I don't own 'digimon'.
Characters: Alice Zwingli & Elena Yuliana
Universe: 'Digitalverse'
Series: Pears and Cactuses
Notes: A bit of a 'prequel' to the previous chapter. And one of the last DAO-related things I write before the final chapters of that come out.
Chapter 64
The warmth of another heart
Alice Zwingli was not a people person.
As one of the top ladies at St Velodia's, the gambler's fate had already been decided. She was to marry Joey Alkruz and bring both families together in an alliance that would change the balance of something or other. She had fallen asleep during that particular meeting and chose to just go along with it.
But inside, the gambler felt hollow. Everything always went her way and life was supposedly looking up for her. In some respects, she was looking for something, anything, to just break up the monotony of the day to day grind that made up the life.
It had begun on a Friday in late May.
She had been making her way down the grand staircase of the common area, having just gotten herself dressed in one of her finer ballgowns, this particular one holding a crinoline stuffed to the brim with petticoats, followed by a black victorian-style dress over all of that. It was the whole package with the lace, ribbons and bows that one would expect to find on a princess of this caliber. Her chest was squeezed in a black corset, with her shoulders encased in puffed-up pads. Sleeves of some sort had been attached, while white gloves had been slipped over her hands. Stockings snaked up her not visible legs, while the tapping of high heels were the only sound coming from her. A large black bun hung at the back of her head, doing little to hide her porcelain white skin and red eyes and lips. A black bonnet straddles her head while a pair of pistols hung at her side. While loaded, they were to used in the utmost of emergencies.
Overall, it was the sort of outfit most refined girls who had just became adults in late november.
Currently, there was someone knocking at the front door.
"I'm coming!" She announced and carefully runs down the rest of the staircase, making sure that she didn't trip or fall. Once down there, she pulled the quite average door open, revealing a figure of sorts. They were dressed in a iris-colored cloak, with a matching hood to engulf the person's face in darkness. A pair of sandals covered their feet, judging by the sounds of someone's footsteps being made against the marble steps.
"Miss Zwingli, I have a letter for you." the figure remarked and held out an envelope.
"From whom exactly?" Alice inquired as she took the envelope. "I have not sent anything in recent times to warrant such a response."
That seemed to catch the mailperson off guard, who began to nervously shake about.
"Maybe they're some long lost friend you may have forgotten about?" the figure suggested as Alice seemed to catch a glimpse of a pair of amber eyes within the darkness of the hood.
"If you have nothing else for any of the other girls residing here, I wish you good day."
The gambler announced and began to close the door. The figure let out a sigh and threw down a smoke ball, using that as their getaway.
"I do hope the rest of your day goes well… Alice."
Alice gracefully closed the door and let out an elegant sigh, the sort you would see royalty do when they aren't entirely sure how exactly to react to a situation.
So she did what any woman in her heels would do. Go to the cafeteria, of course.
The cafeteria was a large room, adorned in maple and marble. Ladies dressed similarly to her chat about, letting their voices drown out the sound of her opening the letter.
Dear Alice,
It's me, Elena.
I realize that it's been a while since either of us has written a letter to each other, so I thought I would change that.
When I last wrote you, I been going to school to get a proper education. While I didn't graduate at the top of my class, I did well enough to earn an 'honor cord'. Though, I'm not sure why it's a piece of rope.
Alice gave the envelope a shake, depositing what appeared to be a photograph of sorts. It was of a woman around her age with puce colored hair and amber eyes, holding what appeared to be a diploma from the Drogaciji Exploration Center. While an alternative school, it served a variety of clients from around the world while providing them with a just as effective education as one gotten at a normal high school.
"Filthy commoner. Thinking that her educational achievement would impress me." the gambler thought and took a deep breath. Her diploma had been gotten through Miss Julie's School for Wayward Girls. The stuff that she learned there was what she put into practice here at St Velodias. Especially now, as her final year came to an end. Yet, a part of her felt proud for this 'Elena' girl. Maybe it was a long lost memory, or perhaps something else within.
She debated just crumpling the letter and photo up and discarding them to far-off point of the academy. Yet, her curiosity seemed to win her over.
Now, I work as a corsair, helping out those wherever I'm sent too. It's hard work, but it means that I get to paid to meet all sorts of people and learn all about different cultures. My next assignment is taking me to Eastern Alternis, where I heard St Velodia's, along with you, are located. If you want, we could spend some time hanging out, maybe catch up on lost time. Would the first of June work for you? It's your call.. I'll be fine with whatever answer you give.
Love,
Elena Yuliana
Alice put the letter down and let out a dignified sigh. If she was to be true to herself, the response would be to just decline the offer and just forget about it. But, something in her head seemed to refuse to go with such an action, choosing instead to grab a piece of paper from a nearby shelf and got to work.
