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-"Dialogue"-

("Inner thinking")

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AN EMOTIVE ENCOUNTER

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Next morning, Aria woke up warm and constricted in the middle of a heap with Ace using her breasts as pillows and Julius hugging her from behind. She lazily opened her eyes and took a deep breath, which prompted the two males to hold tighter, and that made her feel indecisive as if to be bothered, be uncomfortable at the closeness, or to simply lean back to enjoy the warmth, which would be admittedly nice since she was wearing a very small and silky nightgown. Last night had been warm and normal, but at the moment, the temperature had dropped and frost had formed outside the window, allowing her to see the snow falling outside, which meant that the season had changed, and she knew which season this was.

Aria needed to head to the forest but first she needed to get out; which would be hard given that she was being used as a plush doll. Closing her eyes not cause any shine from her integrated digital lenses that might wake up the sleeping holders, she concentrated on sending instructions to her A.I. Aegis via her secondary synchronization mode, which had become almost second nature to her.

Shadows crept from around the room and covered her whole body like a second skin, then they inflated her form a bit to let the holders keep hugging the slowly expanding darkness enough for her to slide from their grips a while they continued hugging the shadow mold of her form.

With very silent steps she walked into the bathroom where she washed her face while more shadows scrawled over her body to form a leather-like attire ready for winter. When she came out of the door Ace was already up and awake, and Julius was putting on his coat.

"You're ready too, Awesome! Where are we going? Somewhere romantic?" - Ace happily said while pulling Julius close.

Aria cracked her neck and headed for the door. -"I don't know where you're going. But since April season started, I'm off to the circus"

"You're going to see Joker?" - Julius asked while Ace pulled him towards the door. He didn't like it but it they couldn't stop her.

"Of course." She looked really eager to head out. "It's been a while since I saw the bastard."

Despite her insult, she seemed happy and very eager to go to the circus. Both men looked at each other and then at their girlfriend as the trio walked down the stairs..

"Fine. We'll go after we have breakfast"- Julius took the lead towards the kitchen.

"Wait. We? You're going to come?" - She asked knowing well what the answer was.

Ace put his hands over her shoulders and pushed her towards the kitchen's island before he took a seat in front. -"Of course. A knight can't let his dame go alone "

Very light chat was done during the quick and simple breakfast, mostly about the weather and how different it was between worlds, and after it was over, Aria dumped the dishes in the sink and then walked fast towards the door.

"If you wanna come fine"- Aria knew it was futile to tell them not to come. It wasn't as if that mattered. Their presence was irrelevant.

Not too long after, they were at the circus grounds. It had been a more or less quiet travel with more small chat, and quite fast too since Aria and Julius had NOT let Ace wander around. Aria had beeneager to arrive, but at the same time she was nervous. She was well aware that he best friend ever possibly didn't remembered her either and that was something she actually dreaded, knowing that that was a blow she could not take. Unlike anyone else, she held Joker in high regards and if there was someone's words that she cared for enough, those would be Joker's.

The trio walked between the tents heading for the main one. Aria had gotten stiffer and seemed on high alert. Julius looked impassive and calm but slightly wary and Ace was just smiling as always while the circus workers quietly observed them.

A cheerful voice made all of them turn towards the corner of a tend.

"My, a visit so soon in the season?"- White, the ring master, asked, stepping into Aria's line of vision as he step from behind a tent.

"Joker!" - Aria's eyes widened and ignoring everything else she ran towards the jester and looked him in the eye. After a second of silent desperate observance in search for any sight of recognition from him, it seemed that he didn't remember her either. She felt her heart breaking. clenching her firsts and frowning she swallowed -"I will make you remember, even if I have to rape you." - And just like that, right in the open and in public, with unwavering eyes she grabbed his shirt and pulled him with force towards her and connected her lips to his.

All sounds stopped in the vicinity except for some astonished gasp from the circus employees while Julius gaped and Ace's smile turned very forced.

Aria forced her tongue inside his mouth to deepen the kiss and then set her palms on his chest to send a desperate intent of mana directly into his clock and his being with the plea for making him remember. If she had to drain herself of chances and mana she would, and if this didn't work she'd drag him towards the prison and rape him while bombarding his clock until he remembered her.

