus plus the prison. He definitely preferred the prison, no one bothered him unlike the circus where everyone would be asking him stuff, not to mention that it was too bright, there was too much people, too much cheerfulness… but at least he could occupy his mind in something else than the condemned foreigner that used to be his friend.

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Not too long after, White came back while Black went out to investigate whatever was stirring in the underworld of Wonderland. He had found that a lot more cards have disappeared and everyone seemed to be siding on an underground war that wasn't between the territories as it should. But that was one of the things he had in the corner of his mind because in the center of his thoughts center foreigner kept appearing despite him not really wanting to think about it. He had gone to the castle to ask the queen about the foreigner's sealed heart and the woman had blatantly dismiss him saying that the rules stated that it was 'The foreigner's choice'.

White finished doodling on some of Black's papers and stood up from the warden's desk to stretch. He was bored from the dullness of the administrative part of being the warden and rather go play with the cute kitty they had catch, plus it was probably hungry. When he reached the room he took good care into entering it fast and closing the door so it wouldn't escape, and once he was inside, he was met with utmost destruction of the room.

Sheets ripped, furniture somehow broken, utilities scattered on the floor, deep scratch marks all over the place... The little creature has surely tried every single notch, place and way to escape, which was cute, but not as cute as how it was sleeping calmly over the ripped out bed while hugging the fox the plushie that Joker himself had given Aria as a gift after losing a play of cards, which was actually the only personalized thing of her she ever held in this room besides a change of underwear.

"Wake up kitty. I need to see how I'll use you to unseal a sealed heart"

White took a step forward as the critter woke up, and less than a second later, the kitty had already ran to hide under the bed.

"Don't be that way. I just want to play with, Aria."

For response the feline growled. White's words were surely not going to work, but he knew what to do. Picking up a strip of chicken from the tray he brought with him, he sat on the bed and placed the piece of food by the edge of the bed.

"C´mon kitty, it's a tasty piece of chicken for you"

Since the feline didn't trust him enough to take the food from his hand, he dropped the piece on the floor and then the cat quickly grabbed it with a slightly big paw with claws as big as a marten's, and dragged it back below the bed to eat it. Joker smirked and then repeated the process with a smaller piece and after she dragged it and consumed it, he heard her meow a complain at its smaller size.

"Well, then come and get a bigger one. Did I ever told you how amusing is your greediness?"

He held a new piece of tasty food for her but this time a bit farther, and when she came to take it, he didn't let go immediately to try and pet her back only briefly, and although she also ran back below the bed, some progress had been made, which after repeating this process a few times, she finally let him pet her back while she ate the rest of the chicken even if she still distrusted him enough to not let him pick her up.

After that little trust had been established, he snapped his fingers to make a feathery boa appear and he used it to tempt the feline to play, which she did, but that soon bored him too.

"If only you could speak?"- He sighed and then smirked. -" Or maybe you can."

He removed his eyepatch and quickly grabbed the feline to make her look into his eye. Perhaps she couldn't speak, but that didn't mean he couldn't get information out of this creature.

The world shifted and he found himself seeing images of all afflictions and even some affections on Aria's heart. From some of his own drunken adventures with her to how she had struggled to stay alive during her stay in wonderland or the horrible end she was having at her own world; more so, she was forced to revive all her worst moments in the nightmare realm again and again, fighting the same battles, being sent to die continuously, getting mauled and destroyed countless times… and once she had escaped that place through a rift that tossed her right over him in that meeting, he had broken the last little strain of hope for her. He had broken the last straw that held her sane and destroyed whatever little connection she had to any form of sanity. Their friendship.

White growled and make the cage appear again, then swiftly threw the scared but angry feline inside it. While the creature hissed and lashed inside the cage, Joker stood up and went away. He needed to find out how to unseal her heart.

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After opening the door to the clock tower, Julius went to his kitchen to drop the groceries and let out a sigh before rubbing his temples. It had been a few days since Aria appeared back during that meeting and he had not seen or heard anything about her after Joker took her away. It wasn't as if he wasn't worried, but he also had a lot of work to do and surely someone had probably gone to get her. In any case, if she wanted to come she would. She was a foreigner after all and no one, not even Joker, could really stop her if she wanted to go anywhere; and after all that happened to her, he didnt blamed her if she needed some time just as much as he couldnt deny that such might be their fault in the first place.

He didnt want to think on it that much, so he headed for his office to work, and as soon he opened the door to his office, he sensed things were off. Immediately, he transformed his wrench into a gun and aimed at the darkness.

"Geez, what a way to react."- Aria's digitally distorted voice spoke through the darkness. - "But if hadn't been the first time a holder aims his gun as me."

"Aria!?"- Julius snapped his fingers to turn on the lights. Immediately he blinked and blushed. Sitting on his desk with her legs crosses, Aria Hadron Scherzi, the foreigner mercenary that had managed to defeat the Jabberwocky, was wearing a very small dress apparently from the clothes Alice had left behind in the Clock Tower.