Dear Miss Yuliana,
I accept your offer of a meeting. I will meet you outside the steps of St Velodia, dressed in my traveling outfit. I know of a couple places that would possibly fit into your meager budget.
While I do not know of the last time I talked to you, it would seem that we were good friends and that I made a good impression on you.
She took a deep breath and stared down at the paper, choosing to close her eyes and ponder her thoughts. Not too much, mind you. A lady should not let wild ideas grab hold of herself and take her away to parts unknown.
Could you tell me a bit more about back then? I can't seem to recall that period of my life for some reason. If nothing else, it would help give me a better picture.
Sincerely,
Alice Zwingli
She folded the letter up and let out a whistle. A couple seconds later, a yak on two legs runs over.
"You called A- I mean Miss Alice?" the creature announced and gave a bow. "Is there anything that I may be in service of?"
She passes the letter over and held the photo of Elena out. But as she did, the yak pushed it back to her.
"As much you asked for my services, I believe you can deliver it yourself, Miss Alice."
A scowl forms on the gambler's face, but it reverts back to her usual smile.
"Fine then." she announces and pulls a coin out. "We will decide this over a coin flip. Guess right and I'll go to Miss 'Plastictits' to get this letter mailed off. Guess wrong and you'll be the one who has to do it."
Alice then threw the coin up into the air and watched it spin about. But before either party could judge the outcome, what appeared to be a female plush grabbed the coin. For some reason, it was fine with people looking over its kimono and leathery bat wings. But it was when people saw the tail with a heart tip at the end that things got interesting.
Of course, Alice had never really been one of those people.
"Give that back at once!"
But the plush does not listen. Instead it continues onward, easily keeping the coin out of reach from the supposed gambler.
The pair pushed through the door of the cafeteria without a second thought, ignoring the passing ladies who possibly wanted something to eat at the moment. No, only the coin mattered in this particular moment.
"Give it back at once, ruffian!" Alice announced, quite ready to let her unladylike words upon her target.
"It's just a coin. Why does it matter so much to a lady like you?" the succubus remarked and just stopped. "If you truly were a lady, I doubt you would have chased me. No, you're not one of those…"
"One of what, exactly?" Alice inquired and put a gloved hand on the grip of her left revolver. "And why do you even care?"
The plush lets out a laugh.
"I have my reasons."
It then makes its exit, choosing to drop not the coin, but what appeared to be a crumpled ball of paper. Alice picked it up with the utmost care, taking the time to check for bomb or anything else that could potentially harm. But after smoothing it out, she was taken by surprise.
The paper in question was a newspaper article from a couple years back, somehow perfectly preserved (minus the crumpling of course).
Young girl still missing after extensive search.
After nearly two years of searching, the status of Alice Zwingli has been moved from 'Missing' to 'Presumed Dead'. She was last seen depositing an envelope into a mailbox and walked into the nearby forest. After nearly a month, it was one Elena Yuliana who reported her missing, claiming that the young Alice had been taken against her will. While the twelve year old would never tell investigators why she believed that, it was what led them to a string of sightings and near misses. While there were plans to investigate St Velodia's, the money mysteriously ran out.
But, hope still remains. It's quite possible that Alice Zwingli is still out there.
The article didn't listen its writer, not that the gambler really cared about what it said at the moment. No, she just stuffed it into one of her secret dress pockets and gracefully made her way to 'Miss Plastictits' office.
When she got there, it was quiet for once. Alice gave it a light knock and patiently waited there. Eventually, the door opened up and revealed what looked to be quite an endowed sex doll. Wait, scratch that. A well endowed woman dressed in robes one expects to find on a mage. At this particular moment, she was reading a novel and clicking her pen in a way that was questionable even in normal circumstances.
"Oh! Miss Zwingli, what can I do for you?" she announces, licking her lips afterward for some reason.
"I would like this delivered to Miss Elena Yuliana." Alice explained and held the letter out. "While she didn't quite give me an address to mail it to her, I suspect you'll get to her somehow."
Miss Plastictits didn't answer, continuing to read her book.
"I'll pay you for your efforts."
This managed to pique the teacher's interests, setting her book down and snatching the letter away.
"How much are we talking?"
"Your usual rate." Alice confidently answered and watched her possible opponent light up.
"Deal."
Alice pulled her coin purse out, depositing a couple coins into the mage's lap. She then turned around, making her way towards the door.
"Just one thing."
She turned around, the letter and coins already gone.
"This was never meant to be a prison for you. You can leave at any time."
But Alice chose to make her exit and found her yak outside.
"Is there anything else that I can do for you, Miss Alice?" the yak inquires, only to get a shake of the head from his master.
"No, I'm just going to go to my room and take a short nap." Alice calmly announces as she tried to not let her prior conversation get the better of her.
