Connections (Alice and Joker)

[Joker]

When Joker had risen from her slumber this morning she found the strangest of things. Something she’d never quite felt before. And no, it wasn’t the fact she had even woken up in the morning at all (Which also had never happened before, come to think of it.). No, she felt awake today. She felt like doing something. She didn’t even feel tired. The girl had simply rolled out of ‘bed’ (Or as much as the air can be a bed) and opened her eyes. No bags under her eyes, no grumbling. Just poof, up and awake. Well, maybe that was putting it too generous. Joker was still, well, Joker. Awake for her was probably what a human would consider a lazy Sunday. But still, considering her normal demeanor it was a remarkable change.

But that wasn’t all. She could feel something else. Well, a couple of something else’s, actually. The most obvious to her was, well, energy! No, not the same energy that made her feel more awake today. And not the kind of energy that makes a person go for a jog. This was different. It was as if energy was coming into her! What a wonderful feeling. Joker had never had this before. It was so strange. She wasn’t even sure where it was coming from. All she knew was somewhere deep in her being it felt like a bright warm something was flowing into her from some far away place. How does one describe something like that, really? Joker wasn’t even sure she could put it into words herself and she was the one experiencing it.

She knew it felt good though. Really good. But it sure was an awfully small amount of energy, wasn’t it? She wanted more. As much as she could get! Practically without thinking, and certainly without consciously realizing just how she knew how to do it, Joker found her self reaching her own body’s energy out towards this glowing warm something. While it’s certainly hard to describe such abstract metaphysical concepts, for lack of a better phrase Joker grabbed the little bright thing with her own spirit. She gripped it tight, refusing to let it go. Come here, you little whatever you are! Give me more!

Joker tugged violently on this energy source with her soul. She could feel the little energy influx groan and resist her attempts to meddle with it. In fact, it almost seemed... scared? She could practically hear it whimpering in fear at the sudden intrusion in it’s space. Was Joker doing something wrong? In fact, her own spirit seemed to be grumbling as well, almost as if it didn’t want to touch this thing. What was going on? Was this bad?

And yet, it felt so good! With every tug she made on this thing she found it gave her a little more of itself. A little more energy flowed from this warm spot and into Joker. Harder! She had to pull harder! Joker ignored the groans the little sprite and her soul kept projecting at her. Nothing that felt this good could be wrong! Shoving the protests completely out of her mind Joker forced her spirit to give one last, final, overwhelming pull on the crying energy source.

There. That finally did it. Joker released her command over her own soul which immediately released the sobbing sprite inside of her. It was done though. What had previously been merely the equivalent of a leaking faucet dripping energy was now a waterfall. A raging torrent of soul filling what seemed a dry and cracked lakebed inside her. She could feel it filling up every inch and corner of her being. It felt... wonderful! And more so, it somehow tasted delicious. Joker wondered why.

But who cared. It was such a great feeling. That was all that mattered. However that wasn’t all that was different. Not at all. She could feel something. A dull throbbing, though not in a bad way. It too seemed to be coming from somewhere inside her. However, this one wasn’t so mysterious at all. In fact, she recognized it quite well. It was her friend, Alice. Right, that was her name, wasn’t it. Joker wondered why she had said it was Lyra. But somehow, she knew it was definitely Alice. Joker could feel her. He could feel her nearby, actually. She just knew it. Joker didn’t know how she knew, but she knew. It just felt like they had a connection. And not the kind friends or lovers make. Those were bonds, sure, but you couldn’t touch them. This was something Joker could see. She could feel. She could follow it all the way back to Alice.

And that was just what Joker decided to do with her day. She hasn’t seen her friend since that day at the warehouse, and she never had gotten her tea. If her brain was going to tell her where her friend was she may as well take advantage of that and go see her. Before she knew it she was out the door to her office. She raced down the hall, or as much as Joker could race. Joker was on the street in a blink of an eye and heading off towards the strand. Towards the direction this throbbing sense in her head was telling her Alice was in. Or rather, to Alice herself. She wasn’t being told where she was. She just knew.
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(930)

[Deleted]

Alice couldn't escape. The dark clawed hand reached out to her, almost as black as the darkness itself. Alice screamed, but the hand didn't stop. It grabbed her, scratched her, tore her to pieces. It ignored her cries as it dismembered her piece by piece until finally it lodged itself in her chest, tearing at her heart. The scariest part was... she knew who was doing this.