Joker paused, surprised at her quick reaction and at the powerful influx of life and power she was giving him, then he briefly remembered why she was giving him her mana; she was under the impression he did not remember her. With a smug twitch of his cheek he straightened out his expression before pulling away with a pleasant smile -"That was quite unexpected, but if it's a means to make me remember something important do go ahead with your plans " - He sweetly purred before pulling her into another passionate kiss while barely giving the other two holders a smug and playful glance as Aria french kissed him.

A second later Black appeared while Aria was kissing his counterpart. - " ... The fuck, Aria? You missed us so much you want to rape my counterpart?" - Despite him looking annoyed that she almost went ahead and fucked the jester he walked up to her and pulled her into a tight hug that she immediately returned with gleeful force and teary eyes. -"Where have you been, you damn idiot?"

The last string had been pulled for her emotional resistance. Aria finally couldn't hold it in anymore as all emotions crashed down, she hugged Black with all her force and then buried her face on his chest and began crying.

"The hell!"- Black tried pulling away to see if she really was crying but she didn't let go.

White smiled, clapping his hands together while speaking rather loudly for everyone, specially a certain duo to hear. - "Oh ho~ how rare of a sight she only allows those closest to see!"

"I missed you, fucking idiot. " - Aria babbled. She didnt cared for the public but she did care for her friend.

"Did she just...break down?"- Julius finally spoke after having remained with his mouth open and what he was seeing. His mind could hardly comprehend her behavior.

Ace finally reacted to their girlfriend's public display of affection to Joker in front of them. While Aria continued crying out and leaning on the villain of wonderland for support, further destroying his and Julius's feelings; he took a step forward when the warden wickedly grinned at them, he kissed Aria's temple and snapped his fingers, disappearing in plain sight with the foreigner in his arms towards the prison.

The jester clapped his hands to catch the duo's attention.- "It seems my friend needs my most devote attentions, so go away while I care for her"- He then disappeared too half a second before Ace's sword cut the air where the jester had been.

Both holders were left standing there and staring at where their girlfriend had been. She had broken down in tears in Joker's arms in front of them. The mere suggestion that he didn't remembered her had pushed her determination to do anything and everything to make him remember her, and the happiness of being acknowledged had brought forth tears in a display of emotion that she had never gotten even close to for them.

"It seems our girlfriend has been kidnapped and it's our knightly duty to go and rescue her and bring her back by force, dead or alive " -Ace already turning around to head into the prison.

Julius turned around and began walking away while rubbing his temples, finally realizing just how many people he is involved with that were sick and twisted. His girlfriend wasn't into him at all despite they being an official trio. The trio concept was equally sick and absurd, it would only end bad in the end. Ace was mental obviously and right now was probably gonna start a big mayhem, nothing new, but Joker was now part of this. -"And these are the people I attract to myself. I'm going to destroy myself someday with this destructive behavior" - He was sure this was going to give him a headache. The foreigner was best friends with the villain of wonderland and was the girlfriend of the mortician and the executioner. But she at least was honorable in her word, so she would get back to the tower, right? maybe? hopefully?

"Where are you going Julius? You aren't gonna help me kidna… rescue Ary? "- Ace said and grabbed Julius shoulder to stop him. In his other hand he was holding a sturdy sack big enough to carry a person or a corpse inside. Where he got it so suddenly no would even dare guess.

"No. Get off. I have much too much work to do." - Julius removed Ace's hand from his shoulder and kept walking - "She'll be back… eventually… I hope"

Ace sighed and waved Julius goodbye before his smile turned VERY happy as he made his way into the prison, where he changed uniform and grabbed the the master rings that contained all the keys for the cells and began walking randomly, picking the keys out of their ring one by one and tossing them 'accidentally' in front of some particular cells while chanting -"She loves me. She loves me more" with each key he tossed as if he was picking out flower petals. It was just a matter of time until he ran out of keys and until he found his way to whenever Joker had taken HIS mercenary.

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Meanwhile, Julius was not even halfway out of the forest when he simply stopped, mulling over his options before, after muttering 'troublesome woman', he turned around to follow after Ace.

