Readers, O Readers, wherefore art thou newest chapter? HERE IT TIS. Look how speedy fast that was! Consider it an apology for last times delay. :) Anyways, this chapter cracked me up. Let's just say that Julius get's a little, er, uncomfortable. x3 Oh, how I love that man. 333 PLEASEEEE REVIEW, I'M BEGGING YA'LL! I need to know if you are liking where I am taking the story, or if there are any suggestions. Anyways, I'll let you go on and read. But first, I must bug you one more time...

Disclaimer: I do not own anything Heart No Kuni No Alice! D:

"Too… many…bleeding… kittens!"

"What did you expect! You are invading the thoughts of a rather twisted girl, after all. Now stay out, or I'll start thinking up something that will mentally scar you for an eternity!"

"I don't think it can get any worse than that one," Nightmare snorted, though still slightly cringing from the violent imagery.

"Oh, really, Nightmare?" the girl questioned darkly, her lips curling into a taunting smirk. "Because I recently heard of your fondness of needles and hospitals. I did hear that right, correct?"

All of the remaining color in the incubus's face drained completely, leaving him as completely white and nearly as transparent as a ghost. His silver eyes widened tremendously, and his jaw gaped, further supporting Serena's in genius yet threatening idea. This would keep the dream demon out of her thoughts for a whiles time.

"Eh, let's… uh, move on, shall we? Uh, I actually do have reasoning for my visit tonight."

The clouded look in Nightmare's eye had finally subsided, hinting to Serena that he had exited her thoughts and could only presently hear what she spoke aloud. This eased the girl's tension, but the thoughts that Nightmare could have previously heard, or viewed, slightly nauseated the girl's stomach. Who knows what he could have dug up in her mind. Hopefully, those painful mental images had slowed him.

"A'ight. Do explain," Serena insisted, slouching back across a dream cloud and kicking her feet up casually. Nightmare snickered at these nonchalant actions; no body had taken so easily to his dream realm before as Serena had. She certainly was an interesting foreigner, to put it easily.

"Well, it isn't the greatest of news on your part. It's just that the game maker has informed me of a little glitch in this game. Apparently, interaction is no longer the key to completing the game, now. The game maker claims that there have been some technicalities, and so now, your goal is to not interact with the role-holders of the game."

Serena shook her head and blinked multiple times. How could a game change so easily? "That can't be right, Nightmare. It's too… sudden. And suspicious! What sort of game maker can just change the rules after the game's already started?"

"Good question, Serena." Nightmare sighed heavily, sliding his long fingers through his hair in contemplation. "I'm not sure what exactly he is up too, but it does seem awfully random, and yes, suspicious. Mean while, I suggest that you do as he says, and I'll look further into it."

As Nightmare was finishing his final words, the dream realm literally began to crumble around them, leaving Serena to fall into a deep pit of darkness before awakening. Serena let herself fall, not once fighting the gravitational pull which would bring her back to Wonderland. The only thing which stopped her fall was the opening of her eyes, which apparently had brought her back to the clock tower. Yes, she remembered now, though the entire happenings of the previous were rather foggy due to her previous fatigue. But oddly enough, after that dream filled sleep the previous night, she felt strangely awake and ready to face the day.

That's when she realized that all that really awaited her was a day beside Julius in the clock tower. Oh well, I could use at least one down day every once in a while. But hopefully, it won't become routine.

Serena rose from her bed drowsily and stretched monstrously. The cool morning air filled her lungs soothingly, and the peaceful chirping of birds warmed the girl's heart just temporarily. Then, she realized how much of a disaster she really was now. She hadn't showered since arriving in Wonderland, her hair was a greasy mess, she was coated in dirt, and worst of all, she had absolutely no clean clothes. She rolled her eyes, huffing heavily as she stomped down the stairs in irritation. At least I have my eyeliner in my bag.

"Hey, Julius, can I get some towels and shampoo? Oh yeah, and I don't have any clothes, so-"

Serena stopped mid-sentence when the clockmaker spun around hysterically and refocused on his work, and bright dusting of pink painted across his cheeks. Serena laughed merrily at the man's modest actions, taking into account how he had interpreted her words.

"Julius, don't worry, I still have clothes on me! I just don't have any to change into!"

Julius once again turned around to meet the girl's eyes, only this time several shades brighter red than he had been before. Serena tried her best to withhold her laughter in respect and consideration of Julius, but it was just too much. He was sincerely a good guy who'd never take advantage of a girl. Or perhaps he was just an under control pervert…

"Very well. I'll grab some towels and such. Your clothing will be found inside of your bedroom closet."

"'Kay, thanks Julius. Just leave everything outside of my bathroom door."