Alice awoke with a start. The nightmare she had quickly vanished back into her subconscious where she could not resurface it. All that was left was a feeling of uneasiness. It had been almost a week since she had begun living in Isaac's beautiful apartment in the Strand. Isaac didn't want her to do anything until she recovered and she complied half out of guilt for the events of the week before, half to escape another one of his embarrassing speeches. She instead spent most of that week exploring her new living area. She still couldn't believe it. She could never look at Isaac the same way again.

Weirdly, despite having spent most of that week resting off her injuries, she felt really groggy that morning like she hadn't slept in a few days. It wasn't unbearable. She was used to going long stretches of time without sleep, but it was quite strange. Maybe it was just the stress. That was how Alice had been explaining all her weirdness that week. Ever since being released from the hospital Alice had the sensation of being watched. She sometimes heard low mumbling when no one was around or caught the shadow of a figure on the edge of her vision. It wasn't a strong feeling and she had been followed home and attacked by nightmares just a week ago, so it was understandable that she'd be a little paranoid for a while.

This morning was quite different though. A haunted feeling descended upon the girl as she existed the guest room. Her heart starting beating fast as if she were about to panic. She didn't know why. No one was there. Even Isaac had gone out to gather supplies for the base. The only one in the apartment was Alice. Still, she could feel it. Eyes on her back. She turned around quickly but, of course, no one was there. Then she felt something come alive in the back of her brain. It was like a spark resting in her thoughts. Someone was approaching. That someone was... Joker?

How did she know that!? Her chest tightened for a reason she couldn't understand. She wasn't afraid of Joker, right? That lazy nightmare? What was she so worried about? The bright spark in her brain nudged her forward in the direction she just knew Joker was in. It was like her body was having a fight with itself. Was this because of the... contract?

Her reasonable side knew that she shouldn't meet Joker, shouldn't speak to the Falvadin again for Isaac's sake, the guilds sake and her own. The little spark in her mind had other ideas. It continued to point toward the nightmare, screaming to go meet with them. The haunted feeling didn't go away either and urged her to run. She stood there unsure of what to do...

...She needed to meet with them.

Fighting her own panic she made her way to the door and down the elevator, finally emerging in the sunshine on the beautiful Strand. There they were. That little spark of instinct was right. What was happening to her?

"Jo...ker?"

[Joker]

Joker wasn’t sure why she was so excited to meet Alice all of a sudden. They were friends, sure, but she didn’t normally get so invested in anything. Especially not enough to move with what could be described as haste. It must have been something to do with this spark in her head, driving her forward towards her pact-mate. Or maybe it was this new found energy she had inside her. That certainly made her want to get up and move. She didn’t even care enough to get breakfast before rushing out.

The early morning sun shone down on Joker’s face as she floated outside. Did the sun always feel this good? Everything seemed so much more pleasant today that it had just the day before. Seems seemed stronger, sounds more crisp, smells more... smelly. What word would you use to describe smells being stronger? Pungent? Yeah, that was probably right. Joker found herself wondering just what made everything feel just so good today. Hell, it didn’t matter.

The throbbing in her head was getting stronger. Alice was definitely close. Somewhere in the Strand, that was for sure. Joker thought about just why she’d be way out here. Her home was in that warehouse way out in the... what were they called again? Slums, right? Yeah, she lived way out there. Wait, didn’t her house get wrecked by wolves? Well, her house didn’t get damaged at all, just her door. Maybe she was out getting a new door?

Was that Alice? Joker had been so distracted thinking about all the new things she was experiencing today she hadn’t even realized that she had nearly reached her friend. The sense in her head was going off like fireworks. Though it still felt pleasant somehow. In fact, that little sprite of energy Joker had torn open earlier seemed to agree. As Joker approached her friend the already gushing torrent of spirit seemed to open up a little more. That felt nice. Tasty, tasty soul. Joker didn’t think that one could actually fill their stomach on metaphysical meals, but if she could she’d probably be burping right about now.

Joker waved at her friend on the street as she approached. Yep, the was her. Joker floated towards her at the speed of a brisk jog. It was probably the fastest she’d ever moved. It wasn’t even tiring! Usually all this effort would have simply left her exhausted, yet right now she felt like she could run a mile. Well, float one. Ok, maybe half a mile. A fourth? Still, she totally could have at least done some of a mile. Maybe with a nap halfway, but considering she’d normally be napping while floating it was definitely an improvement. Guess all this new energy didn’t help that much after all.