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In another part of the prison, the warden was on the floor, being suffocated by a bone crushing hug from the topping crying mess of a foreigner that had dared called him her best fucking friend ever in any word; her grip was impossibly strong and he was feeling all the crushing force of her affection.

"My my, dear! Why the long face? Tell me, what's wrong?" White kneeled besides them and asked, thoroughly amused by her rather out of character behavior.

For a response, Aria buried her face over the warden's chest and mumbled something completely unintelligible through her sobs. Joker had never seen her like this, crying and wailing her emotions out, and the fact that she was doing so for him out of happiness at seeing him, and out of despair of the possibility of him not remembering her, was most flattering. Plus, the constricting force of her embrace just felt too good on him. But not so much for Joker's Warden counterpart.

"Yeah yeah, I get it. You missed me. Now let me go or you'll break me, dammit" - Black was struggling somewhat under the hold but he wouldn't push his best friend away, in fact, he was still returning the hug.

A new wail of sobbing noises that just vaguely resembled words came but their meaning was still impossible to decipher. At that moment, the shadow below Aria and Black extended onto the floor and surprised White, whom stood up when the shadows raised from the floor into the form of a very cuddly bunny.

A deep male voice with a thick foreign accent was heard from the creature although it didn't opened its mouth.

"Greetings, Joker. I am Aegis, I'm my assigned user's: Aria Hadron Scherzi, A.I. residing in her shadow, devices and connective suit "-It gave a little nod of acknowledgement and then turned to look at its master - "My owner says she missed you deeply."- The bunny tilted its head -"She also thinks that you can understand her crying babbles, but since that's clearly not the case, it shall be my pleasure to translate for her."

"THE FUCK?! A fucking rabbit!?"- Black looked at the weird creature of darkness. He didn't like it. He also was more busy taking all the hugs and cuddles from Aria. His shirt was wet from her tears and he was sure that she'd leave bruises on him from hugging so tightly.

Aria briefly looked at her AI, her eyes flickered with a digital glint, and then she went back to her face on Black's chest and getting her hug firm as steel, impeding Black from crawling away while she was using a lot of the force available through the electricity 's neural stimulation for muscle contraction of her suit even though it looked like more normal clothes.

"But master, I like the funny reactions this form causes… alright, I'll change"- He then transformed into a small squirrel monkey and jump towards White's shoulders.

"Well now, isn't this interesting"- White grabbed the critter and held it in front of his eye to look at it. Besides this, only once had he seen a creature made out of darkness. The Jabberwocky in Diamond. -"It's cute" - He began cuddling with the monkey as much as Aria was holding onto the warden.

"Why the hell are you crying so much, Aria."- Black grumpily growled but otherwise did not let go of his needy friend.

Aegis jumped over White's head- "It is because only the last affliction was to be manifested by tears, the other ones, all she lost and how it progressed, far exceeded all manner of expression until this point. "

"The hell that means?" - Black had no idea what the monkey just said, but Aria shifted in the hug and heard his spine crack - "Aria! You are pressing too hard, dammit!"

The little monkey jumped to White's shoulder - "Basically my master has been of a sponge of situations that's been accumulating before she could take no more of it. She felt little first, but then things grew heavy. She has take everything but Joker forgetting her was the drop that overflowed the glass."-he pulled on Joker's golden hoop earring - "She really appreciates you."

White thoughtfully pondered what 'Aegis' was saying before he addressed Aria.- "Awe … so your feelings were hurt, were they? That's alright, Black will solidify our friendship again so please, hug him to your heart's content as hard as you can." -The jester heartlessly smiled, knowing she may just actually crush the life out of Black. And he had to admit he enjoyed that thought. His clock felt warm as Black let out a pained hiss, stiffening up as she tightened her grasp on him. White tilted his head, taking in the scene with a sense of happy familiarity. -("How cute, missing us to such a degree as to fall down at our feet bawling") - He wouldn't mind seeing more of that.

Aegis jumped over Aria's head to look at Black and spoke with tender and entertained content.- "My user really missed her best friend and the only person she currently considers as such. She won't let go, so I advise you respond to her affectionate demonstration since you have no one else so willing to trust and hug you." Aegis then jumped away and climbed towards White's shoulder again.

