A/N: First things first, Orange Eye'd Wanderer helped a lot with correction of mistakes and better phrasing, so here comes a big thank-you!
Secondly I want to greet all the readers, especially the silent ones, out there. Thank you for bearing with me and coming this far~
Butcher and the Beasts - part 2
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Black looked back and forth, as if expecting the devil himself to appear before their very eyes, but alas, their path was clear. Perhaps too clear for her taste. The brunette frowned when her feet stumbled across various broken toys and cringed when something fragile crunched under her feet. 'For a circus with so many employees, these guys are surprisingly lacking in matters of discipline...' She looked around, missing the usual circus laughter, or any sign of life aside from Joker's solitary figure. They bypassed the closed entrance area and went around the big top, entering its cool shadow that shielded the western side from the sun. Never before had they taken this particular route and she suspected it to be off-limits to regular guests - another reason why Alice could not help her rising curiosity.
After what seemed like forever, her companion halted before a small entrance, so inconspicuous, it could be easily overlooked amongst the colorful folds and decorations. Alice gasped, realizing that they were heading inside. It was usually taboo to enter the sacred place outside the official shows. Following another impatient nod towards the modest opening, she was ushered into the shadows beyond the small curtains, stumbling clumsily into a foreign world.
The darkness smelled surprisingly sweet, with a faint touch of dust and leather. Captivated by the welcoming scents, the brunette let her guard fall and inspected her new surroundings. Her pupils readjusted, allowing her a look at stored props, big and small cages, presumably for rabbits or birds, and a large costume set with a half-covered old mirror beside. Considering the place, there was truly nothing remarkable or worth mentioning, and she sighed in relief. The lights were still off, the darkness denying her any further insights into the deeper parts of the tent.
In between the plethora of small impressions, her nose caught a faint whiff of iron, one that the girl failed to place. Intrigued, she took a deeper breath - but the smell was gone.
"Don't snoop around too much, the main show's over there." Catching her wandering eyes, Black motioned towards a large crimson velvety curtain.
"Isn't that...?"
With a practiced gesture, Joker pushed the heavy cloth aside, revealing a small view of the main stage. She gasped, belatedly covering her gaping mouth.
The big top, Alice noted with pure astonishment, was a pure mess. It took her all but one look to fully comprehend the situation.
"So... this is supposed to be a bad joke, right?" she whispered nervously.
"Just as I said, flying bacon all over the place." the redhead hissed back, eye narrowing at the sight.
The animals could be easily confused with common pigs, pink and curvy as they come, if not for a single, feathery detail attached to their voluptuous bodies. Like a small tornado, they swept away whatever happened to block their unpredictable path, be it on earth or above the ground. The stage equipment was tangled into messy balls of ropes, nets and smaller items that belonged to various acts. And in the midst of the untamable storm stood none other than White Joker, eyeing the sight with a curious crimson eye. Unfazed by the overall state of affairs, he nodded to himself, scribbling down notes and demonstratively scratching through a line or two.
They observed the chaos from a safe distance, hiding behind the curtain before a certain circus master noticed their presence. White shook his hand, casually slipping the clipboard inside his jacket and inviting the pair on the stage. For a moment, Alice admired his unusually firm steps as he walked towards them with an impeccable, self-assured smile. By force of habit, perhaps, the circus master held himself straight, emitting an air of pure confidence even at times when his audience was limited to a single girl.
"An unexpected visitor, but not an unwelcome one, I see." he commented amiably before exchanging a brief look with his lookalike.
Careful not to trip, the girl climbed down the stairs and greeted the circus master with a reserved smile. "If I may ask, what is the meaning of all this?" She gestured towards the half-destroyed stage and looked expectantly at White.
"I admit... I did not quite expect for things to endthis way." The redhead laughed lightly, making the brunette wonder how it was possible to find amusement in his current situation. Despite having lost his hat and perhaps being slightly out of breath, White smiled optimistically at his handiwork, unexpectedly full of vigour and joy. "However, how kind of you to drop by and offer your help!"
He winked at the brunette and let out a laugh at her incredulous expression.
"I never mentioned such a thing!" Alice retorted quickly, looking back and forth between the mischievously grinning redheads, the feeling of being fooled creeping at the back of her mind.
"Well then, pray tell me, dear Alice, why else would you be here?"