The walk back to her room passed with little trouble or worry, giving the gambler some time to focus on other things. Things such as: Where she and Elena could possibly go, where they would eat, what she would we-
She stopped in the middle of the hallway and closed her eyes, letting the sound of her heartbeat take her in. While it was beating at a normal rate, why did it seemed like it increased whenever she saw Elena? Maybe it was just a weird unexplainable coincidence, the sort that didn't really matter in the grand scheme due to the way life worked out. That. and she was getting married to the heir of one of the big tech giants once she graduated. There was no time for such petty flings.
Yet even as the thought went through her mind, it seemed even more tempting.
"A lady does not fool around." she thought and continued on down the hallway, giving little thought to the tartan walls or the red carpet with the gold accents. No, her focus is on the door at the end of the hallway. Strangely, it's the only door to be found within this particular hallway. Which is quite an odd design choice if you ask me.
Inside, the room is quite bare. Sure there are the essentials, such as a bed and dresser. But there was also a plain-looking dresser and a couch. Finishing off the room, was a plush of Celestia Ludenberg from the Danganronpa franchise. Which explains a lot, if you ask me.
"Hi Celeste." Alice greets and gives the doll a slight squeeze, deciding to take it to her bed.
There, she carefully laid herself down, not even taking the time to even remove her clothes. While not the most comfortable way someone could sleep in their bed, there were probably worse ways one could go with. "Sweet dreams."
The gamblers closed her eyes, letting sleep take her in. But it was not a peaceful slumber, since her dreams decided to take a nosedive.
Her whole body felt like it had been scattered about, with no one willing to help her piece it all back together.
"Serves you right, young lady." a voice, that out of a woman's, taunts and shakes her hand. "Did you really think that we wouldn't notice your little stunt?"
"Maybe this will set you straight." a second voice, a man's, adds. "This is for your own good."
Everything to freeze in that particular moment, seeming to also become blurry at the same time.
"Ugh…"
Alice's eyes shoot open and she takes a deep breath. While the gambler is still in her room with her plush, something feels… off. Maybe it was the breeze coming from a nonexistent window, or perhaps purple feathers that had been left by an unknown intruders.
But, it was the letter being held by her plush that demanded the most attention out of all of those things.
"Well that was fast." the gambler thought and walked over to her dresser, but not before making sure that both of her guns had not been tampered with. A switch to 'safety' mode for both later, she grabbed a thin wooden 'stake' and tore into the envelope. A letter was deposited onto her bed, but no photo this time. Not that there was any need to, since her servant had deposited the photo Elena sent in her previous letter with her reply.
Dear Alice,
That would work for me.
To answer you question, we were pen pals in middle school. I think it was something Miss Jestery ran with a woman named Mrs Lauren ran for their eighth grade english classes. Usually I would ask you for advice and how you were doing. When I got home, I would just stand by my family's mailbox and just wait for the mailman to come around. Rain, shine, snow or hail, I would be there. And when the mail did come, I would usually search for any potential letters and drop the rest inside for my parents to see. Usually, there wasn't anything there for me. But the handful of times there were… made the difference. I wasn't in the greatest place back then and was struggling through each day. Some dark places seemed to call out to me, tempting me with offers of something greater in exchange for my life. But when I got a letter from you, it felt as if I could keep fighting this battle of mine. Thanks for that, by the way. These letters mean a lot to me.
From the letters of yours I kept, you seemed to give advice and ask about how things were going. Occasionally, you asked about where I lived and what sorts of things I did. I answered as best I could, giving far more honest answers than I probably should've. But that's what friends are for, isn't it? Hopefully that answers your question. If not, you can always send a follow-up letter. I would be more than happy to send you an another letter.
Love,
Elena
P.S: You can go at any time. I'll be there, no matter what happens.
Alice's gaze broke away, unaware of the tears rolling down her face and onto her gown. Once the tears were gone, she made her way back over to her dresser and pulled out a piece of paper and a pen.
Once those two objects were acquired, the gambler sat down on her bed. If nothing else, she could at least write her old friend a thank you note. After all, Elena had gone through the trouble of sending out a follow-up letter to her so quickly. And while the portion at the end seemed to confuse her, she chose to push that to the back of her mind for the moment. If she was lucky, the answer would either come to her or something would happen to lead her to the answer. That was how it worked out in all those novels she read when she was younger.
"No, a lady must focus on the task at hand." Alice thought and focused in on the paper.
Dear Miss Yuliana,
Thank you for taking the time to answer my questions. I realize that you could've waited till we met in June to talk, but you were not one of those people.
She made a quick glance towards the photo of Elena on the bed and debated whether or not to just start over. A deep breath and crinkled paper later, the gambler grabbed a new piece of paper and got to work.
Dear Elena,
Thank you for taking the time to answer my questions. You didn't have, with your trip in June just around the corner. Your answers have helped clear up a couple things that I wasn't quite sure about. Especially how we met. Hopefully, you'll be as nice in person as you sound in your letters. If you don't mind, could I ask you some more questions? Unlike my previous inquiry, these will be slightly less personal and more work-oriented.
