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CHAPTER 5: JULIUS' FRUSTRATION

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Ace finished his coffee and mysteriously went back to the castle a.s.a.p. while Aria prepared breakfast for two in the midst of a very uncomfortable silence that was finally broken by Julius.

"You said that your name was Aria, right? "-Julius kept looking at her with quite many doubts in his mind.

"No. I said you could call Aria. Aria Hadron Scherzi"- She served the breakfast, cheese quiche, coffee and juice. She took a seat to begin eating.

"So you aren't even telling us your name?- He rubbed his temple and looked at the food. This situation baffled him as much as this foreigner.

"Perhaps. If you remembered you'd know"- She took small but fast bites that barely hid her hunger – "I didn't poison the food, y'know... and the fridge is empty... again."

Julius ignored the food comments- "Why do you intent to help me repair with the clocks. That's not something a foreigner or anyone else should do."

"Foreigner or not I wanna do it. I'm getting paid for those deaths, so it's natural that I take care of the job completely. I'm a professional."- She had already finished the food and seemed to still be hungry.

Julius took a bite at the food and s noted that the it was actually good, but the breakfast was the last thing in his mind.- "So you do know what happened at least to that pile of clocks."

"Yes"- She didn't add anything else.

"But you won't tell me?"- This was giving him a headache. He vaguely wondered why Ace had leaved so fast.

"No"- She stood up and from somewhere she found an apple, it was a old but she didn't care and began eating it.

Julius sighed. He somehow knew that it was pointless to argue with her and that she would do whatever she wanted... which was her right and privilege as a foreigner. She wasn't bound by the rules and was free to choose and do whatever she wanted.- "Can you at least tell me for how long you were here or for how long you disappeared?"

"No" – That was true, she couldn't tell him because she didn't know herself.

Julius could almost feel a vein pop over his eyebrow. He sighed again with exasperation -"Is there anything you will tell me at all?"

As she finished the apple she closed her eyes to consider his question. When she opened her olive green orbs again, her cold and calculating gaze trapped Julius' own eyes. -"Use me well. I'm a high class 'white neck' mercenary and I'll only be here until that specific pile of clocks gets repaired. "

Julius gaze didn't hesitate. -"What do you mean by 'White neck'?"- She was confusing him a lot and he had a hunch that she had done so before.

"Normal mercenaries are hired combatants. They're paid to find the danger and then wreak violence until it stops being dangerous. " – She held his gaze with cold determination -"I can do that but I'm not that good at it. A white neck one, is someone you use for 'white neck' issues like dealing economic havoc, trashing markets, destroying funds… I can also be hired fpr raising developments, implementing techniques and technologies... At the core I'm someone that resolves problems, not necessarily with direct violence, a 'freelancer' if you will. Although I can in fact be used for more traditional missions that would cost you extra. My specialty is information and technologies. And of those I have plenty of knowledge. So use me well, 'how' will depend on your wits and necessities. "

Julius felt very uncomfortable; the way she had said "use me" and the way she used the verb had been strange and with a dangerously low tone that gave him a bad vibe, but at least she had answered, so he decided to question her further.- "So you'll stay here until those clocks are repaired... Where are you planning to go then? Back to your world."- His own questions caused him discomfort. He didn't know why.

"That should be irrelevant to you. But as I told you, I can't go back to my world and I will never be part of this."- She mysteriously insisted.

This was getting very frustrating for Julius. He finished his breakfast and tried to order his thoughts.

He couldn't get mad. This girl was just a foreigner, a girl that had lost her world and all she knew… twice if you considered that things were as if she hadn't been here before. Whatever had happened before had been forgotten by everyone but her, all those she had come to know... and if her game had actually progressed... it was probably very hard on her and she wanted to maintain the distance to not get hurt more. He understood it because Alice had leaved without a second though to go with the hatter, but not before getting close to him, perhaps to close for his own liking, but that was how the game was played. With this girl however was different somehow, she was the one trying to keep the distance and that was probably for the better, because she would leave eventually anyways, just like Alice had, except that this time the foreigner had at least warn him about it. There were no vague implications or hopes, just cold certainty. Yet he couldn't help but feel the pull of the game and that there was far more behind her behavior.

"I know that the fact that everyone forgot you is hard but…" – He tried one more time.

"It's not just that you forgot, it's "what" you forgot."- She was being mysteriously vague again.

"Then why don't you tell me what I forgot."- It bothered him greatly that he didn't even know what he might have done before or what may had happened to her.

"I'd rather see if you remember yourself. " – She finished the conversation.

She got up and to head back upstairs, when she walked past Julius, the mortician saw that the back of her t-shirt was bloody and it was fresh. He stood up to stop her by putting his hand on her shoulder, but she stiffed at his touch and not even a second later she threw a round kick that hit him in the arm and sent him away.

Julius had been surprised by her reaction. It had been exactly like the night before when Ace had pulled on her braid.