She turned back to White, catching the red eye examining her with obvious interest. For reasons unknown, she flinched under the seemingly innocent gaze, growing smaller as he continued to wait for an answer.
"I..." she stumbled, looking anywhere but at the searching eye of the merciless circus master. "I suppose, considering the circumstances, a bit of help wouldn't hurt."
As soon as the words were spoken, the tension dissolved, and she could almost hear a voice whispering, congratulating her on voicing the correct answer. But Jokers' mouths were sealed in an approving smile, both counterparts grinning satisfied at their innocent prey. It was then that she realized her mistake, cursing herself for getting into yet another unpleasant mess.
But it was too late to turn back, now that she fell so deep.
"Either way," she began, hoping to dissolve the sudden feeling of uneasiness, "this whole idea... hmm... how do I put it?"
"...Is very stupid," Black helpfully added.
"Exactly."
Both looked accusingly at White.
"My, aren't you two strict with me today?" The redhead bent down, skillfully avoiding just another flying missile, yet never losing his smile. "To receive so much attention at once, I feel truly honoured."
"More importantly," Alice noted, "shouldn't you think of a way to get rid of... this?"
"Damn right, I think we all should follow my advice!"
And while she sympathized with Black to a certain extent, a bloodshed was not a solution Alice favoured.
'But this is strange...' The brunette tapped her chin in thought. Wasn't there something they all overlooked?
Much to her chagrin, Black and White were suddenly engrossed in a heated discussion, weighing the pros and cons, and completely forgetting the girl's presence. She let out a sigh before taking another look at the terrible mess. Unfortunately for the young foreigner, her peace was suddenly disrupted, fate being not as kind to her as she would like it to be.
A loud grunt, dangerously close, ripped Alice out of her thoughts, and next thing she knew, she was knocked off her feet, landing on something warm and... smelly?
"Whaaa-...!" Gasping for air, she could see the ground growing smaller, barely comprehending how she had the misfortune to land on the back of the grunting winged animal. Desperately and with the force of a madwoman, Alice held onto her humble grocery bags, praying that everything would stay inside.
Alice blamed Black, cursed White, and thought of at least ten colourful names for both Jokers before she felt the dangerous touch of panic tapping at the door of her mind. By now, White and Black shrank into small shapes and there was no telling who was who.
The winged creature snorted as they flew in circles above the stage.
'My hands are shaking... if I don't get off soon, I might-...!'
Hope almost left the girl and Alice was about to let herself be carried as the animal pleased - surely it would tire out after a while -until for a small moment, her eyes caught a peculiar sight.
Through a thin veil of salty water, her eyes met with a wild, desperately squealing bundle of ropes, white feathers and pink flesh bound beneath the surface. The sounds - cries for help - could be barely heard from the stage, but at her current height they were enough to send desperate pleas to the animal's brothers and sisters. It all made sense and finally, she recognized the panic-fuelled movement pattern. 'So that's how it is... now I see.'
All too soon, Alice lost sight of the entangled animal, her unlikely ride sweeping her towards lower heights. They were at the same level as the top rows of seats now when she noticed Joker, either Black or White, gesturing wildly and mouthing words that she failed to decipher.
The flapping was ear-deafening and she could barely hear the ringmaster and his lookalike over the loud grunting noises. Collecting all her patience, the girl waited until they were low enough to catch small bits of White's and Black's unhelpful instructions, the latter one looking more like he was about to fall on the ground and die from a fit of laughter.
'The nerve he has!' Alice bit her lip, promising to repay the last bits of humiliation she had to endure. Despite the complaining stomach and a growing headache, she remembered that she still had one last card to play. She sighed dejectedly, apologizing to her scarce belongings before reaching out and, using the last strength her body possessed, tossing them towards their certain death.
A small grocery bag hit its target with remarkable accuracy, almost succeeding in knocking out the recipient after landing with a smack on Blacks unfortunate head. Soon after, the winged creature let out an approving grunt, one that sounded almost like joyful laughter.
Her second target proceeded to gesture around, not even once sparing his lookalike a second glance. Her eyes widened, understanding finally dawning on her when she saw a loosely hanging safety net below the ground.
Without giving it much thought, or trying not to, the girl sprang down, ignoring the ruffled underskirts and her stomach's complaints when all air left her lungs, thanking all the gods of Wonderland when her body finally landed on the plaited cloth.