Where are all have you traveled? What's it like being a corsair? Do you ever have any trouble?
If there is anything that you like to talk to me about, go on ahead. It's nice to talk to an old friend.
Love,
Alice
Compared to the letter she had just received, this one was quite a bit shorter. And sure, she could have continued written on about a variety of other things. That was what a lady would do, but Alice didn't care in that moment. Strangely, her dress felt slightly lighter and the fabric seemed to get a bit of a red tint.
The walk to Miss Plastictits office seemed to pass far quicker than the gambler expected, leaving her with little to debate her plan to get this letter through.
"No favor this time." Miss Plastictits remarks and swipes the letter away, only to hand back a card. "Though, change of plans. Possibly for the better."
The card in question was the sort that looked like a piece of colored paper folded in half. If one was to go by the amount of time possibly put into this message, this ranked on the low end of the scale.
Alice opened the card up and did a double take.
Roses are red,
Violets are blue,
Is this boring you?
Alice looked up from the letter, not entirely sure what to make of it. On one hand, this could all be some prank. But by that same token, it could be far from it. She took a deep breath, letting her gaze focus in on her teacher.
"This is a joke right?"
Miss Plastictits shrugged, letting out a giggle.
"Maybe, maybe not. But I doubt you should care. Go live you stupid plastic life, dolly."
Alice let out a deep breath and delivered a bullet to the teacher
"Shut up!" she screamed and ripped her gloves off, more than ready to give this a woman a beating.
"Oh my, you got me beat! Not." Miss Plastictits remarked and pulled out what appeared to be a taser. "Now, why don't you fall asleep?"
The next couple moments were a blur for the gambler, with her vision seeming to flicker all about. But what she could see, was a large beast. It appeared to be a wyvern of sorts, but covered in purple feathers.
"I'm still here for you, no matter what happens." the beast explained, it's voice soft and feminine. "But you need to trust me."
Alice blacked out after that, but she seemed to recalled saying something.
At the moment, she found herself back in her bedroom. Celeste currently was nowhere to be found, not that the gambler cared.
Instead, she dealt herself a game of klondike. While not the sort of thing one could really gamble on, it made for a good stress relieving exercise.
"Whoo!" Alice shouted, not even caring if there was anyone nearby. "I guess I should check my calendar."
She packed her cards up and put them back into the box, making her way over to her dresser for the third time to-
"Wait, it's just a day before the start of June?!"
In between her nap and all the letters, the end of the month had seemed to sneak up on her. Alice wasn't entirely sure how that even happened nor did she really care. For now, she would need to figure out a proper travelling outfit for her excursion. But, that would also mean finding a mirror to actually see what she was even working with.
"Ugh..."
Alice took a deep breath and began throwing clothes onto her bed, never quite liking what she found there. But the only thing adorning her was still her usual dress.
"Why is this so difficult?!"
She slammed a fist against the wall, seemingly oblivious to change of outfit that had occured. What had replaced it, was a red tunic dress. A belt straddled her waist, bringing with it a pair of holsters to hold her guns in.
Of course, this new article of clothing took the gambler by surprise. While sure, it felt natural compared to the restrictive nature of her old dress and reminded her of a time of parties and card games, she wasn't entirely sure where it came from. Normally, she would have just switched back to her old outfit but, something about this one just seemed right.
That just left going to see if she had any mail. Which meant facing down Miss Plastictits once more. But, Alice took a deep breath and walked onward, pulling her right pistol out. Somewhere along her walk, her heels became boots and coordinated their color scheme with her dress.
At the door, she pulled her other pistol out and cautiously pushed through. Inside, the whole place looked torn apart, with the body of the former teacher just lying within the middle of it all. A ruler was sticking through her chest and a nice bloody message had been left behind.
Just how are willing are you to be free?
"A lot." Alice taunted and cracked a smile. "How much are you willing to be on it?"
She got no answer. Not that getting one would've really changed the gambler's plan.
Her exit from the room was as quick as her entrance, choosing to go with brute force than any actual strategy in this moment.
Or in other words, Alice attempted to smash through a wall. This was surprisingly effective, actually managing to deposit herself outside the building.
Compared to the extravagance of her former abode, the exterior didn't quite leave such an impression. At best, it looked unfinished with just a flat area and city background. A city background that looked like it was drawn up in one of the old versions of MS Paint. Yes, they changed it. The orange haze of a setting sun hung in the background, seeming to have had slightly more time and made in a better art program.
"Okay…" Alice thought as her gaze focused in on the outer area, just catching a glimpse of something. "Uh hi?"
"Are you happy now, Alice Zwingli?"
Before Alice even had a chance to answer, copies of her dressed in ballroom gown appeared. Of course, they were also armed with the same gun as hers.
