Alice knows it hasn’t fully dawned on her yet what just happened. Sitting here, in an empty waiting room, with her back facing the hallway to the doctor’s office and a television playing reruns of the last-night news on the wall in front of her, she believes the realization will come any minute now.

Seeing that girl lying there awakened something inside of her, a primal fear she thought she’d exorcised ever since she met Aoi. Yet the image of a hollow body at the mercy of its surroundings has been burned into her retina, never to be erased. Being reminded of that almost caused her to lose control again. But it didn’t.

???: There she is. The hero of the hour. (before Alice has any chance to react to the voice suddenly cutting through the silence, a hand ruffles her hair and she jolts out of her chair, turning around to see the woman she’d brought here, flashing a lackadaisical smile)

Alice: (she defensively brushes her hair back into shape) You… You’re alright? You— You’re good to go, then? They let you go?

???: Like, physically? Yeah. Sure I’ll be sticking around in the nurse’s head for a long time. (she vaults over the row of chairs, landing straight into one of them) Mission accomplished!

Alice: I… see… (her gaze flashes briefly to the ground, and then back) I’m… I think I owe you an apology, then. I might’ve overreacted by having them call an ambulance. I thought it was something serious, that you’d suffered a seizure, or—

???: Well, I enjoyed the ride!

Alice: … While you were unconscious, you mean?

???: I… would’ve enjoyed the ride if I hadn’t been unconscious. And… that whole being unconscious thing wasn’t your fault, as far as I know, so… we’re cool, right?

Alice: Right, no, I’m… Sorry, you just reminded me of someone.

???: (she smirks) Someone cool?

Alice: Someone—

She falls silent. What a ridiculous thing to say. This woman’s resemblance to her sister was superficial at best. There was no mask here, no carefully curated image of restraint and maternal melancholy, no painfully obvious lie a younger Alice would have shamelessly indulged in until it was already too late. Esther never wore clothes like this either. Prim and proper garments were the only shield her body ever had against the outside world. Clothes so pristine no one would dare to tear them off. Meanwhile, this girl clearly wears what she damn well wants to.

???: (she gets up out of her seat, bringing her face closer to Alice’s) Hey, are… you okay, though?

Alice: Why couldn’t you have been more careful? Do you have any idea what could’ve happened if… If you hadn’t fainted instantly? You know what they do to girls who—

???: Oh, I’m a girl to you? (she sounds curious, rather than offended)

Alice: Sorry; woman—I didn’t mean to patronize you. The thing is, you— You never accept drinks from other people at clubs. Ever. We can do all we can to protect you from bastards that— But, in the end, you still gotta look out for yourself.

???: I appreciate your concern, but… This is me looking out for myself. I need to know how far I can take this before it breaks.

She has tattoos on her forearms, calluses on her fingertips and whirlpools in her scarlet eyes. A body like finely decorated porcelain — invoking both awe and a desire to see it shattered into a thousand pieces. She is serious. In spite of everything, she is serious. 

???: A body is a prison, don’t you think? Our minds can… reach such exhilarating heights and… such abyssal lows, but in practice, you’ll only ever get as far as this lump of meat will carry you. (she grits her teeth in an exaggerated fashion, seemingly to lighten the mood) It’s depressing just to think of it, I mean… I’m sure you agree. (she points at the glucose sensor on Alice’s forearm)

Alice: That’s… That’s no reason to just destroy yourself. A body’s not a … car, you can’t crash one and then just buy another.

???: It shouldn’t have to be that way, though… y’know? I mean, what good’s a drink if it just stays in the bottle.

Alice: It… (she sighs) Wait, is this going to end with you trying to sell me drugs? In the emergency room?

???: Hah! (she scoffs, heartily) If only. You’re gonna have to try a bit harder to get anything outta me, Alice.

Alice: Wait… How do you know my name?

???: Because it was on the poster, dumbass. (she laughs) I did come to the Smile to see you perform, y’know? Longtime fan. There’s something… transcendental about the way you guys play.

Alice: Well… Then maybe next time you wanna get transcendental, you use music, and not, like, whatever controlled substance randos try to pour into your drink.

???: (she scoffs) Goodie-two-shoes.

Alice: I’ll let you in on a secret, “longtime fan”. All your favourite musicians are massive squares. Sex, drugs and rock ‘n’ roll is pretty much a myth. If you wanna make it as a professional, you have to behave like, well, a professional.

???: You sound like an accountant. Wanna take your band to all new heights? Be the very best you can be? Being professional ain’t gonna cut it — in my humble opinion, that is.

Alice: … I’m not doing anything I can’t with my two own hands, if that’s what you’re implying.

???: Don’t worry, I’m not trying to sell you drugs, emerald. I’m trying to sell you… me, I guess. (with a smile, she holds out a hand) Naomi. Naomi Mitsunaga.

Alice: (she shakes Naomi’s hand) … Alice. Eh, Rinju, in case you didn’t know that.

Naomi: Well then, Alice Rinju. I might as well ask… Would you make a contract with me?