After the circus master managed to disentangle her skirts and limbs, the girl freed herself and walked shakily towards the second Joker.
Lowering herself beside the redhead, she asked nonchalantly, "Say, where is that knife of yours, Black? I hope you don't mind showing us your excellent climbing skills." And before Joker could react, the self-proclaimed chief of law and order turned back to the redhead's look-alike. "That involves you as well, White."
Both redheads sighed and rolled up their sleeves, knowing not to question Alice's authority. Or else there would be hell to pay.
.
Her body fell, half-alive and half-dead, she was sure, bones creaking and muscles humming softly after their unusually heavy labour. With seemingly enormous effort, she squeezed herself out of the needlessly tight fabric, her apron promptly joining the pile of soiled scarves and sweaty circus jackets on the floor.
The silent stage felt so unnatural, all the more after the ruckus the temporary additions had caused. For a short moment, the brunette listened to their laboured breaths, each party too tired to mutter even a single coherent sentence.
"I'm so dead..." A painful moan escaped her throat, joined by consenting grunts from both redheads beside.
"We should have just killed those damn things, I'm telling you..."
Black's complaint seemed too half-hearted and Alice was sure that even he was too tired to care.
"No way in hell." She frowned. "You see, all it took was to get that poor thing out of the ropes. I doubt that they would benefit the show, anyway. They are too unpredictable."
"Well, if you aren't quite talkative today."
"I'm just telling the truth."
In spite of his usually combative mood, Black didn't press any further, opting for silence instead. Finally, White's body stirred, and with a small tired laugh, he raised himself from the ground. "You are a miracle, young lady. The talent is there for sure, now if only I could make you join our humble-"
"I refuse." Promptly, the girl cut him off, dissolving any illusions the redhead might have had. When no comment followed, she sighed contently and stretched her limbs. Her eyes wandered lazily to the top, the yellow and red colours blending into a hypnotizing pattern and dazzling her mind.
Alice felt tired but at the same time...exhilarated. She was alive and content. And for the love of everything holy in this mad world, the girl couldn't even tell how much time has passed ever since she entered that cursed stage, involving herself even further into affairs that weren't hers, or were they?
It felt so short, and yet almost like an eternity. Who cared?
'It wouldn't be too-...'
A distant crash and arguing shook her out of her thoughts. The girl sat up, almost laughing out loud when she found a stray feathered mammal nibbling dreamily on Black's chequered cloth, the redhead trying to shake it off and failing miserably in the process.
She felt a soft tap on her shoulder and turned around, her vision suddenly blocked by soft sugary clouds. Slightly startled by the unexpected sight, Alice looked up, only to find a mischievously smiling redhead behind the colourful mass of saccharine.
"Nothing is better than a nice portion of our trade mark cotton candy!" White winked playfully, pushing the delicacy towards the brunette.
His counterpart, finally free of the sudden assault, nudged her forward, helping himself to a large portion of the sugary cotton. "Don't think too much, Alice. Just take it, you won't regret it."
Almost as if in a trance, she allowed herself to take a tentative bite. The rainbow colours melted on her tongue, leaving a delightfully sweet yet slightly fresh aftertaste.
"So, what do you think?"
Undoubtedly, Black expected a positive answer, grinning almost too confident for her taste. She took a few more bites, thinking of the best way to describe her experience. Eventually, she gave in and confessed. "I... like it."
The next thing he did surprised her more than Alice would have liked to admit and she would remember it for a long time, perhaps due to her initial shock, or maybe because of that one expression that she found difficult to forget.
Gently, Joker patted her head, before willfully ruffling her hair until it resembled a bird's nest. The unexpected gesture caught her by surprise, words stuck in her throat as she could not find a reason to complain. 'See, was that so hard to admit? ' she read in his eye.
At first she thought that Black despised her very presence in his circus, and yet, this superficial impression turned out to be quite wrong, as the azure eyed girl soon came to realize, for there was never even a single drop of true maliciousness behind his words.
A light cough broke through the air, the all too simple gesture earning White a chuckle from the young foreigner and finally winning her attention.
"Well then, we should present our lovely helper with a prize!" Pausing, White tapped his chin in thought. "We have excellent horses and elephants, I could offer you a free ride on whichever you want."
