MEMELAND

"It's you!"

The hooded figure froze.

The crowd continued moving around them.

For a brief moment—

Nobody spoke.

Then the hooded figure slowly turned around.

"No."

Andre pointed.

"Yes."

"No."

"Yes."

"No."

"Yes."

The hooded figure sighed.

Then removed the hood.

Red hair.

Red eyes.

An annoyed expression.

Alice.

Andre immediately looked offended.

"YOU."

Alice immediately looked offended too.

"ME?"

"YOU THREW ME INTO A MANHOLE."

Alice pointed at him.

"You fell."

"You watched."

"I warned you."

"You literally said 'see ya.'"

"Technically correct."

Andre stared.

Alice stared back.

Neither blinked.

Finally Andre crossed his arms.

"You suck."

Alice nodded.

"Understandable."

For some reason that made Andre even angrier.

A nearby pedestrian immediately changed directions.

Experience suggested this conversation would eventually become explosive.

The pedestrian was correct.

"You know how long I was down there?"

Alice tilted her head.

"Three days, Five days, honestly I don't care"

Andre froze.

"...How do you know?"

Alice smirked.

"We've been looking for you."

The anger vanished.

Immediately replaced by confusion.

"What?"

Alice pointed toward herself proudly.

"I am a responsible ruler."

Andre looked unconvinced.

"You threw me into a sewer."

"Different issue."

"Same issue."

Before Alice could respond—

Another voice entered the conversation.

"Please tell me that's not him."

Raj.

The cat-eared waitress looked exhausted.

More exhausted than usual.

Which was impressive.

She stopped walking.

Looked at Andre.

Then looked at Alice.

Then back to Andre.

"..."

"..."

"..."

Raj slowly pinched the bridge of her nose.

"Why are you dressed like that?"

Andre looked down proudly.

Black tank top.

Military pants.

A massive improvement over being shirtless.

"I upgraded."

"Did you buy those?"

Silence.

Raj already knew the answer.

"Never mind."

Andre pointed at her.

"You."

Raj immediately regretted existing.

"What."

"You work for the red-haired menace now?"

Alice looked proud.

Raj looked dead inside.

"I don't want to talk about it."

Andre nodded.

For the first time in history—

Andre and Raj completely understood each other.

Alice looked offended by that.

Then suddenly Andre remembered something.

His eyes widened.

"Kai."

Alice nodded.

"Alive."

Andre visibly relaxed.

"Good."

"Sleeping."

"Good."

"He looked terrible."

"Also good."

Raj blinked.

"What kind of friendship is this?"

"A healthy one."

"It is not."

Andre ignored her.

Then looked around.

"Wait."

"Where is he?"

Alice pointed vaguely toward the palace.

"Sleeping."

Andre immediately started walking.

Alice grabbed his shoulder.

"No."

Andre stopped.

"What do you mean no?"

"You are not entering the palace looking like that."

Andre looked offended.

"I look awesome."

"You look homeless."

"I survived a cave-in."

"You look like you lost a fight with the cave."

Andre opened his mouth.

Then closed it.

Because unfortunately—

She had a point.

Raj sighed.

Then looked toward Alice.

Then toward Andre.

Then toward the sky.

Then toward her miserable fate.

"Why is this my life?"

Neither answered.

Because neither cared.

Alice suddenly smiled.

The dangerous kind.

"Oh."

Raj immediately became nervous.

"What."

"I have an idea."

Raj looked horrified.

Andre looked excited.

Those two reactions alone should have been enough to cancel whatever plan Alice had.

Unfortunately.

Nobody stopped her.

And somewhere inside the palace—

Kai continued sleeping peacefully.

Completely unaware that his life was about to become significantly louder.