"Sure." the gambler answered and began to fire off both her guns, trying to take down as many of her doppelgangers as she could. "Though, I would be more happier once I'm out of here."
The words that come out of her mouth feel off but at the same time, right. She couldn't quite place it, but it reminded her of Elena.
Maybe it was the overwhelming odds, or perhaps it was the possibility of meeting her friend one more time.
Into the night, the firefight continued.
Somehow, Alice had managed to hold her own in what would seem like an impossible challenge. Most of her opponents were now long gone, but she was more than at her limit.
"I'm sorry, Miss Alice."
The gambler's gaze focused in on the far end of the arena, where her yak servant awaited. Of course, he was now sporting a minigun of all things and looked capable enough to gun her down. Not that it would stop her from trying to prevent such a fate.
"So is this like some kind of weird quirk or intentional?"
"Neither. Rules outside of my control." the yak answered and took a casual step forward, trying to ignore the onslaught of coins coming his way. "Would you please stop that?"
"No." Alice answered and flung one of the many corpses his way. She then ran as fast as she could, firing both her pistols off in such a way that her opponent had little chance of surviving. "I'm sorry, but I have a friend to meet."
She made her way over to the steps and collapsed, the sun slowly rising up in the distance. If she was lucky, she could get some sleep. If not, Elena would be able to find her and wake her up.
It was a win-win situation in her book.
"I did it…" the gambler whispered and sat herself down upon the steps of St Velodia's. Her eyelids slid shut, but something felt different.
.
The eyes of Alice Zwingli slowly slide open.
She finds herself not on the steps of St Velodia's, but in a pod of sorts. A quick push later, she's out.
"Ugh…"
The room around her resembled a bland white box, lacking any other defining details. She would've thought she was trapped within here, if a flyer hadn't flown in with a soft breeze.
Alice made her way over and picked it up, taking it in.
Come see Aqua Luli and her band of merry scallywags!
Now performing at Honessa Bay!
Below that, was a picture of the all female group of pirates. Of which, the gambler only seemed to recognize one of them.
It was a woman with purplish brown hair and amber eyes, the sort of things that seemed to stick in one's memory.
But first, she needed to find her way out of here. If nothing else, a mirror of some sort.
Alice took a deep breath and headed towards the corridor, passing through with little thought. There, a set of clothes similar to what she had worn near the end of her time. A mirror sat behind, giving the gambler the first look she had in quite a long time. Her long brunette hair trailed down, while a black cat ear headband seemed to stick out and look out of place on her head. She hadn't lost any weight during her slumber, but she did look like a zombie.
"Ugh…" Alice thought as she switched into the clothes, only for her gaze to fall upon a letter. She picked it up and took a deep breath.
Dear Alice,
It's been awhile, hasn't it?
As you can probably tell by the flyer I provided, I became a performer. More specifically I am corsair for Aqua Luli, one of the bigger entertainment superstars at the moment.
To answer your first question, I've been a little bit of everywhere. Usually, I nor my fellow crewmates know where Aqua is going to take the ship. Though, I guess that's half the fun of it all.
To answer your second question, we perform and occasionally make visits to fans who have illnesses that prevent them from attending. While tiring (both physically and mentally), just getting to make a smile on someone's face is more than enough.
I wish you the best of luck!
Love,
Elena xo
Alice took a deep breath, making her way towards an exposed portion of the room.
"Goodbye, St Velodia's." she whispers, slipping both pieces of paper into a newfound dress pocket. The gambler doesn't give the place a second glance, choosing instead to focus on her new surroundings.
At this particular moment, she found herself on the outskirts of a seaside city, with the faint image of a pirate ship seeming to hang in the distance. A road seemed to snake towards it, with her former prison seemingly placed right on the line.
Of course, getting there was going to be her next challenge. While she knew what the general area was called, it been quite a bit of time since she walked around a town. Just how much had things changed since she was gone? What if the h
A loud honk pierces the silence and the gambler turns around, finding the headlights of a minivan blinding her.
She goes for her guns, only to realize that they're not there. So Alice went for the next best thing: charging towards the vehicle.
"Hey!" a voice announces and grabs hold of her. "Have you been living under a rock?"
"Uh… kinda?" Alice answers and takes her captor in. She was an older woman, possibly in her late thirties, maybe early forties. She was dressed in a dark blue dress similar to Alice's, but had gone with sandals instead of boots. But, it was the woman's purplish brown hair and amber eyes that held the gambler's attention.
"I'm guessing your Elena's mot-"
Before Alice could even finish her sentence, she found herself facing down a very large purple wyvern.
"And what if I am? Why does it matter to you?" the woman screamed and watched the much smaller Alice search for something to hide behind. "Oh sorry. Most people who ask that are very jealous moms and creepy fangirls."
Her gaze then seemed to focus on the gambler
"But you don't seem to be either of those. No, you have far better reasons for knowing about me." the woman continued and transformed back. "You're Alice Zwingli, aren't you?"