"S-She already fractured my spine" -Black barely choked out in a rasping voice, trembling with the strength he was using to try and pry her off but it wasn't working. She wasn't relenting on the strength, acting as if letting go of him would make him forget her.

Aegis eyes changed their glowy shade to match Aria's, and Aria tilted her head to see him. Her own eyes flickered a different shade and Aegis imitated the shade too. Then she babbled something more that very vaguely resembled spanish, and sobbed before she continued holding onto Joker as the shadows mutated her clothes into her regular armored suit.

"She says that you over exaggerate, you are not that weak that a mere hug with her suit's actuators can crush you, you crybaby" . Aegis translated with a few chuckles.

"Yes, Black, do continue comforting our guest." -White happily pet the monkey, rather enjoying it's soft, hyper realistic fur.

"HOW?! The fuck she wants from me?! A FUCK? IS THAT IT?! She'll break me before that!" -He barked angrily before another crushing squeeze from her suit encased body cut off his voice, forcing him to try and conserve breathing. Black wasn't about to resort to hurting her in order to get her off; not that he could with the suit on her. It was by no means just armor.

Aegis chuckled again . -"I agree with the other Joker, please comfort my user. She was all alone in the nightmare realm relieving everything again and again. You are the only person from this world she truly missed." - Aria stopped for a second and the AI shrugged -"She is not sure if I should have shared that part "- He then turned its head towards White - "May we inquire what happened while we were past Spades?

Joker paused - ("Spades!?") - White sat down on the bed and told her about the dreadful wait for getting to Diamond and his side of the battle against the Jabberwock's shadow copies, During the battle, while she battled the dragon in the middle of the locked-out arena, Black had gotten struck in the chest.

Aria's eyes widened with worry as she stopped her embrace - "Let me see that wound!"- She almost ripped open Black's jacket and shirt.

"What the hell are you doing now!?" Black demanded in an annoyed hiss but he didn't stopped her from opening his clothes.

Beyond her reddened eyes, Aria got really serious.- "The Jabberwock at Diamond had the characteristic that it was made of anti-mana, the opposite energy of what powers this world. The attacks from that creature doesn't damage per se, but their composition cancels or erodes existences."

Joker felt the care and worry she had for him. It was interesting that she knew what the Jabberwocky was and what it could cause, but that didn't surprise him. She was smart and knew much more than anyone should. -"I appreciate your concern, Aria. But it's fine. We got a hold of a little of some old potion of hearts that the king had around"

Aria pulled Black's shirt from his pants - "So the king had a potion?" - She moved aside to let Black get up and she immediately pulled him to the couch and set her hands over his chest. " Still, if you were hit, a bit of a potion might not have been enough. "- She saw a faint scar on the warden's chest and turned to the jester - "White, take your shirt off too"

"If I must," - Aegis jumped into Aria's shadow and disappeared in it while White all too happily complied, removing his shirt in the same manner; the jester didn't share the scar.

Aria let out a breath of relief and then returned her attention to Black, her eyes changing digital shades various times as she concentrated on the scar. - "I do see residual damage in your composition...Don't worry, I can erode the antimana and heal this"

Black grabbed her hand into his -"You can?" - By the scar that hadn't regenerated fully he knew the wound caused by the Jabberwocky was not completely healed.

The foreigner set her palms´carefully over the warden's chest and trailed them over his toned muscles while she concentrated on how much she desired the well-being and health and health of the living person she most respected in either world and the only person she truly called friend.

"Erase what erases? How do you plan to heal that?"- From no one else would Joker have expected anything like that.

As it always had been, her words held no doubt - "By any and all means I can." - Licking her lips she gazed deeply into his wine red eye while her body moved even closer to him… and then, the door banged open to reveal Ace.

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By the way, I received a question about how it is that Jericho does looks like Aria's old love from her world when Alice is around. The explanation for how it is that the game evolves and why did this holder got to look like someone the foreigner knew without needing to mess with her head (like it happened to Aloce thanks to Nightmare) is in the M-shot of ' Wonderful Wonderful One-shots: JERICHO '.

Also, if you like Peekodemeko's characters, there an M involving her character Griffin too ;D

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