pieces-of-a-fragmented-mind

[pieces-of-a-fragmented-mind]

Hello! I'm officially back!! I graduated earlier in the month, but also no longer have my job. I've been looking for a new job, while simultaneously trying to get the business I've started up and running. So there's still a lot going on in my life, but I am back and ready to go! I'm open for new RP plot requests, or to pick up where we left off (those of you who I'd been talking to already). My inbox is open!

[pieces-of-a-fragmented-mind]

"Oh, well that tracks too." They smile, stepping through the door with a small "thank you" to Erin. She imagined she would never be able to meet each and every friend Wilford had since every time she ran into him he had new stories to tell with different people so she the though that Wilford knew the owner intrigued her. "How often do you come?" She scans the cafe, taking in its setup and aesthetics.

The cafe is pretty standard, with pictures of different coffees, teas, and pastries decorating the walls. There's a glass case next to the register, showing the various goods. On the far wall is a small stage with a microphone.

"I come fairly often. It's a good place to unwind and just forget about life for a while. And of course, Wilford makes sure I'm here for every karaoke night." I chuckle.

[pieces-of-a-fragmented-mind]

They feel the weight on her chest lifting. "Really?" She chuckles, picturing the cartoonish gunslinger in all his pink glory the last time they'd seen him, the Moonlight Rollerway. "I know he has a soft spot for sweets but a cafe sounds a liiiittle less energetic than he prefers. Does it have a gimmick or game night?"

"It has a karaoke night once a month," I answer. "Also, I think he knows the owner from somewhere. She always gives us a discount when we come in." We reach the cafe, and I hold open the door. "After you."

[pieces-of-a-fragmented-mind]

"That sounds nice....Could I see your favorite cafe then, please?" She feels a bit better now, excited at the prospect of seeing something new.

I nod and start to lead the way to the cafe. "Wilford actually first introduced me to the cafe. They make a really good strawberry cake, and it's his favorite."

[pieces-of-a-fragmented-mind]

"Oh," the idea of refreshments was nice, actually. "well I-I don't really drink tea or coffee. Would water or juice be okay? I'll pay for myself." They add quickly, not wanting Erin to feel as is she had to.

I smile and nod. "Whatever you want. I just thought we could go some place more comfortable to continue talking."

[pieces-of-a-fragmented-mind]

They're slowly attempting to gather themselves, taking a breathe in and out while silently reminding themselves that they are in the present moment and whatever the hell their body and mind was reacting to right now was something that they didn't have to sit with. That in mind, they return their attention to Erin's question. "M-Mostly hanging out with my friends. Yancy, Mark, Wilford, Host i-idunno j-just the usual suspects..."

I nod. "So we probably know a bunch of the same people." I notice them try to regulate their breathing. "Do you like tea? I know a good cafe where we can get some tea or coffee or whatever."

[pieces-of-a-fragmented-mind]

They decide not to push it, seeing that she's not responding to her questions about Mark in a positive manner, or at all. Maybe they were just being paranoid about Mark anyways. They can only recall really small and specific things after all.....

Her response shakes her in a way she can't quite explain, some part of her chest tightening at the mention of a gun. Their brain conjures the image of Wilford momentarily, shooting freely out into the air without a care in the world, while letting out a breathe they were only partially aware of holding. "Makes sense. S-sorry for bringing it u-up then..." They anxiously rub at the back of their neck, left hand shaking at their side. The hell? Why did it feel so hard to breathe all of a sudden? They can only hope Erin hasn't noticed.

I noticed, but I don't mention it. "So, what do you like to do for fun?" I ask, trying to change the subject away from the past. "Is there anyone else you think we might share a connection with? I know that the people you know aren't exactly the same as the ones I know, but they're similar enough that we should have friends in common, right?"

[pieces-of-a-fragmented-mind]

"I know right? It's like, like something just feels off when we're talking. Like maybe he doesn't mean what he's saying or he's bored or just...idunno it's like sometimes the light just doesn't meet his eyes all the way..." They frown, attempting to pick out something more detailed, more specific from their memory. "What do you see in them? I-it's hard for me to remember much clearly but I always remember the color red..."

I don't respond to the comment about Mark. I don't like thinking about the possibility that he's not who he claims to be.

"What do I see in my memory flashes? Not much. I do see the color red, yes, but also black. I hear a gunshot, sometimes, the feeling of falling, faces of people who are gone." I wince. "But trying to remember gives me a headache, almost like something doesn't want me to remember, so I try not to think about before."

[pieces-of-a-fragmented-mind]

"Huh....that's kind of weird to be honest??" They try to think back to any information that could be useful to Erin here. They too, had been on a date with Mark where they were from. It had gone uh, strangely but they had ended it together, hand in hand.....Something clicks suddenly in their head, causing them to gasp. "Hold on, has Mark uh, Mark said or done anything else weird with/to you as of late?" A small sinking feeling forms in her stomach, as a few things bubble to the surface of her memory. Maybe they felt like their Mark was hiding something too?

I frown. "Like what? I mean, Mark's always been a bit strange." I pause. "But now that you mention it, he has been acting stranger than normal. I don't know if I can pinpoint anything specific, but yeah. Especially when I bring up my dreams or the flashes of memory from before."