The question caught Alice off guard, but didn't stop her from giving a nod.
"Yeah. Elena somehow found me." she answers and walked back over. "Even when I was content to keeping living the same life. She saw something greater."
The two entered the vehicle, with Alice reluctantly sitting herself down in the passenger seat.
"If you don't mind me asking, where are you taking me?" the gambler inquired and got a bit of a giggle in return.
"Someplace to get you fixed up." Mrs Yuliana answered and started the vehicle up. "If it helps, I'll be the one handling you."
She got a reluctant nod and headed off, doing her best to keep her eyes on the road. The ride to their destination seems to pass quickly, leaving Alice with just enough time to look over her new surroundings a bit more.
While everything seemed almost chaotic and haphazard, it seemed far more open than the halls of St Velodia's ever were. And maybe that was a good thing in her case.
"Here we are."
The building in question appeared to be a salon, the sort one expected to find older ladies trying to put a new spin on their style. Not some washed-up girl who had spent the last few years trapped in a pod against her will.
It's exterior leaves little in a way of detail, going for gray brick with a single large window in the front. The interior on the other hand was a different. Birch floors and warm cream walls comforted those inside, while a two lines of barber chairs sat near the side walls.
"Is there anything in particular that I can do for you?" The receptionist inquired and noticed Mrs Yuliana. "Oh Helena, I'm guessing this is your customer?"
"Yep." she answers and makes her way over to a nearby barber chair. "Just give me a few minutes, Alice."
Alice gave a nod and just stood there, waiting for her name to be called. Sure, she could have taken a seat and waited with some form of comfort, but that would meaning having to get up again.
"I'm ready for you, Alice!" Helena called out and the gambler made her way over, unsure of what she was even in for. Yet, she was fine with that. "Is there anything in particular that you want?"
"I was going to leave that up to you." she answers and gets a chuckle.
"Are you sure?" Helena inquired.
"Yeah."
The hairdresser then got to work, her scissors seeming to fly about with the sort of grace one expected to find in a dancer or perhaps a gymnast. Of course, Alice had chosen to close her eyes during all of this and attempt to catch up on sleep.
But try as she might, slumber seemed to evade her with the utmost ease. After a couple of attempts, the gambler let her eyes open up and stared into the mirror.
Gone was the long mess of hair that seemed to trail down her body, getting replaced with a set of princess-like curls. A soft citrus smell seemed to be infused within it, reminding her of tropical islands and exotic paradises. But at the same time, Elena.
"What do you think?" Helena asks, watching a smile form on Alice's face.
"I love it." the gambler whispered and began to dig into her dress pocket, only for Helena to shake her head.
"Think of this as a gift." Helena continued as Alice got up. "The pirate ship is a straight walk from here. Go get em, tiger."
Both women let out a laugh, with Alice giving her friend's mom a quick wave as she exited. Afterward, the receptionist turned her attention to Helena.
"What?"
The receptionist walked over and shifted forms, taking on the appearance of a familiar orange and blue jester.
"Helena didn't tell Alice?" the jester inquired and watched the hairdresser shake her head.
"She'll find out eventually." Helena remarked and took a deep breath, holding back the tears. "Let's not let such a big raincloud pour down on the few rays of sunshine she has."
.
Alice took a deep breath.
Her entire body seemed ready to tear itself apart mentally with each passing step. The ship was quite clearly in view by this point, leaving the gambler to find her avenue of entry. She could slip into the crowd, possibly attempt to get Elena's attention when the performance was over.
"No, that wouldn't work." she thought and shook her head, choosing to focus on the surrounding area. For what one could possibly consider as a city, the building only seemed to go slightly higher than the pirate ship itself. "Hmm…"
And from that, a very dumb, stupid and dangerous idea formed in the gambler's head. Sure, there were more than enough reasons to not climb to the top of a building and jump off. But, there were as many reasons to do just that in Alice's head.
Even as the gambler stood at the edge of the building overlooking the pirate ship, there was no fear or cowardice. If she were unlucky, she would either break all the bones in her body or possibly die. But if she was lucky though…
Alice pulled her legs back and jumped.
For the first few seconds, panic seemed more than ready to set in for her. Thoughts of maybe reconsidering this awful life decision faded in, mocking her for overestimating her abilities. Yet she ignored the voices, somehow managing to make her way towards the pirate ship.
At the moment, two performers were engaged in a sword battle. The one on the left Alice ignored, mostly since her gaze had fixated on her opponent.
Maybe it was intuition or possibly her taking one more chance, but the gambler knew. No, she was certain of it.
"Elena!"
Somehow, she managed to catch the corsair's attention, ending up in her arms. Elena's opponent's looked on with disbelief, unsure of what to really make of the pair. Elena did though, choosing to plant her lips onto Alice's.
