The Smile — Yui had opinions on the name, and it wasn’t finalized, but she would bite her tongue when pressed — was coming along. Renovations left the place looking something closer to a proper club now. Workers were busy coming and going, fixing things here and there, but the bar was more or less functional. And currently, the bar had exactly one person sitting at it. Her black hair, normally messy, was even more so today. Her eyes bore dark circles, as if she hadn’t slept in days. Her eyes themselves were a little red, as if recovering from an emotional bomb. And in her hand, a small glass, bubbly blue liquid unfitting for a girl sitting at a bar.

Yuzuki enters, the door bell jingling. She hesitates upon realizing she’ll be alone with Yui, glancing back towards the door, but she ultimately decides to sit down next to her. 

Yuzuki: Hey there. I’m back in town.

Yui: (She gives Yuzuki a sidelong glance, followed by the most meager smile she’s ever given.) …Hope it went well, Yuzu.

Yuzuki: Well enough, I guess. I ran into Sasaki-san at the train station and ended up going to Kamihama. 

Yui: Oh shit, no kiddin’? …I’d guess she went to visit that Kiwa girl, huh?

Alice: (on the other side of the bar, she is assembling an espresso machine) She must have the patience of a saint.

Yui: Well, y’know… (She idly swirls her soda glass) they’re good friends.

Yuzuki: Yeah, I guess. (She speaks meaningfully) Cecilia was there, too. 

Yui: (She pauses, but only for a moment) …That doesn’t surprise me. (She takes a drink from her soda glass)

Yuzuki: And… last I saw, she was heading back to Mitakihara. Did she get back already? 

Yui: (She takes a long, slow drink from her glass, then speaks just above a whisper.) …Yeah. Saw her back at Il Teatro. …Went about as well as you might think.

Yuzuki: (She winces) You didn’t… kill her, right? 

Alice: I don’t think this is the right moment to get into this, sis… Don’t worry about it, ‘kay?

Yui: No, it’s fine, Alice. Not gonna be much better later, either. …No, I didn’t kill her. Was a hell of a fight, though. 

Yuzuki: (She breathes a sigh of relief) Okay, good. Truth be told, she took a swing at me, too. 

Yui: She what?! Are you alright?!

Yuzuki: Yeah… taking a hit or two is about all my powers are good for. 

Yui: That ain’t true. But shit… I knew she went off the deep end after what went down, but to attack you? You haven’t done a goddamn thing wrong…

Yuzuki: I don’t know… she seemed to think I was in league with you, somehow. 

Yui: …She must not’ve known we were fighting. …Still, I didn’t feel the need to take a swing. Ironic of me to say an’ all…

Yuzuki: She also told me… (She looks away uncomfortably) You shot out her eye. 

Yui: (She doesn’t flinch) …She orchestrated Shiori’s death. Seemed fitting.

Yuzuki: You mean… Firestarter? 

Yui: …I guess.

Alice: She had a name. Least we can do is remember her by it… (she sighs) I can’t help but ponder what could’ve happened if we’d been there for her. I guess we weren’t really in the right headspace to see her as anything more than a bother…

Yui: I… I tried. ‘Cause last I saw of her before she did what she did, she was on track to getting her life in order. Had a music deal, even started going by her birth name. Then her piece of shit father pulled the rug, and the goddamn cat got its claws into her, she released that video, and the rest is history. And that… that was all part of Cecilia’s vision, her “plan” for us to survive the Balancing.

Alice: I… just don’t know what you’ve done to deserve being manipulated like this.

Yui: (She shakes her head) …Not pretending my hands are any cleaner. I just, y’know… I didn’t do this. I play with my cards face up.

Yuzuki: … (she turns away with a raised eyebrow) I don’t really have any cards to play.

Yui: …It’d be better if we didn’t have to play the fuckin’ game at all. Better if we could just, y’know… just live.

Alice: That seems to be the lesson the Conductors just can’t learn.

Yuzuki: Yeah, you know, most of us don’t have any cards to play, face up or not. 

Yui: Well, I’m still an open book. Ask me anything, I’ll give you a straight answer.

Alice: … You don’t look like an open book, Yui. An open book’s no good if the text has faded.

Yui: …Kinda hard for me not to fade these days, Alice.

Yuzuki: So… where do you get all this information? On the Balancers, Toi… seems like you know everything before it ever happens. 