“Hey, Alice. How ya’ doin’?” Joker said, smiling. The extra pep she had today was certainly noticeable to anyone familiar with her typical demeanor. Although her energy level still fell well below the average for, well, anyone, it certainly was at least somewhat of an improvement for her. “Did you ever finish making that tea? I never did get a chance to try it.”
---
(545)

[Deleted]

“You seem awfully cheery this morning…”

It was true, the nightmare seemed exceptionally perky today or, at least, exceptionally perky for Joker. Maybe it was like the difference between a sloth and a lazy house cat. It was abnormal anyway and slightly irritating. Normally any improvement on the nightmare’s passivity would be a cause for celebration in Alice’s mind, but today she was kind of in a bad mood. She felt tired and the vague sense of dread wouldn’t release its hold on the girl’s chest.

She thought about tea. Well, there was tea up in Isaac’s apartment, but Alice wasn’t sure she wanted to bring the Falvadin up there. What if someone saw? What if Isaac came back? What if this creature was not trustworthy? Despite the events of the past week, that last option seemed the least likely to Alice. It wasn’t really because Joker was apathetic or dumb, but for some reason being this close… Alice could feel her. She could feel Joker’s laziness, her carelessness, her unexplained perkiness. Alice could feel the girl’s intentions, somehow. She could feel everything.

Alice didn’t know how to deal with this new sixth sense, but she could guess its source. The contract. It was still in effect. Did that mean she still had Joker’s powers? Could Joker sense her as well? The dread gripped her even tighter. Was there a way to break it? Did… did she want to? Alice didn’t know why not, but she seemed hesitant. The bright spot in her mind began to hum contentedly.

“I can maybe make us tea… Hey, you didn’t tell anyone about me… about what we did, right?”

Alice was still concerned about the beasts that attacked her at the base. Who had sent them? Why? Maybe that was a good enough reason to indulge Joker for awhile even if it was blatant rationalization. It would be really bad if the Falvadin, any other Falvadin at least, found out about the rebellion. Joker was kind of dim, so she hoped the nightmare wasn't spreading around Alice’s name too much… Wait…

“How- how do you know my name?!”

[Joker]

The throbbing in Joker’s head was gone, replaced with a simple constantly glow. It almost seemed like some kind of radar system, although that was probably oversimplifying it. Now that Joker was ‘standing’ next to Alice the light just stayed on instead of blinked, so to speak. Not that it was actually a light. A feeling. A premonition. A little fuzzy wuzzy. How do you explain something like this, really? Joker certainly couldn’t put it into words. Maybe Alice could, although she doubted that as well, somehow. It was probably just too bizarre to put into proper words.

Speaking of Alice, she seemed upset. Not obviously. No, she looked fine externally. However somehow Joker just knew she was worried about something. Or maybe scared? Nervous? Something bad, that’s for sure. Come to think of it, how did she know that? The same way she knew where Alice was? She certainly couldn’t see anything that was giving her emotions away. Joker found herself inspecting Alice’s face unusually closely, nearly pressing her nose again her friend’s. No, nothing. She looked totally normal. Perhaps it was this strange connection giving it away.

“I can maybe make us tea… Hey, you didn’t tell anyone about me… about what we did, right?”

Hmm? Tell anyone about her? Was she supposed to? She hadn’t thought of any reason she needed to tell anyone about her friend. Not that anyone had asked in the first place. In fact, Joker couldn’t remember talking to anyone recently. Usually she at least passed people in the hall now and then. The last few days though the area around her office had been strangely empty. What was that about? Maybe people were avoiding her for some reason. Oh right, Joker had some raisins her pocket, didn’t she. Joker shoved her hand into the pocket of her pants suddenly and yanked a small plastic bag of shriveled brown raisins from inside. She quickly began munching on them, offering some to Alice as well.

“I don’t think so.” Joker said as she gulped down a chewed up wad of dried grape, instantly stuffing some more into her mouth to replace it. “Wush I shuposhed to?” she asked, slurring due to her mouth being full of tasty, tasty raisin. These were almost as tasty as that thing inside of her. Although not quite.