"You found me." she whispered and broke away, defeating her opponent in a single swift motion. "I missed you, Alice."
"I missed you too."
They made their way into the pirate ship, not at all caring that Elena had just left in the middle of a performance. Eventually, the two found themselves within the corsair's dressing room. There, Elena switched out of her corsair costume and into a dark blue sundress and sandals.
Compared to the many places that Alice had been in the last few hours, this one seemed to feel like a little slice of home. The sort that seemed elusive until it was right in front of you. The walls were in covered in a coat of white wallpaper, while the floor had a makeshift planted over the wood. A bed sat up against the wall,
Of course, that still left one threat in their way: The titular Aqua Luli herself.
The woman in question was a bit shorter than the gambler and had gone with a blue kimono and a matching tricorn hat. Magenta hair stretched down to her waist, while a pair of cold cobalt eyes took Alice in.
"So you're the one who crashed in." Aqua remarked and shook her head. "Judging by the way you two acted, I guess you know each other."
"Yeah." both girls answered as the corsair's boss took a deep breath.
"Though, I would have never pegged Elena as a lesbian." her boss continues, not noticing Alice roll her eyes. "While a couple of the other performers are, she always seemed to stray away from everyone. I'm more surprised if she wasn't secretly some depressed bitch contemplating sui-"
Alice's hand passed across the older woman's face.
"Don't you dare." the gambler snarled and made a quick glance behind her, finding a feathery purple wyvern in place of her girlfriend. "She's already gone through enough without you adding any more."
Their possible opponent let out a laugh and watched Elena return to her human form.
"You did realize that I was testing you?" Aqua joked and Alice took a deep breath, sitting herself down.
"You probably should've made that much clearer." Elena remarked as Alice sat down. "Though, it's your call."
Alice took a deep breath and cracked a smile.
"I'm in."
She watched the next handful of performances with an attention span that she didn't think that she had. At the moment, the main character, Lyra (played by Elena) was currently coming off a bad break up by beating up said ex and her crew.
"Oh my." a voice remarks and Alice turns to her right, finding the coin thief from a couple days ago. "Here's your coin back."
She hands the coin back to the confused gambler.
"So what's your story, Lily?" Alice inquired, only for her acquaintance to sigh.
"It's complicated." the succubus started as Elena knocked another opponent. "Especially when compared to yours."
The gambler gave a confused glance, unsure of how to really react.
"I'll take your word for it."
Dinner comes after the last performance, bringing with it a hearty meals for all the girls. It was served on one of the those long tables for all to girls to feast upon. Of the options given, Alice found herself munching down on a steak and drinking some exotic drink in a glass bottle.
Of course, that didn't stop the gossip from flowing with the other girls.
"Look at her."
"Such a beauty, only to end up with a bitchy whore. Pathetic"
"She would look far better as a doll than a pirate."
Alice smashed her now empty bottle against the table, pointing it in the general direction of the gossipers.
"Say that to my face." she challenged, only to be pulled down by Elena.
"Aww…" one of the girls announced and found a broken bottle coming her way. The next couple moments were a blur for both Elena and Alice, with the two finding themselves tied to the front of the ship. "Personally, I think that's a much better look for both of you."
Alice made a quick glance down at herself, only to freeze up.
Her dress from earlier was gone, having replaced with outfit similar to one she wore in the simulation. Every part of her wanted nothing about this, not that their captors really cared. They were probably laughing at their misfortune as if were some twisted joke.
"You bitch!" she screams, only to get blasted by with a water gun of some sort. "I'll make you pay for this!"
The gambler takes a deep breath and bites into the ropes, slicing it through with an ease that had gone hidden long enough. Her bindings seem to disappear as her focus turns to her girlfriend.
The corsair was in a far worse state affair, having been bound in a way that could result in injuries and possibly, suffocation.
Very carefully, she sliced the ropes away, making sure to not hurt the corsair in the process. Once that was out of the way, she caught Elena and turned her attention to those dumb enough to pull this shit.
Or would've, if the sound of blank exiting a flintlock pistol didn't freak most of them out.
"If that's how you treat our newest performer, I should make you all walk the plank."
This was more than enough to shut them all up,
"Ugh…" Elena whispered and pulls herself up. "Sorry about dragging you into this."
Alice just shakes her head.
"No, it's alright." she answers and makes a quick glance down at herself. Gone was the restrictive outfit, with her tunic dress returning to take its place. A deep breath and an apology from their boss later, the duo makes their way back to Elena's dressing room.
"Bed or floor?" Elena asks, only for Alice to stay silent. "Is something wrong?"
She gets a nod.
"Does this have anything to do with what happened in that simulation?"
"Yeah." the gambler finally answered, only to find Elena's arms wrapped around her body. "I'm just afraid that I'll become that perfect doll once more. And when it happens, it'll be for good."
Elena takes a deep breath, squeezing the gambler a little bit tighter.