"Please don't," she murmured, voice strained, "I've had enough rides for now."
"How about a free lesson in knife-throwing," the other redhead chimed in, "Safety guaranteed!"
She grimaced at the idea, shaking her head.
"I believe I've got it, then!" And, with an almost impossibly deep bow, White retrieved a rather small beautifully decorated paper sheet from inside his jacket. As if it just happened to be there, she thought later on, in the right place, at the right time.
"An entrance ticket?" Her azure eyes quickly scanned over the golden letters underneath. "A special seat?" she read out loud, before turning a questioning gaze towards White. 'He didn't prepare this one beforehand, or did he?'
"That's right, a very special seat for an equally special guest," the ringmaster grinned, before gently placing the ticket in her hand. "And an unforgettable experience."
"But I'm fine with my usual seat beside the Tower's residents," the brunette protested. And sitting together with complete strangers didn't sound too great, either.
"Oh, really? That's quite a shame…" White titled his head, voice filled with obvious disappointment at her rejection.
"Come on, accept it already." The grumpier redhead nudged, before grabbing her cheeks and stretching them in an attempt to form a wide grin. "At least smile when you get special treatment."
Without much success, Alice tried to mumble another excuse, but was forced to give in when her cheeks were pulled even further apart. A soft hiss escaped her throat when finally, he released his grip. Almost grudgingly, she rubbed her sore face and nodded as she accepted the gift. Her decision quickly brought back a smile on the ringmaster's lips, as if it had never left his face to begin with.
Looking back at Black and White, she smiled a genuine smile, one that she truly meant.
.
.
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"Where have you been, Alice?"
Startled, she looked up, only to see a lonely figure at the end of the emerald corridor. For a short while, he lingered under the dark covers of the shadows until finally stepping outside.
'Nightmare.'
She stared at the silver eye, unreadable and penetrating her very soul. Remembering the question, she answered curtly, "I was just visiting friends."
'Visiting Joker,' a distant voice corrected her, her mind quickly suppressing the thought.
Nightmare's eye narrowed just a small fraction, and yet, she felt uncomfortable under his searching gaze.
"Just be careful," he finally breathed out, stepping back peacefully and waiting for her next move.
Too quick for her own liking but unable to help herself, she walked past the dream demon, aware of his watchful eye until her figure disappeared inside her private room. The door closed with a loud clicking sound, shaking her out of her stupor.
After making a few shaky steps in the dark, Alice was met by a familiar mirror image in the polished glass. She clutched her chest. Her reflection copied the gesture.
'All of a sudden, why do I feel like a liar?'
She blinked.
Confused pools of azure eyes stared back at her own self.
Gradually, the shallow waters grew murky, ripples marring the even surface.
Do you feel guilty?
The foreign voice resonated in the darkest depths, infiltrating the smallest corners and creeping inside the tiniest cracks of her mind. She studied the mirror image, squinted her eyes - all in vain. 'Answering complete strangers goes against my rules.'
But I could help you.
'Nightmare? No...'
I know much better ways to end your suffering.
The mirror image reached out, fingers enclosing a single lock of hair, then slowly travelling up and gently resting on top of her head.
A shiver ran down her spine.
The mirror girl smiled a smile that was not hers, and yet familiar, sending her a feeling of déjà vu that she failed to interpret.
Why don't you have fun as long as it lasts?
Don't think.
Fall deep.
Or else...
...else...
...el-...
She tore her gaze off the mirror image. Almost afraid to look back, Alice turned her head, sighing in relief when she saw nothing but a replica of her own self. The tension was gone, as if it was never there to begin with.
While studying the reflection, her gaze fell upon a slightly crumpled paper beside her feet. She bent down, fetching the dropped item and holding it against the moonlight.
"A special seat..." she read out loud.
Her fingers traced the golden lines.
'Am I making a mistake?'
The territory masters were always badmouthing, barking at each other in subtle or more obvious ways. But Nightmare's warning had a certain touch to it that was new to her.
Alice sighed.
It was perhaps already too late to reconsider her life choices.
She played with the glossy paper, swirling it around her fingers before a small detail caught her eye.
Curious, she inspected the ticket, spotting a hastily scribbled sentence at the bottom of the smooth paper:
Come to play again.