Suddenly Joker realized Alice did looked outwardly shocked. She could certainly still feel the jump in her blood pressure, however this time it showed directly on her face. Was there something on Joker’s face? She absentmindedly wiped whatever bug must have just landed on her cheek. Nope, nothing there. Or maybe it flew away? Perhaps she just had raisin on her nose. Alice certainly seemed agitated though. Joker could tell she had just realized something that freaked her out something fierce. That didn’t seem like the proper response to nose raisins.

“How- how do you know my name?!”

How? She’d told it to her, right? No wait, she’d called herself Lyra before. That’s right. Was she not supposed to know the name Alice, then? Maybe Joker should have given a fake name to her friend too. Is that normal for friends? Wait, Alice had already known her name, hadn’t she. Well if she already knew the name Joker, why is it weird that she knew Alice? Thinking about it though, how did she know her name? She hadn’t been told it. She just seemed to have figured it out somehow. Or I guess she just learned it. But she hadn’t thought about it either. So she couldn’t really have learned it. Perhaps she just... knew it? Joker supposed that was it. It seemed she knew a lot of strange things about Alice today. Joker scratched the side of her head and leaned back in the air. “I dunno... I just do?” she sounded unsure of herself, and frankly she was. But it was the best answer she had, really. I mean, what else could she say? I mean, she didn’t even really know what was going on herself.

Joker began slowly circling Alice in midair, looking her up and down. There was something wrong with her right? She knew she felt something off about her. But what? Scared maybe. Nervous, she supposed. Alice’s heart seemed like it was racing, and Joker didn’t even know how she knew this in the first place. But nothing seemed off about her. Yet it kept gnawing at Joker for some reason. What was this feeling? What would make her so tense? Maybe she should just ask...

“Are you alright?” Joker finally managed to query. Her voice wavered slightly. She definitely was confused over this strange response she was getting from her friend. “I just have this feeling like... something is wrong with you?”

[Deleted]

"What are you doing?"

Joker was standing uncomfortably close. Alice backed up a few paces only to have a plastic bag shoved in her face. She looked at the withered fruit and shook her head. They didn't look at all appetizing. Joker apparently disagreed.

“I don’t think so. Wush I shuposhed to?”

Alice tried to ignore the sloppy food-filled slurring and thought about how she would tactfully word her response. She wasn't sure if the weird sensations she was feeling from the nightmare were helping her or hindering her in this. Mostly it was distracting and disturbing and she wanted it to stop. The revelation that Joker just knew her name out of the blue was even more disturbing. She didn't think this would happen when she asked to borrow the nightmare's powers. Well, she hadn't been thinking much at the time. Did this mean Joker knew all about her? Did she know about the gang, about the rebellion?

"No. I think it's good they don't know. You said we were friends, right? Well, I could get in trouble if people found out we... made a contract with each other. I'm a human and people look down on... that kind of relationship between humans and nightmares. I also don't want you telling others about that warehouse we went to before. I don't want anymore wolves showing up. Basically, we will be secret friends from now on. I won't be your friend anymore if you tell anybody. Probably because I'll be dead."

Alice mumbled that last line even though Joker was probably close enough to hear it. She stared at the Falvadin intently, trying to gauge with her newfound "abilities" whether they understood. She somehow knew to go for the "friend" angle, but she wasn't sure if it was enough to bring home the importance in what she was saying.

When joker began to circle her, Alice couldn't help but be reminded of a shark. What was this? The nightmare seemed to be radiating curiosity and, faintly, something else.

“Are you alright? I just have this feeling like... something is wrong with you?”

Alice raised her eyebrow at this. Was there something wrong? Besides being a bit tired and jumpy she didn't think think there was too much to be concerned about. She was probably just coming down with a cold or something. Wait, the feeling she felt from the nightmare. Was it concern? No, that was impossible. There was no way a nightmare could feel concern for someone else, least of all a nightmare like Joker. Well, that wasn't fair. Joker was a bit different then most nightmares. She was still a nightmare, but she was a very tolerable nightmare, if there was such a thing.

"Sorry, I've been kind of jumpy ever since coming back from the hospital. It's probably just a little post traumatic stress. What about you. Why are you so lively this morning?"

[Joker]

"No. I think it's good they don't know. You said we were friends, right? Well, I could get in trouble if people found out we... made a contract with each other. I'm a human and people look down on... that kind of relationship between humans and nightmares. I also don't want you telling others about that warehouse we went to before. I don't want anymore wolves showing up. Basically, we will be secret friends from now on. I won't be your friend anymore if you tell anybody. Probably because I'll be dead."