Julius simply nodded and grunted in response, rising to his feet and elegantly heading down multiple flights of stairs in search of the belongings. Serena made her way back to her room and carelessly threw all of her clothing onto the floor and jumped into the bathroom before Julius had time to return and walk in on her completely naked. Serena had never been a very modest girl, nor did she really care which state anybody saw her in, but she knew that for Julius's sake, she'd better hide herself before he returned. Yes, she was an insecure girl, and each of her flaws jumped out at her like a black sheep in a herd of white ones, but she wanted people to accept her flaws as much as her perfections. It only seemed right to her.

As Serena let the boiling water run down her back, Julius was making his way back up the stairs and into his young guest's bedroom. The idea of entering a woman's room slightly upset the man, but he believed that he was both mature enough to handle it, and that it was perfectly innocent as long as Serena agreed with the idea. As he slid through the bedroom doors, he could hear every sound within the girl's bathroom; the splash of water against her bare skin, her heavy breathing within the thick, steamy air. It was almost too much for the man to handle, but as soon as Serena once again spoke, Julius was able to break free of his daydreams and reenter reality.

"Thanks Julius. You can just set it down, and I'll grab it once you leave."

"O-Okay," Julius agreed allowed, though he wished that he could of controlled his voice from cracking.

The man began to slowly back out of the room, mentally imagining anything but what could be happening within those bathroom doors. What am I thinking! Julius thought to himself hysterically. She's a teenage girl, and you are a grown man! Get a hold of yourself before you get into trouble-

As Julius was mentally lecturing himself, things only grew worse. Out of nowhere, a pile of fabric had formed just behind his feet, sending him flying into the air and onto his back without mercy. Julius moaned as he sat up from his spine-crunching fall, only to let his eyes look around for the mysterious source of the accident. Instantly, he regretted it and knew that it was a bad idea to become curious, because his eyes connected with the previously worn pile of Serena's clothing, undergarments and all.

"Julius, are you okay?" Serena shouted somewhat worriedly from her shower. Julius nodded silently, not realizing that the girl couldn't actually see him doing this until he once again reentered reality at her voice's command.

"Uh, yes, I just… slipped."

"Okay, just let me know if you need any help."

Julius once again nodded as he flew to his feet and rearranged the clothing as if it had never been touched at all. He could feel the tremendous redness and heat in his cheeks, as well as the fuzzy feeling of an oncoming migraine approaching his head. He had really made a fool of himself this time, but thankfully, a single door's separation had saved him from complete humiliation. The man anxiously flew from the room and back to his office, but as he was attempting to resettle his mind on the clocks, he couldn't quite calm himself down from what he had just experienced. Had he ever felt such emotions before about a woman? Maybe just once.

Serena stood shakily, her jaw hanging wide and her eyes glazed in fear. What was hanging just before her eyes was truly unbearable. And not just that, it was unwearble. Just what exactly was Julius thinking when he purchased this clothing? It must have been inspired by another foreigner.

The girl nearly began vomiting as she slid the emerald green dress up her body and over her shoulders. This had to be a joke. Serena Rousseau, wearing a dress in public? Absolutely impossible. Maybe this whole 'no interaction' idea was beneficial after all.

Climbing onto the sink in front of her mirror, Serena began painting on her traditional makeup while blasting some ironically upbeat Hollywood Undead music through her headphones. As she ran a powerful blow-dryer through her thick brunette waves, she rummaged through some drawers for a flat iron. Just as she was giving up hope, the shiny tool made it's entrance in the final drawer, brightening the girl's mood by several degrees. She pulled it through her hair smoothly, creating oddly functional sheaths of brown hair. Serena had always had issues with straightening her hair, but apparently, Wonderland had the key to her disastrous locks.

Just as she was about to tie back her bangs, the thin scar just above her eyebrow made it's entrance, persuading Serena to let the bangs be against her forehead. It wasn't the appearance of the scar which bothered the girl, it was the memories that the thin line withheld. Wonderland is a place that those memories shouldn't have to exist, right?

Serena's new found energy carried her energetically down the stairwells and into Julius's office with enthusiasm. "Good morning again, Julius! Would you like me to cook you some breakfast? I'll put some coffee on, how about that?"

"Mm," Julius grunted in agreement, not once daring to lose focus on his work. He didn't need to become as distraught as he had been that morning. But the fact that the girl had known exactly what he would want warmed his heart just a little. He began every morning with a coffee for as long as he could remember. The caffeine had become a necessity as Wonderland's mortician. Of course, Serena still didn't really understand what truly lied behind his job.

Ten minutes later, Serena reentered the office with a large tray of multiple different breakfast options, all of which Julius hadn't seen in countless cycles. Breakfast had never been on the man's priority list, nor on that of any of the recent foreigners'. He really could use the jump-start for his day.

"Thank you, Serena," Julius mumbled in attempts of sounding both sincere and gracious. Serena rolled her eyes at this, a half smile approaching her lips. Julius really did lack social skills.