[pieces-of-a-fragmented-mind]

[pieces-of-a-fragmented-mind]

They chuckle, the teasing look on their face not leaving even as she out right denies having feelings for either of them. "Okay so Illinois is out of the race for sure," they gesture with an arm, "but what about Mark? You don't sound completely uninterested in him and he does sound pretty jealous from what you're saying~"

I shrug. "I honestly don't know. We did go on a date, but it ended..." I think back to the date, where Dark interrupted us and I ended up shooting him. I think. "It ended strangely, and he didn't ask me out again after it. So, I'm not saying I'm not interested in a relationship with Mark. I just don't know what he wants. And asking him about it doesn't help. He just avoids the topic. And tells me that I should know how he feels."

[pieces-of-a-fragmented-mind]

"Awww." they find themselves smiling at that. Maybe he isn't so bad after all-oh okay he's still an unending flirt but the feeling is mutual. "Ah, so it's more like a side thing then." They elbow Erin lightly, wearing a cheeky grin. "Sounds like Mark has some competition~"

I chuckle. "Illinois and I are just friends. Who flirt. It's not like we're a couple or anything. And it's not like Mark and I are a couple either. Not exactly. I'm... Not quite sure what we are, to be honest."

[pieces-of-a-fragmented-mind]

"It's not like I hate the guy or anything it's just his blatant flirtation is uh, u-uncomfortable for me." They play with a sweater sleeve as they speak, not quite meeting the other's eyes again until she pulls out the amulet. "oooo" Their eyes fall on the gem inside immediately, drawn to its shape and shine. They chuckle alongside Erin, rolling their eyes. What had he been holding when they first met, a crystal monkey statue? They had immediately brought up the Monkey's Paw anxiously but he seemed unbothered by the idea. Haha that did not end well. Pushing that thought aside, they simply shrug. "Hey, whatever goats your boat man. You've got to know him better than I do anyhow." Ci pauses, considering something momentarily. "Does he ever stop by to visit? Or write to ya?"

I nod. "Yeah. He writes me when he's out, and visits me every time he's back in town. Usually to ask if I want to join him on another adventure. As for his constant flirting," I shrug as a slight blush colors my cheeks, "I don't mind it. I think it's flattering, and I tend to flirt back. Just as long as we don't fall in love. That's a big deal with him." I chuckle. "It's another thing Mark doesn't like, though."

[pieces-of-a-fragmented-mind]

They chuckle as a few hypothetical ideas of what caused them to fight could be. Yancy has a good heart, they're sure of that, buuut he's also quick to jump to violence so it could be anything really. It made them happy to hear another person regularly visiting and writing with Yancy even if it was likely to be a totally different one than they knew personally. "Oh really?" Their hazel eyes shine with mischief and intrigue at that mention of Mark. If her Mark was anything like their Mark there might even be something deeper to that jealousy. The thought of the poor guy, jealous but too nice to say anything about it or seething quietly made her chest warm. Cute. "Yeaaah," their face falls partially, an annoyance coloring the edge of their voice, "I've uh. I've met him alright. He's..." Unbearable. "..something." They shake their head a little. "Sorry, I just found him kindaaa annoying is all. What do you think of him?"

"You don't like Illinois? Huh. He's another close friend." I pull an amulet out from under my shirt. "We go on adventures sometimes. We found this on our last one, and he said I could keep it. He said it's probably not cursed." I chuckle. "I can see how some people would find him annoying, though. I just don't mind his quirks."

[pieces-of-a-fragmented-mind]

Their expression softens as it seems like Erin is becoming a bit more relaxed. "Oh really? He bust you out of prison too?" She chuckles, picturing that handsome face that had welcomed her to the Happy Trails Penitentiary not so long ago now. In his last letter, he even mentioned applying for parole just to see them! The thought brought a warmth to their chest.

I nod. "Yeah. After we got into a fight right after I arrived." I chuckle at the memory. "I visit him every week, and write to him a lot. Mark doesn't seem to like my friendship with Yancy, though. I think he's jealous. Out of curiosity, do you happen to know Illinois? You seem to know a lot of my friends."

[pieces-of-a-fragmented-mind]

They laugh along with them albeit weakly. Their heart was not totally in it considering their own mood and experiences but it was best to cast that aside for the moment since Erin sounded a bit better. "I sure hope so. It definitely beats being dead if nothing else." They finished with a shrug. "Maybe you could spend the holidays with Yancy?"

I nod. "That's a good idea. Yancy is one of my closest friends. He helped me out of a tight spot a little while ago."

[pieces-of-a-fragmented-mind]

They don't react much more than an understanding nod but the mention of Dark makes them tense a little, squeezing their left hand anxiously. That being, the shadow of people they used to know, used to care for, always set off alarm bells in their head. "Yeah. I mean, what else can you do? You're this person," they gesture to her, "now and you should be treated as such. " They smile, "and from the looks of it you're doing a great job! Tired but alive isn't a bad place to start." Under these circumstances, that ended up being a loooot of people's normal.

I laugh and nod. "Yeah. You're right. Thanks, Cici. Tired, but alive. And no longer trapped in a mirror. It's better than the alternative, right?"