Well that certainly didn’t sound good. Or at least death didn’t. Joker wasn’t entirely clear on why any of this might be something bad, but it wasn’t like she particularly cared either way. Well, about whether her friend died, sure, but that was because then she’d never get her tea. All this other cultural mumbo jumbo and “what was right” juju had gone clear over Joker’s head. It wasn’t that she had thought about it and ignored it, it was that she hadn’t thought about it at all.

However what she did understand was much simpler. Tell people about friend, friend dies. Friend dies, no tea. That was something Joker understood. A thought process she could grasp, no problem. So the path forward was clear. Joker nodded understandingly to her friend. “Ok. Our secret.” she whispered to Alice. That was it? Really? After Alice’s speech her answer was just ‘Ok’? Well, this was Joker after all. At least she was being honest.

"Sorry, I've been kind of jumpy ever since coming back from the hospital. It's probably just a little post traumatic stress. What about you. Why are you so lively this morning?"

Hmm? Was that all? Well a little post traumatic stress never hurt anyone. What was that, anyway? Well if she wasn’t worried about it than Joker figured she didn’t have to be either. Still, she couldn’t shake the feeling of unease she was getting off of Alice. Was she really ok? Well she’d said she was, so she supposed she had to be then. She just felt so... off.

As for herself, Joker was feeling great. No problems whatsoever. She wasn’t even hungry despite the fact that she was greedily eating from her bag of raisins. Where’d she find these anyway? Oh right, she had found them on the windowsill in her office. She couldn’t remember leaving them there though. Maybe the last person to have the office left them there? Come to think of it, who was the last person who had her office.

Joker looked at the bag in her hand. Wait, this wasn’t a raisin bag. It clearly said ‘Grapes’ on it. How old was this bag, anyway...? Maybe she shouldn’t be eating these after all... Oh well. Too late now. Joker shrugged at the situation. Nothing to be done. Except eat more of these raisins.

“I don’t know.” Joker said, finally responding to Alice’s question. “I just woke up today and it was like I had a new source of energy.” Frankly, Joker was being quite literal with her words. However it was unlikely that anyone who wasn’t feeling just what she was feeling right now would be able to grasp that fact.

Suddenly and unexpectedly Joker reached her hand out towards Alice, placing her hand on her belly. Before her friend had a chance to jump back Joker rubbed it a few times, feeling the stitches underneath her clothing. Hmmm, that’s right, she had gotten in a fight, hadn’t she? Joker had nearly forgotten. It had been so long ago, it seemed. Well maybe not that long. She did still have stitches after all. She couldn’t believe she’d forgotten, really. I mean, she remembered giving her a hug. And whatever that hug had done. A contract, right? Yeah, she remembered that much. Oh right, she was pretty tired then. That was probably why she had forgotten.

“Yeah, those feel pretty bad...” Joker said, nodding absentmindedly. It seemed she was completely oblivious of the social faux pas she’d just committed. It was probably a good idea to ask before just rubbing a belly. Even if they’re your friend. “Have you been resting? I hear rest is good when you’re sick.” Joker knew her stuff when it came to sleeping. Well, she knew sleeping was good. She probably shouldn’t have specified that is was only good when you’re sick. Rest was good all the time.

As much as Joker wanted her tea, maybe she should let her friend recover first. Tea wouldn’t go anywhere, right? Unless it did. But she was pretty sure that didn’t happen. Unless there was a tea dream running around somewhere. That kind of tea would probably go somewhere on it’s own.

“I guess we could get tea later if you’re not feeling well...” Joker mumbled, though she sounded rather dejected at the thought.

[Deleted]

“Ok. Our secret.”

Really? Did she really understand? This whole contract business was getting more dangerous by the minute. Joker knew her name out of nowhere and could maybe even sense Alice's presence. Right now it probably didn't matter much if people knew her name and the "base" just looked like a homeless hideout, so it's not like things were nearly as bad as they could have been. It would become a hindrance in the future however and if Joker couldn't keep her mouth shut Alice might just be forced to kill her. That would look awfully suspicious however, so she would wait until she really had no other choice in the matter. Yes, that was definitely the reason.