"Sure, Julius. I don't take hand outs, so I'm going to have to earn my stay somehow," she explained, setting the tray perfectly before the working man while taking a seat at the opposite side of the desk. Julius didn't quite know how to respond to this generosity, but he knew not to argue. He most likely did need the nutrition, as well as a little help every once in a while, but he could never admit to it nor ask for any. It just wasn't like him too.

"So Julius, why do you fix clocks?"

There was the question that he had wanted to avoid so badly. How could he answer? It was never an easy process for the man, even after all of the foreigners who had come through Wonderland. He probably had explained it hundreds of times, and had never gotten an easy response. Well, maybe one time, but that was many cycles ago.

"It's just something to do, I suppose," he lied, but instantly regretted. This only further interested the girl. Repairing clocks was not an everyday passing time activity.

"But why clocks? There are so many other things you could do," Serena pressed, her eyes intrigued by Julius's finger as the danced across a deconstructed clock. Julius sighed, hoping that he'd be hit with a miraculous response. Unfortunately, nothing came on time, because the girl continued. "I mean, how can so many clocks be broken so often in a single place? It's rather odd."

"Don't ask me," The mortician mumbled, his mind becoming slightly anxious.

"You mean that you don't even know where all of these clocks are coming from? Come on Julius, you should be a little more cautious! You never know, those clocks could be implanted with drugs or a bomb or something-"

"Don't be ridiculous. They're just clocks."

"…"

"What's that look for?"

"…Come on Julius, you can tell me anything, since we are roommates now and all. You have to admit, the whole thing is sort of suspicious. There has to be something more behind it than just a man and his passion for clocks."

Julius rolled his eyes to the ceiling, but the solid stone gave the man no answers. How should he explain this. How could he tell this girl that he was literally bringing people back to life? Something so sinful, so immoral.

"Things are different in Wonderland than they are in your world, Serena."

"Yes, I've noticed."

"This includes life and death. It works differently here."

Serena's eyebrows furrowed in confusion. How did this relate to clocks? Then again, she was in a parallel universe. There wasn't really a normal there, nor could she allow herself to become to easily confused. Things were just beyond her earthly comprehension in Wonderland.

"Go on," Serena insisted as she slouched back into the chair. She wanted to become comfortable if she was going to get a whole rundown from Julius. Then again, the man wasn't famous for talking too incredibly much.

"On earth, when you die, your heart stops-"

"Yup."

"Well, in Wonderland when you die, your- your clock stops."

At this, Serena's confusion hit an unsurpassable high. Was he seriously implying what she thought that he was, or was he speaking in riddles? No, of course not. Julius was far too serious of a person to joke about something like this. Or, just joke in general, at that. So, how should she respond? "Cool."

Julius would have spit his coffee across the room if he had been drinking it at the time. Had she seriously taken to this news so easily? Perhaps she misunderstood.

"Um, Serena-"

"So, if I've done my math correctly, this means that everyone in Wonderland has a clock instead of a heart?"

"Yeah, but-"

"I knew something was up. I mean, why else would have Ace been so excited by my heartbeat? I guess it makes much better sense now."

"Serena-"

"But since you fix clocks, and clocks are hearts, then does that mean that you are- that you are bringing people back to life, Julius?"

He knew that it would all eventually add up for her, but he no idea that she would have such a strange reaction. Rather than screaming, crying, or even running away, the girl lit up as a wide, toothy smile spread from ear to ear across her face. To her, it was amazing what he did. He was breathing life back into those who had been killed. All of those victims of Wonderland's war; he was giving them back the life that had been mercilessly taken from them. How could such a man ever be frowned upon? She couldn't find a reason. If anything, that man in front of her should be worshiped, or even just looked up to as a hero. Did anyone else see him the same way, or were they too ignorant to see how incredibly brilliant Julius was? Either way, Serena saw somebody like a God working right in front of her eyes.

"Julius, that's- that's truly amazing what you do. Don't you realize it?"

"Not exactly. It's not like I've been given a choice. Besides, your probably only the second person who didn't have a complete mental breakdown over the matter." Though Julius didn't once lose his expressionless tone, his face had once again gained some color, as well as some relief. How long had it been since a foreigner wasn't completely terrified of him? Enough for this foreigner to truly lighten his shoulders, that was for sure.

"The second person? Who was the first one?" Serena interrogated, her curiosity bursting through her mouth in the form of words. She was actually pretty curious about who else had come to Wonderland, and this person might as well be a start.

"Never mind that. It looks like we've got company."

Serena's eyes darted towards the office door. Within the frame was a completely unfamiliar figure, a person that she had never set eyes on before since arriving in Wonderland. It was obviously a role-holder, but what really threw her was the gun held firmly in their left hand. Wasn't the clock tower supposed to be neutral territory? Why did he have a weapon?

"I'm here for the foreigner."

DUN DUN DUUUUUUN. Who do you think the visitor is? Leave your guess with a review!:) Also, what did you think of this Julius tid bit? haha, my buddie was lolling when she read it. :D It just so happens that we are both big Julius fans! *REVIEW PLEASE!*