She shamelessly uncrossed her legs and crossed them again in the other direction. Her words sounded light, but her gaze was quite sharp and harsh -"Here I come to the clock tower and what do I find? Just more reasons to not come at all."

" … it was your choice to come at all."- Julius said with a slight sigh, relieved that she seemed to be doing well. -"You seem to be doing well, Aria."- He said, still surprised at her presence and not knowing well how to react.

"Yes… my choice… But you wouldn't know or care how I'm doing. So cut that off"- She huffed and then looked at him straight in the eyes. -"How long has it been since Alice left this tower?" - She mechanically tilted her head, the digital glow of her eyes becoming static.- "You still have her room ready for her will all of her clothes in case she decided to come back to you? But I guess that is true for all of you. Still chasing after that foreigner."

"Alice is free to come and go as she pleases. Her room is her room." -Julius answered, noticing that Aria seemed a little more aggressive than usual. Or maybe she was probably on edge; given the late occurrences, she might as well be. Perhaps a little too late, he noticed what he had said.-"You too."

Aria too had noticed his words of dedication towards Alice and his clumsy attempt to fix it.- "No matter. I am here now, although I assure you I won't be around for long. Not anymore, just as you wished."- She stood up from the desk and walked behind his chair, moving it so he'd get the hint she wanted him to sit down.- "However, since I am here I may as well make use of your presence."

"As long as you do not interrupt my work I do not mind." - He said, sitting in his chair but the moment he sat down, Aria slid onto his lap, straddling him.

The foreigner slid her finger over his chest. - "Perhaps you can do me the favor of changing the time to night, mmh? It would be more proper, and I will of course pay for such favor far better that what it's worth."- She purred, letting out a small moan and leaning on him. -"Didn't it occurred to you that I am here … to do something with you?"

"But why Night, you say?" -Julius asked, blushing quite hard.

"Because its more comfortable and proper."- Aria purred in his ear.

"I-I cannot change the time without proper reason."- Julius nervously said, leaning back as Aria leaned in and kissed his neck. Julius shivered before snapping his fingers, changing the time to night.

"But I have a good reason." - On Aria's face, a plastic smile appeared, and without any words, she pulled Julius into a deep, harsh kiss. Focusing all her intent and directing all mana.

A sharp shiver shot up Julius's spine as he stiffened up, blinking in surprise as he felt the rush of intoxicating energy being pumped into his system. His clock trembled from the sudden influx as he tried to pull back for air but she followed through, keeping their mouths connected.

Finally, the need to breath made them separate, with Julius breathing quite faster than Aria did. In fact, Aria wasn't even breathing deeply.

Julius dizzily stared over the foreigner, hardly able to form words as he tried to cope with the sudden energy rush. -"Why did you do that?" -He asked, disheveled and breathless.

When he commented such, she smirked. -"That is mana, the power that fuels this world."- Her smirk became more pronounced and somehow nasty.- "It's not out of love though, since I'm incapable of that, but its out of intent."

"Intent? For what?"- He asked, his cheeks flushing with red.

"That means I have my intentions set on you for something" .- She kissed him deeply, her tongue tangling with his and her hand running on his back and pulling him towards. Her fingers grabbed the back of his head and positioned over his neck vertebras. She moaned deepening the kiss as her legs made more pressure although Julius didnt registered it focused as he was; a second later after a new moan, a blade of Shadows shot from the base of her palm and sectioned his neck, separating Julius's head from his body while she continued the kiss and pass mana to the severed head.

"To be or not to be? No matter. You cant be anything else than your role" -Aria finally stood up, the head still between her hands as shadows crawled around. - "I could feel anything, I would perhaps be raging with hatred and spite."

Moving his head in front of hers, she examined Julius's last expression. It was calm and placid, completely accepting.

"There is enough time for a head to realize it's been severed. But maybe that's not the case with creatures from this world… or perhaps you didn't care . Where you so excited about what could have happened? Perhaps fantasizing that the one using this dress was Alice and not that woman you send to her death?" - Aria 's expression in comparison was stoic as she pushed a couple red pills to the back of his throat. -"Enough. As I said, I have uses for you still."

She smiled. He might be the only holder that would die in such bliss.

With a chuckle her eyes blinked in light and the shadows from the floor slid over her body to form scaled armor that hid Alice's old dress. Before walking out she placed lit some fires in the right places she had prepared while waiting for Julius, and then she walked out of the tower, where a pike made out of a piece of fence from one of the amusement park rides stood there by her command. Without much care she impaled the head in the pike, right where everyone, including certain executioner, would see it. And as a final touch, a tendril of darkness with a brush form at its tip painted a message on the wall right behind the head of the clock master's head.

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'Tick-tock, Time is up'

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With a smile she walked away, her plans already in motion.

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Yes, She just killed Julius, and apparently there are more people on her list. Wanna take a guess?

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