Aria looked at Julius with a somewhat startled face, as if what she had done hadn't been intentional, just an automatic reaction, and Julius wondered once again what the heck must have happened to her that made her act this way. A foreigner reacting that violently defensive was completely unnatural unless they were getting the madness.

"Sorry, but as I said yesterday. I'm quite on edge, please don't touch me without warning… better not touch me at all. "- She took a step back from him, almost as if she feared he would retaliate. Her reaction had been worse than with Ace.

"You are bleeding"- He plainly said and pointed at her.

"?"- She seemed confused.

"Your back"- He kept pointed, surprised that she was not aware of it.

"Oh... ignore it."- She dismissed it as if it wasn't important. Her face didn't even seem worried.

"You need see a medic."- He insisted.

"Maybe, but remaining in anonymity is safer for the moment. If I don't sense it then it's probably nothing too serious"- It wasn't that it was a meager issue, it was that she was simply too numb to feel it.

"You are irritably troublesome"- He argued, not understanding how she was dismissing it. She was bleeding, had been for apparently some time and she hadn't even notice. It might not have been a bleed to death thing, but it wasn't just a nosebleed either. He also couldn't comprehend how she though remaining anonymous was more important than getting medical attention.

"You've called me that before..."- She murmured to herself and began climbing the stairs, unaware that Julius had heard her.

"I'll go get medical supplies at least" – The mortician called to her; his clock felt as if it was under weight. Had he done something to her before? The way she acted was not normal or healthy at all.

She stopped for a second to answer but didn't bother to look behind.- "That would be appreciated but it's unnecessary. I can manage myself."

By now Julius was mixed between wanting to help or strangle her. He stood up, and rather than following her upstairs, he went out of the tower and towards the nearest clinic.

Not too long after, Julius arrived at the clinic; it had been established not too long ago, probably during the time that was missing from his memory. It was small but neat and looked more like a spa than a hospital. He went directly to the drugstore and asked for first aid supplies and whatever could be needed to treat injuries.

From behind the lady at the counter an old doctor and director of the place came to attend him in person.

"Oh? The clock master... It is an honor to have you in our clinic sir. How can we help you?"- The old man respectfully addressed Julius. No one wanted to piss off a roleholder, much less the one in charge of clocks.

"I just need supplies for a first aid kid in case. Especially to heal cuts and lacerations. Someone I know got injured. " – Julius wanted to respect her wish to remain anonymous.

The old man looked at him and knew that there was more to it, Roleholders healed very fast; however it wasn't his business.-" Of course sir. May I provide assistance in any other way? If you require it we can attend patients in other locations with absolute confidentiality, or if you prefer I can at least provide counsel. "- The man said to Julius and then politely added-"Please do remember to clean and disinfect any would before applying the balm and bandages."

Julius nodded in acknowledge. In truth he wasn't good with healing, he just repaired clocks. Foreigners were something he couldn't fix. He tough about the bloody circles on her back and tried to imagine what may had caused them. - "How long does it takes to heal punctures for a person? "

"That depends sir, but at least a few days if they are a bit deep."- The doctor knew that Julius was not talking about a roleholder. Those with duties would take only a few time changes to regenerate. But normal people took longer – "Don't worry sir. It doesn't take that long. Just imagine if it was a foreigner. That could take even weeks and would scar, ha, ha." – The man joked but he noticed the eyes of the mortician go wide for a second and stiff.

The information hit Julius like cold water. She was a foreigner, and no matter how tough she looked, she wasn't as strong; and just like she had said, she was very vulnerable... and she was alone in the tower... Injured... And he didn't know how hurt she was. Although she had been wearing very little, he hadn't really paid attention to any other possible wounds.

"If you deem it sir, I can personally attend your friend... with total discretion ".- The doctor reassured Julius.

"Thank you, but that shall not be necessary" – Julius said, paid for the supplies and walked away to return to the tower.

The old man watched the mortician go away, and made a mental note to report his reaction to his boos "The Berceuse", the faction leader of the "Lullaby", a now wide underground organization created by the mercenary foreigner Aria Hadron Scherzi. It might not be anything important but it could perhaps give them information that could be used or sold. For the moment he was more focused on finding out what had happened with the stranger that had crashed into the hatter's wedding. The rumors had gone wide about a person falling from the sky wearing strange armored gear and acting quite lightly around the roleholders. That had been of great interested to the lullaby, who were desperately looking for their true boss with fanatical determination, especially when everyone else in Wonderland seemed to have forgotten about her. If the person was hurt, medical attention would be requested sooner or later.

Back in the tower, Julius went straight up to his office with the supplies in hand. When he entered he was surprised once again. The place was neat and some amount of clocks were organized in piles and boxes clearly labeled with what they probably needed in a way that they could be worked on by steps.

"I'm not good with analog devices, but I expect that implementing a steps methodology for the repair process will improve the restoration rate by at least 30%"- She was seated cross legged on the floor and checking a disarmed clock, pressing her fingers on the flat back surface of a small and thin device the size of a small book. Her back was still bloody and when Julius got close, he saw a representation of the clock she had at her side, like a diagram, but one that moved into a virtual space. It was amazing but creepy.