Alice just shrugged at the energy comment. She had thought maybe something interesting had happened to the nightmare, but apparently it was just a mystery. Lucky them. Alice was feeling more exhausted by the minute, though that was how she had always felt when conversing with Joker. The Falvadin hadn't become any less vexing with her newfound peppiness and Alice was starting to question why she had even wanted to speak with them in the first place. It was that itch in the back of her mind. She wondered if it would shut up now that they had met with each other.

Alice suddenly flinched as the nightmare laid a hand on her stomach. She pulled away but not before Joker grazed her fingers over the wound she had received the night they had made the contract. Joker wasn't particularly gentle either.

"Ow! What are you doing now?"

Did the boost to Joker's energy level turn her into a personal space invader or was it the contract again? Whatever it was, Alice wasn't comfortable with it. She started to mount a protest, but nightmare's next statement took her off guard.

“Yeah, those feel pretty bad... Have you been resting? I hear rest is good when you’re sick. I guess we could get tea later if you’re not feeling well...”

That was awfully considerate... for a nightmare. Alice thought about it. She didn't really feel sick, just exhausted and nervous. She was sure both were due to the overall stress she had been under for the past week. She had nearly died, made a contract with a nightmare, started living with Isaac, started... other things with Isaac... now all these weird feelings towards Joker. It was highly nerve wracking and exceptionally exhausting. Yeah, that had to be it.

"Well, I've been trying to rest, but it's been kind of hard. I've been really on edge and there's been personal issues and bad dreams... I should have my stitches out in about a week and maybe I'll be able to sleep better then. You don't really care about that though."

Alice had said that mostly to herself. She hoped it was true. It wasn't natural to sleep so often and yet still be so tired. She thought she was getting better, but this morning was just awful!

"Unfortunately the only tea I have belongs to my friend and he is not here right now, but if you came here to discuss something we can go someplace private."

All of that was just an excuse. She knew she shouldn't lead the Falvadin to Isaac's apartment for various reasons, but she didn't really want to let the creature go either. It wasn't just a coincidence that the creature was wandering around outside the building Alice was in. Though maybe she really did just want some tea...

[Joker]

Joker jumped ever so slightly when Alice recoiled from her sudden personal space intrusion. She hadn’t expected that kind of reaction. Although she didn’t know what reaction she had expected either. Maybe she wasn’t supposed to have done that? Joker wasn’t sure why though. I mean, they were friends right? Maybe friends weren’t supposed to touch each other. Although Alice hadn’t seemed to mind when she hugged her earlier. Urgh, all this friend stuff was so confusing.

Wait a second, Joker had jumped? A tiny one. It was practically more a shiver than a proper jump. But still, that was a lot for her. She really was feeling energetic today. Maybe this was something to be worried about. It certainly was something unusual, and it wasn’t so much a rare occurrence as one that has never occurred before at all. Maybe she should go to the doctor. Maybe JOKER was the sick one. Oh no. Maybe is was Ebola. Or Malaria. Or tapeworms. Joker looked down at her bag of raisins. If it’s tapeworms it’s too late now...

"Well, I've been trying to rest, but it's been kind of hard. I've been really on edge and there's been personal issues and bad dreams... I should have my stitches out in about a week and maybe I'll be able to sleep better then. You don't really care about that though."

Well that was good. She couldn’t make tea if she was hurting. Joker was kinda looking forward to trying it. Alice had said it was her favorite drink, after all. That must mean it’s good. Although Alice had said she didn’t like pickles... maybe her opinion wasn’t so trustworthy after all. Still, tea was a good enough reason to hope Alice got better soon, right?

"Unfortunately the only tea I have belongs to my friend and he is not here right now, but if you came here to discuss something we can go someplace private."

Joker scratched her head slightly as she thought. Had she come for a reason? Come to think of it, she hadn’t even really come for tea in the first place. She’d simply woken up and had the sudden urge to follow a blinking light in her head. It sounded pretty silly when she put it that way. Who follows strange head lights? Well, she supposed she did. Joker had just done so, after all. But still, that probably falls under the weird end of the ‘What should I do today?’ spectrum. Most people probably don’t run outside after a person they find they can suddenly sense through some kind of telepathic connection. Most people probably don’t even wake up to find mysterious brain links in the first place!

Joker finally shrugged. She really had nothing. “I guess I just felt like saying hi?” she asked, questioning her own answer. In any case, she didn’t have a better one. “Why? Did you have something you wanted to talk about?”

