Button Eyes, Clock Hearts

Unlucky

A circus, in the middle of the forest. What else was waiting for her? Coraline felt a shiver up her spine as she accompanied Alice. The blonde was greeted by faceless children that almost made Coraline scream. Yet, this was impossible, a man in red hair matching eye, black eye patch dressed as a jester came to greet them with a friendly smile. It was just like the one the other mother had. Coraline frowned, on her guard, doing her best not to shake.

"Alice, how lovely to see you here. And I see these are the outsiders." said the man pleasantly.

"Yes, White Joker, Coraline, and Cat. We do not have much time, can you make it winter?"

"Make it winter?" Coraline was clearly confused, and Cat was curious about this Alice, isn't this world in autumn?"

"Oh, dear girl, no," said Joker laughing "Here, time is randomized, and seasons are controlled by me. Each territory is one season. Only in the time of Joker Season can this happen"

"Interesting..." said Cat, but Joker seemed not to be freaked out by this.

"Ugh! will you hurry up?! We don't have time for this you bitch!" yelled a similar voice coming from his hip. Coraline covered her mouth, rather astonished at the foul language. Her parents, no matter how angry they were, never swore in her presence.

"Now, now Joker, calm down," said White. "I'm sorry miss. Please, try to ignore his mouth. He doesn't know how to speak without cussing"

"They both are called Joker?" wondered Coraline as Alice shrugged and nodded.

"White is the jester, Black is the warden. Nice and rude."

"You stupid bitch! We both are Joker! Stop calling us those fucking crappy names" yelled the mask making Coraline frown.

"I understand, humans usually like to name things to be able to differentiate. We do not need such things" remarked Cat. "We could say, they are two parts of the same brain."

"Wait! the same person in two bodies!?" exclaimed the bluenette unable to believe her friend.

"Well, yes, that is correct. As a reward for this, dear Cat, we shall let you go to winter" said White with a smile.

Suddenly they appeared at the tower, they heard yelling and shouting from within. The place was filled with green and the freezing cold made Coraline slightly thankful for her raincoat. Alice quickly made both of them get in and close the doors. Cat had let himself be carried to be warm. Slowly the blonde guided them through the place till she found what she searched for. There in the middle of the room was a stressed man holding a clock. He sat in a desk, his eyes covered by glasses and dressed in navy blue.

He looked kind of like her...Coraline remembered that her grandmother used to talk about tragedies of the family, how only a few managed to remain. Yet, in 1800's the first Jones, a woman, had to run away due to her having a child out of wedlock. The daughter of the azure race...honestly, she believed it to be a fairytale, but here she was, staring at the one that used to be in the family tree painted in her grandmother's house. Yet...where was the sister?

"ALEEZ HELP ME! CHAY VANTS TO MAIK ME VORGHK ACHAIN!" A man with silver hair and an eye patch practically tackled Alice to the ground interrupting Coraline's musings.

Alice quickly shoved the man off of her, "Nightmare, you're scaring Coraline and Cat!"

"Please, do not make such a ruckus, I need to work," said the man in blue.

The man pouted, "I'm zorhy, heghmit, tut I pon't vant to vork...vait a minoot, pip you zay a ket?! I love zem! Put, I vill zacghifice my dezigherh to make Chay piztghactet!" The three outsiders raised a brow at that. Coraline knew what was coming, also, was this man from the same place as Mr. Bobinsky?His accent was equally hard to understand.