Yui: …One of ‘em survived, in the Dreamscape. Niko has her under control, so she can’t do shit, but she’s been… training me. As for Toi, I swear, I don’t remember… I think that was when the Bureau was still a thing. Other stuff comes from Cecilia or the Birds. I guess now Niko’s Library, too. …S’far as I know, you’re still connected to the Dreamscape, right, Yuzu? You oughtta visit the Library sometime. The info you want just kinda… finds its way to you. Great way to spend a dream, if nothin’ else.

Yuzuki: Uh… one of them survived? One of what? 

Yui: The Balancers. Punisher, specifically. Also known as the only one of those fuckers that wasn’t a psychopath.

Yuzuki: That one I pulled you away from? Kohaku said she killed a whole squadron of soldiers… 

Yui: Well, if it makes you feel better, she’s dead on this side of the tracks. And she’s not lookin’ to change that, far as I can tell.

Yuzuki: (She sighs, but then a thought seems to occur to her) Only her in the Dreamscape? What about the others?

Yui: Moonlover was never in the Dreamscape. Not sure about Shiori, but I asked Niko, and she hadn’t sensed her at all. Worldeater double-died, Niko told me herself. Punisher’s the only one who made it out via the Dreamscape, I guess.

Yuzuki: That’s… weird that the two of them somehow missed it, but I guess that’s good… 

Yui: Moonlover probably didn’t sleep much. Shiori, though… I got no goddamn idea how she ducked it.

Yuzuki: I… see… I guess if we’re sure they’re not still around to cause trouble… 

Yui: Well, I can vouch for Punisher, at least. As far as her not being a threat anymore, anyway. The only question mark is Shiori. But… I’m not that naive. …Oh right, I guess Yosuke was one, once? Kinda? But he’s not a threat. …Not a bad kid, at the end of the day.

Alice: Down bad, though, that’s for sure.

Yuzuki: Uh-oh. Which one is he after? 

Yui: Last I checked, he wanted to go out with Koharu.

Yuzuki: Her? Um… didn’t he also go with her to try and get her killed? 

Alice: Tale as old as time, I guess.

Yui: (She shrugs) Am I the only one that thinks they’re kinda cute together?

Alice: I mean, love redeems, and all that. I’m sure he’s for real.

Yuzuki: … I guess it’s her decision. 

Yui: …Y’all are taking my training with Punisher in the Dreamscape waaay better than I expected you to.

Yuzuki: (She folds her arms) Just to be clear, it’s only because you promised Niko has her under control down there. Of course I’m still concerned she’s gonna find some way to restart her killing spree down there. 

Yui: Oh, for sure. If it were just my word, I would expect someone else to do something about her. But Niko? She uh… she’s kind of better at running that place now than the Troubadour ever was. It’s kinda scary how much control she has. Even as a Malefica, there’s only so much I can do, and even then, she can just undo it. As for the permanent residents? She’s basically like a god to them. If she says something isn’t a problem down there, it ain’t a problem. If you can’t trust me, trust her. (She glances at Alice) …And you should be proud of me for usin’ her name, not the title given to her. Character growth, babe.

Alice: I mean, if you’re gonna cast stones at the name Midori came up with for this joint, a good start would indeed be to move out of your glass house.

Yuzuki: And you’re really training under her? Isn’t she like fourteen years old? 

Yui: Punisher? No, she was like… 19 I think? Besides, no stranger than training under Kiwako. She’s like… perpetually 11.

Yuzuki: She’s not eleven, though. And she knows about this special Venefica thing she keeps asking me about. 

Yui: She’s had the mind of an eleven year old girl for thirty years. Take that how you will.

Yuzuki: She’s… forty? No wonder Ueno calls her “sir…” 

Yui: Ueno calls a lot of people “sir” I think. Including me once or twice. Nervous little cotton candy ball. But damn if she can’t make a mighty fine cookie…  

Alice: I’m not gonna be the only one with diabetes if this keeps up.

Yuzuki: Nobody else is gonna come back alive, right…? 

Yui: Out of our enemies, you mean? Nah.

Alice: There’s… (she bites her lip, glancing at Yuzuki before turning back to Yui) I’m— (she closes her eyes) You’re in a chatty mood, aren’t you?

Yui: (She takes another little sip of her blueberry soda) …Tryin’ to be different from all those Conductor fucks. I’m not Cecilia. I… play with my cards face-up. 

Alice: Secrets are not… inherently bad. I mean, you’re under no obligation to spill— (she shakes her head) Never mind. I’m just saying that… you don’t have to compensate for anything by being this open. You can be who you need to be… here, with us.

Yui: …I’ll keep that in mind. (She’s silent for a long moment, drinking about half of her soda in one gulp) …Thanks, both of you. I mean it.

Alice: We’re here for you, ‘kay?