[Deleted]

“I guess I just felt like saying hi? Why? Did you have something you wanted to talk about?”

Alice thought about it. Did she? Well, probably. Wasn't talking to Joker the reason she was in the mess to begin with? She never did learn anything about the party that the Falvadin were throwing, but she didn't really want to ask about it now after what had happened. Thinking about it, there was a large part of her that really didn't want to be near the nightmare right now and the other part wasn't sure why she needed to be there either. So why was she there. To say hi?

"Well, I came down here because I could sort of feel you were here. Did you do this? Like, when we made a contract? I kind of sense this weird connection between us... We still have a contract right? Like... are you still sharing your powers with me?"

It was the nightmare that had actually established the contract after all. Alice hadn't known what she was doing or how any of that worked. It was Joker who gave her that strange hug that allowed Alice to borrow her powers. Was it normal to have this... link? Did Joker do something wrong? The nightmare would have to know.

Without waiting for answer, Alice looked around to make sure no one was watching and dug in her brain for the unexplained knowledge that she had gained that night a week before. She took a deep breath and did a little hop into the air. She didn't come back down. Instead she floated a few inches off the ground. Alice quickly lowered herself back down. So they were still there... She didn't know how to feel about that. Joker's abilities were amazingly powerful, but... knowing that they came with this 'connection' bothered her a lot. Did she literally sell her soul for them?

Well if she had sold her soul it seemed almost worth it. She not only got the the creature's time warping powers, but Joker herself could be useful as an 'in' to the Falvadin and maybe even the President. Still, the danger she had put herself in and the fact that she was committing her father's same mistake wore heavy on her mind. What did it mean that she wasn't begging Joker to break all ties with her?

Maybe she was being a bit hasty. She didn't even know how deep the connection was. Alice didn't know much more about the Favadin except for what she was explicitly told. Maybe a name was all Joker knew. Knowing each other's feelings wasn't such a big deal, though very creepy. If that was all it was, then... she didn't have to feel too guilty right?

"Well, I suppose we could talk about eachother. How much do you know about me exactly?"

[Joker]

"Well, I came down here because I could sort of feel you were here. Did you do this? Like, when we made a contract? I kind of sense this weird connection between us... We still have a contract right? Like... are you still sharing your powers with me?"

Oh, that’s so wacky, isn’t it? Alice could feel Joker too. They really did have some kind of funky connection going on then, huh. That certainly was neat. At least Joker figured it was. Perhaps she should have been more concerned over it, but truthfully she wasn’t. Not that that should have been at all surprising. Joker never really concerned herself with anything, it seemed. It would have been more unusual if she was curious or upset about the situation.

Equally unconcerning to her was Alice’s newfound capability of flight. Well, floating. It really wasn’t the same as flight. Although Joker did admit it was surprising. Not jump worthy, but definitely unexpected. Yet Joker seemed to get a kick out of it. She grinned wide and clapped her hands together softly like a thrilled child. “You can do it too! Isn’t it fun?” Joker said with what almost amounted to excitement, doing a sudden somersault in air as she did. “It sure beats that walking thing, right?” It occurred to her that Alice had asked a question in addition to just showing off though. What was it again? Oh right, whether this was her doing. Joker supposed so. Where else would it have come from?

Although she didn’t really know just how she did it. She had kinda done it on instinct and not running off anything she actually knew. But she knew that they had a pact. That much was clear to her. “I guess I did do it, didn’t I...” Joker mumbled more to herself than anything. “I mean, I did make a pact with you... I think...” Considering Alice had just copied Joker’s floating she figured it wasn’t necessary to tell her that she still had her powers. Not that she would have been sure herself if she hadn’t just seen Alice float. Regardless, the answer was obvious to both of them now, so no point dwelling on it, right?

"Well, I suppose we could talk about each other. How much do you know about me exactly?"

Joker began to think about the question pretty hard for once. She definitely seemed to getting some weird vides off this connection they now shared. And she already figured out her name through it. Maybe she could learn other things to. Joker decided she may as well give it a go. It wasn’t like she had a reason not to. Joker’s face scrunched up as she began concentrating heavily. She wanted to reach across the link they had between each other and see what she could see. It was something she’d never done before, and yet just like making a pact she just knew what to do. Alice could suddenly feel Joker’s ‘fingers’ probing her head, thought not very hard or in depth. For some reason it seemed like Joker was having a hard time poking in Alice’s brain.

