Episode: 2.?*#$%[email protected]

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“I just don’t get why he keeps pulling shit like this.” A beautiful voice complained.

“You know why, you just don’t want to admit it.” A mischievous voice pointed out.

“Then how would you deal with this?!”

“Bend the rules, I mean that is my thing after all.”

“Yes, and the last time I listened to you, we got that mess with the Deadmen.”

“You love those guys, and you know it.” A third, more motherly voice cut in.

“Maybe… but it doesn’t change the fact half of them got screwed over because of that deal…”

“And the other half got a second chance.” The mischievous voice argued, “Just as when life is kind, death is cruel; when life is cruel, death is merciful.”

“Heh,” the beautiful voice snorted, before continuing in a bitter tone, “and what about when both are feeling particularly cruel?”

“Careful,” She could just hear the mischievous smile, “that way leads to madness.”

“Don’t all things?” the motherly voice laughed.

“True enough, and…” the mischievous voice paused, before another smile entered it’s voice, “I do believe your guest has been eavesdropping, the naughty girl.”

With a chill down her spine, the haze fogging her thoughts parted swiftly enough to snap her eyes open, giving her a fresh view of a white table cloth covered in cups, pots, kettles, and clocks. Her still cloudy eyes drifted around the table, idly noting how the space around the table was darker than black, save the three others sitting around it.

On her right was a masked man in a black three-piece suit, with a violet vest, a messy half-loose tie, and a fraying pale violet collar. The only part of his face not hidden by the pale porcelain mask was a set of viciously voracious violet eyes hinting at a volatile vehemence she couldn’t quite comprehend.

To her left was a dark-skinned woman in a green sundress, with flowers tangled throughout her sun-kissed brown hair. Unlike her male counterpart her freckled face was free to be seen, just as was her kind smile and generous green gaze, both of which reminded her oh so much of her own mother.

Directly across from her, was a pale woman in a white blouse, with a black unbuttoned vest hanging over it, both covered in subtle silver patterns she couldn’t quite make out. Her face had a subtle hint of make-up, that was completely unnecessary given the natural beauty of the pale woman’s flawless skin, wild midnight black hair, and stunning silver starlight eyes.

All three left her feeling small.

“Don’t worry you’re not in trouble dearie.” The dark-skinned woman assured her, taking her hand with a gentle squeeze.

“She should be…” the pale woman murmured just loud enough to be heard.

The motherly woman frowned, “It’s not her fault she’s in this position.”

“She’s the one who took the blade to her skin.” The pale lady growled back.

“Come now, usually you’re so much more accepting of people, and their flaws.” The masked man commented.

“She still had time left and she just threw it away!” the pale lady took the motherly woman’s other hand, “Doesn’t that upset you…”

“It does,” the motherly woman admitted in a way that nearly broke her heart, “but she has a second chance now, shouldn’t she be allowed to take it?”

The pale lady crossed her arms with a huff, “We don’t give second chances to those who throw away their first, by their own hands.”

“No, we agreed we wouldn’t give second chances to those who do neither deserve, nor want them.” The dark-skinned woman argued, “I do believe she told Memento, what she wanted, and such an innocent desire deserves a second chance, does it not?”

“I understand where you’re coming from but that doesn’t change the slight, she’s given both of us.”

“And as I’ve said, she regrets it, so I forgive her.”

The two women stared at each other with an intensity that quite frankly scared her on an instinctual level, far beyond anything else she’d ever experienced.

“Now, now, you two, you’re complicating this a little too much,” The masked man cut into the argument, “and what’s more you’re scaring the poor Alice.”

Both ladies glanced towards her, a flicker of guilt flashing through their gazes.

The pale lady turned to her with apologetic eyes, “I’m sorry my dear, but you must understand why I detest your choice so much, you’ve, you’ve snuffed out your own potential before you could even reach for it. I don’t mean to be cross, and I do understand why you did it but… I simply can’t condone it…”

She knew the pale lady was being harsh, but at the same time she couldn’t help but feel it was her own fault she was getting this treatment.

The pale lady turned towards the motherly woman and then the masked man, “Since you two seem to have taken a liking to this one, what do you recommend?”

The dark-skinned woman sighed, “I’ll agree the loophole for Deadmen shouldn’t apply here, but at the same time Memento has technically given us an out.”

“An act of desperation on his part,” the pale lady rolled her eyes, while playing with a strand of her hair, “we’ve all seen such things from him, truthfully I was expecting something a little grander.”

“This is grand enough, if you know how to play it.” The masked man pointed out, “I’ve committed this same sin a number of times across my various aspects, and we’ve let it slide due to the… madness of the situation, something that I feel does apply with Memento in play.”

“Especially since it’ll put him into play once more?” the motherly woman smiled.

“He’s almost as much fun as my Jacks and Jaquelines.” The masked man admitted shamelessly, “Which is why I feel this falls under a similar precedence.”

“So, you want to bend the rules once more?” the pale lady inquired with interest.

“You always keep things interesting, luv.” The motherly woman clapped.

The masked man nodded, and somehow, she just knew he was smirking, “We’ll give her a second chance, but it’ll be the same kind as Memento’s.”

The motherly woman frowned, “Haven’t we done that before?”

“We have, but never under these circumstances.” The pale lady nodded, “And if we’re bending the rules already, we can make it look like Memento really did save the girl, that’ll cover up our meddling for now.”

“Personally, I think they’d do each other a fair amount of good.” The masked man admitted, “She needs someone fun, and he needs someone stable.”

“A Jack and an Alice?” the pale lady frowned.

“It keeps my aspects sane for the most part,” the masked man shrugged, “and after his imprisonment I’ve no problem doing Memento a solid if it keeps him it gets him back in the game sooner. I mean do you object to… aiding his escape?”

“Never.” The pale lady didn’t even hesitate.

“So, we’ve made a decision?” the motherly woman asked.

The pale lady gnawed on her lip for a moment, before turning her gaze back onto her.

“Can you lift the fog a little more?”

“You want her to remember?”

“Subconsciously.”

The masked man shrugged before touching her shoulder.

Another chill raced up her spine, as the last bit of… whatever was keeping her mind tangled lifted.

Her first true thought since being brought to this place was:

“Wh-where am I?”

“It’s alright dearie we mean you no harm.” The pale lady took her hand, and she felt a sense of peace fill her, “Now I need you to do me a favor, in exchange I’ll let you have your second chance at life, alright?”

“Alright…” she nodded.

“There’s a boy, he wants to help you, but he needs just as much help as you do, do you understand?”

She sort of understood.

“This boy, he’s done a bunch of stuff he regrets, but he’s trying to do better. What I need from you, is to give him a chance, alright? He’s had a very rough life, and he needs help to do better… So, what I need you to do is please look after him, alright? Can you do that for me?”

(Someone needs help.)

She remembered all the times she needed help, and all the times no one gave it.

She refused to do the same.

“I’ll… I’ll help him.”

The pale lady gave her a smile, more beautiful than words could ever describe.

“Thank you.”

The pale lady leaned forward, before kissing her forehead.

Once more she fell to darkness, only this time she felt a warmth in her chest.