"If that happens, I'll be there to set you back on the right path."
She lets go after that.
"So do you want the bed or are you willing to sleep on the floor for tonight."
"Floor."
Elena gave a nod and Alice turned around, letting her friend get changed into her nightgown and turn off the lights.
The next couple hours consist of her watching over Elena in the dark. Sleep seems out of reach, as if the next time she woke up, her friend would no longer be there.
Eventually, her eyelids grew too heavy and she blacked out.
"Ugh…" the gambler thought as her eyelids slowly pushed their way open, revealing the dressing room once more. "I'm still here."
She breathed a sigh of relief, only to look down. Currently, she was sleeping right on top of a still slumbering Elena, who seemed quite fine with this.
"Elena?" she whispers and watches the corsair slowly open her eyes.
"Oh." Elena answers back and stares towards her girlfriend. "Oh, I guess you decided to join me."
Alice's face began to glow bright shade of red and she got up, not entirely sure of how to respond to that.
"At the very least, I can give you some privacy so you can get dressed." she finally remarks and get a snicker. "What?"
"Today's a set-up day."
In retrospect, the thought hadn't really occurred to the gambler. Sure, she had a general understanding of how performances worked, but those were mostly stuff like dancers or stand-up comedians.
"So I'm guessing that means stuff like scripts and costumes?" the gambler inquired and got a nod before she turned around, letting Elena get dressed. "Sounds good."
With that out of the way, the two girls made their way out of the dressing room and into the halls.
Like the rest of the ship, oak wood surrounded them on both sides, while a red carpet sat in the middle of the floor.
"So what do you think of the ship?" Elena inquired as the two made their way towards the mess hall.
"It's interesting, I'll give you that." Alice answers and turns to her friend. "So we're going to pick up the script?"
"Yep."
Alice gave a nod as the duo made a left turn, getting deposited into the mess hall. While some of the first to arrive, the general mood of the area seemed thick, almost moody or even angry to some extent.
The next couple seconds seemed to drag on for time, as the rest of the girls filed in at a snail pace. It felt mocking to some extent for the gambler, who was actually kind of curious of what part she was possibly going to play. It was probably something minor, especially for what would be her first performance with these people.
Eventually, Aqua Luli made her appearance. And while a couple hours of sleep did help her mood, she still looked quite angry.
Before I passed out the scripts, I would like to remind everyone that 'hazing' is against pirate code,"
"Pirate code?" Alice whispered and looked towards Elena, who was now joined by Lily.
"That's what she calls the rules for some reason." Lily explained, only for their focus to shift back to Aqua Luli.
"Here you go." the pirate captain announced and handed the three girls a script. "After what happened last night, I think I know the perfect role for you, Alice."
Alice did a double take, unsure of what to make of her boss's latest remark.
"Uh… thanks?" she answers as Aqua hands her and Elena the thickest bundles out of them all.
"Really?"
"She's the one?"
"Fuck you!"
Aqua then pulled out her gun, firing off a blank at the last naysayer.
"Really now?" she remarked and made her way over. "This is your last chance."
With that out of the way, Alice's attention turned to her script.
Dastardly Adventures - Omega
Script - Cecilia Rose (Main Character)
She flipped it opened, finding a nice little handwritten note.
Alice,
You're probably wondering why you of all people have been chosen for this role. Call it a hunch. That, and it gives you the push you might need.
She looked up from the note and towards Aqua Luli. While the captain probably didn't notice it, the gambler was fine with it.
Of course, we'll have to get your costume ready and work on your acting skills. But those are things we can work on.
-Aqua Luli
"So I'm guessing we're working together." she remarked as Elena's gaze met hers. "I guess this is my chance to catch up."
"Pretty much."
And for the first time in forever, the emptiness within Alice Zwingli faded away. In it's place, was the warmth of another heart.
Notes:
For once, I actually have stuff to talk about.
Let's start off with Alice.
Of the five main heroes in Digital Adventures Online, Alice had one of the weaker starts. Which not at all helped by her initially having a fake German accent and being a German 'variant' of Celeste Ludenberg. This wouldn't be so bad, if 'Alice' was an actual German name (It's actually Alisa).
Most of the changes to her are just removing a lot of the elements that either didn't translate well or were unneeded. Things such as her saying 'Chance is my game!', having a butler and the whole beef with her parents. And while the last two things made their way in partially, the first just sounded like something out of a cheesy kid show.
The only other big changes came in the form of her clothes. It's no secret that I didn't like Alice's initial outfit, so I changed it quite a bit.
Elena on the other hand, mostly stayed the same. Outside of a couple small adjustments to her backstory, she's still the same slightly shy yet eccentric girl you've come to know and possibly love.
Outside of that, a lot of this was just taking a lot of related miscellaneous stuff and putting it together. Though, I don't think it's the last time we'll be St Velodia's...