She certainly got a couple things though. Nothing the sounded very important, and it was all muddy anyway. Joker wondered if she’d get better at this whole mind reading thing eventually. And on the subject, she wondered whether Alice could to the same thing to her. Wouldn’t that be neat. Most people probably wouldn’t describe someone reading their mind as neat, but Joker was anything but normal.

“Hmmm... I guess I know a little bit...” Joker said, still concentrating, though no longer on reading Alice’s mind. Instead she found herself studying the information she’d picked up. It didn’t really make much sense to her. Maybe she just lacked context? “Something about a gang?” she questioned, though not necessarily looking for an answer. She was merely unsure of her own response. “I think I saw a guy there too...” she continued. “I think he was kissing someone... I think it was you but I’m not sure...” Joker sighed. “I guess it’s not much. Nothing that seems important at least. Sorry...” she sounded genuinely sad. Almost like she felt she failed. Suddenly, Joker began to giggle to herself. Had she just pieced some more information together? What was giving her the sudden grins?

“Heehee, you sleep naked, don’t you!” she said still laughing slightly to herself.

[Deleted]

“You can do it too! Isn’t it fun? It sure beats that walking thing, right?”

Alice ignored the question. Well, it was fun... just a little. That wasn't the point though. It wasn't like she could use it the same way Joker did anyway. It was far too noticeable. It would beat walking everywhere she had to admit, but really that was the least of Joker's abilities. It's not like she would have done what she did just for Joker's floating abilities... probably.

“I guess I did do it, didn’t I... I mean, I did make a pact with you... I think...”

Alice wanted to object to this, but continued to hold her tongue. It wasn't a Pact! It was more like an agreement. Maybe they were synonyms... but a Pact was something different! It was something special! Pacts were done between humans and dreams who trust and care about each other. Neither of those terms really applied to their relationship. What kind of relationship was this exactly? Alice had unhappily gone along with Joker's "friend' term, but that definitely wasn't right. Acquaintance? Associate? Person she hated, but forced herself to be around for some reason?

She waited patiently as Joker seemed to think hard about how much she knew about Alice. Alice didn't think it was a particularly difficult question, but apparently it was causing the nightmare a fair bit of trouble considering the concentration on her face. Just when Alice was starting to think she should speak up before the creature had an aneurysm or something, she felt something alien and cold probing at her mind. It was a weird, uncomfortable experience. Alice shook her head as if to shake away the psychic tendrils groping at her mind. This was too much! It was scary and strange. She was going teach the touchy nightmare what personal boundaries meant!

“Hmmm... I guess I know a little bit... Something about a gang? I think I saw a guy there too... I think he was kissing someone... I think it was you but I’m not sure... I guess it’s not much. Nothing that seems important at least. Sorry... Heehee, you sleep naked, don’t you!”

Every new revelation Joker came up with made Alice turn a darker shade of red. What was that?! She really had sold her soul hadn't she?!

"I- I- don't sleep naked... anymore! I have a nightgown now! Also, that gang is something else you must keep secret and- and- it's none of your business who I kiss!"

Alice yelled at the nightmare, not realizing that with all the noise she was making people were more likely to hear the truth from her own mouth than the Falvadin. She also seemed to have a weird order of priorities. Flustered and deeply mortified she attempted to use the same 'path' that Joker had used to see if she could get back at the nightmare. It was like swimming in a pool of heavy cream. all she could make out was black masses and half-heard words. It seemed awfully familiar though. After a few moments of befuddled silence Alice finally spoke up.

"You- you eat years old grapes!"

Alice realized immediately as she said it that her comeback was embarrassingly weak. She covered her face with her hands as she tried to regain her sanity. This was bad. The Falvadin could read her mind somehow. Not just about mildly embarrassing things, but she could see the gang! This was really, really bad. She really needed to break it off or murder Joker or something. But... she could also see into Joker's mind as well. she couldn't see very much. The nightmare's mind was just as cloudy and unresponsive as their personality, but she thought if she could just concentrate harder... Could this be the greatest weapon of espionage ever devised?

"You know, it's really rude to probe into people's minds like that. There are some things I don't want others, even friends to know about. People should be allowed to have secrets and... er... just don't do it! Also, don't eat those! It's really gross! You should eat more than just sweets and rotten grapes! Maybe that's the reason your so lethargic all the time!"