"Don't play with the clocks."- He got down to take the clock and it's pieces away from her hands with care and noticed how she stiffed when he got close.

"I'm not playing. I'm learning"- She stood up and got away from him, going towards the coach to play with the device.

Julius left the clock in his desk and then turned to her.

"Let me see your back." – He went back to her and showed her the supplies.

"No."-She immediately said, then she seemed to ponder how to correct her bluntness- "I appreciate it, but I can take care of it. If you give me the items I will tend to it myself, I'm also conscious that the cost of the supplies will be subtracted from my payment."

As if she had not thrown him out of the curve enough, now she was even thinking he was gonna charge her for the items! Just what had he done to her for having made her so distrustful and cold?

"Your back is hurt. You can't reach it yourself"- He tried to reason.

"I'll manage"- She stubbornly answered. Not quite sure herself why she was not simply accepting the help knowing well that she really needed it. Then she remembered how they had sent her on a suicidal mission to get Alice. They hadn't second though about exchanging her life for Alice's. Even if they didn't remember it.

He groaned.- "Just let me see it and help you."- His patience was already very thin. "I won't tell you which pile of clocks correspond to you if you don't let me."

"I could force you to tell me"- Oh yes, she could, but she didn't want to resort to that.

"Perhaps. But that doesn't change the fact that you are hurt and need help"

She was the one who groaned this time. She forced herself to admit it and accept the help. It was the most rational thing to do. – "Fine"- She turned around on the coach and gave him her back, then she took off her t-shirt without any care for shame.

Despite just seeing her back he blushed. She wasn't wearing any visible bra and she cared not about getting topless in front of him.

"You wanted to see, right!?" – She sounded annoyed.

"mmhh… are you wearing any… cover in front?"- He was blushing madly.

"huh? Yeah, nipple pastries, why? –She remembered that Julius was somewhat shy in some aspects –"Or is it you want me to take them off? "- She waited a couple seconds and before he answered anything she continued- " You insisted on helping on my back and I'm not gonna turn around."

He approached and sat besides her in the coach. He examined her back. She had a big tattoo running from the base of her nape and all along the back, and he could see many engraved metallic lines running all over her flesh, but there were also clearly visible many purple hits, scratches and some lacerations, at her side he could see the edge of a scar from a very big cut that ran probably to her front. Most noticeably there were punctures all along her spine as if needles had been pushed inside her skin. They were fresh.

"How did you got this!?"- He gulped and noticed how she stiffed when he touched her back. This was worse than what he had expected. And for some reason he was way more worried than he thought he'd be, maybe unconsciously he remembered something, but what?

"That's irrelevant to you."

"It's not! Troublesome woman." – It bothered him that she seemed to think that he was so cold and heartless.

She remained silent for a few seconds- "Are you going to do something else or just stare at my back? "

Julius took the cotton balls soaked in alcohol and used one to clean his hands and then another to clean her wounds. She didn't move at all. -"You won't tell me about this either, won't you?"- He said with a softer tone.

"No."- Her own tone as quite mechanical.

"At least tell me... Did I did something to you to cause you to be this distrustful?"- This has passed from being general to bother him personally.

"I was already more than distrustful even before coming to this world. But yes, you all did something to worsen things. I'm just a stranger to you now and it's not your problem. Don't bother."

Julius bit his lips and kept silent. How could they have hurt a foreigner this much?

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At the hatter's mansion, Blood Dupre, the mad hatter was enjoying a tea after finishing the preparations from his little homey moon vacation. He and Alice would be gone for a couple weeks, and in the meantime, all the business would be taken care of properly by Elliot. But there was one issue than interested him more, and it had everything to do with the stranger that had fallen down and interrupting his wedding.

That person had been far more than strange and far more mysterious than anyone could know.

Just as the stranger had said, he had waited for him at his office when the ceremony ended. There he had greeted him and Alice as if they knew him and had thrown Alice a purple ring with the unicorn emblem, but it had not been any common ring. As soon as Alice had it in her hands it had turned into the winxy pistol, a legendary weapon that could only compare to the vorpal sword. He had been far more than surprised, but legendary weapon aside, the person had indeed answered the questions as promised. He had indeed answered those questions he promised to answer at the wedding, and for some reason, both he and Alice believed the person.

The mysterious stranger had disappeared right afterwards and hadn't been heard off since then. But Blood had already arranged with Elliot to convince this person of visiting the mansion again, surely this person had even more juicy information, and that was information he wanted, or at least information he didn't want anyone else to have.

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And Aria can be really stubborn and hard to deal with if she decides so, right? Poor Julius, he is most likely very confused and Ace is not going to help on that situation… or is he?

However, from Aria's POV she really has no reason to trust them at all. She was already paranoid from the beginning and after all that happened to her she probably can't even comprehend herself anymore. What's left for her anyways? No one even remembers her… except for her faction that seem to be trying to get her back somehow. And the hatters seems to want to get that person… I wonder how that one will play out.

How do you think the lullaby faction could have changed during this time?