afflictionmods | CYOA

[ Honestly, even if he was against it, he's pretty sure Phantom and Marcus would just override him anyway. ]

Agreed. [ a nod, then, to the figure: ] You said we have everything we'd need already?

You do. You've got all my stuff with you, and... I'm thinking that'll probably be enough to at least get this whole reconnection started.

[They sound mildly uncertain - it is just a theory, after all.]

Hm. Is it as simple as showing you them?

[The knitting needles seem like the most harmless place to start? Phantom pulls those out of his little collection and offers them over. What all did they end up with...]

I don't know, it's not like I've done this before!

[They push themself up off their cushion, though, taking a step closer. There's the feeling they're staring at the needles very intently, even if it's impossible to make out their expression.

But they keep a respectful distance, for Phantom's sake. He's the jumpiest of all of them.]

Though I don't feel any different just looking at them...

Is there something specific we need to do?

[ He's got the shears in hand, but he's also pulling out the bird whistle and picture that he found. ]

Hm... Could I hold them for a moment?

[If they really want to give sharp objects over to a Mysterious Stranger.]

[Marcus hesitates for a moment... but then holds out the knife he found (handle first, because he is at least polite), watching intently for any sort of reactions to it.

What can he say, he's curious.]

Thanks.

[They take the knife, turning it over in their hands, inspecting the dark stain, and sigh in relief.]

This does feel better…

How so?

[…]

I would imagine it feels like how it feels when a body part that has gone numb has feeling returned to it.

[Phantom isn't great at doing 'stoic,' but his expression is probably more unreadable than usual when he edges forward to hand over the knitting needles and the lighter.]

[ Hmm. Well, in that case, he'll hand over whatever he's got. Whistle, picture, shears, whatever they're going for. ]

[They take all of them, trying their best to juggle all of these items. They seem vaguely mystified by it all, before they begin to set them down around the room.

At least they bother to explain some things.]

So, I think I've figured it out a bit. This whole... separation. Still don't know if it was intentional for it to end up like this, but it seems like something of a total botch job? Shouldn't have people messing around with things they didn't make, probably, no matter how smart they are. Doesn't always end well.

[They take extra care setting the whistle aside, but they seem less reverent with the lighter and shears. The knife gets them to pause, as if unsure what to do with it.]

I don't even know if that part of me is able to be mad about it, but if they don't remember it then... eh. For me, it kind of sucks knowing I was made into something I wasn't supposed to be. Sure, got some new skills, but. Y'know. Intended purposes, lack of free will, all that kind of stuff. Kind of sucks in general to be made just for someone else's gain, but to then get changed all over again? I don't need extra identity crises going on at once.

Ah. Sorry. I shouldn't be rambling like this.

[They say, like they're going to stop talking. The screens behind them start lighting up, and their body - and features - become clear with each thing they put away. After their theories, the fact they're beginning to look more and more familiar is perhaps unsurprising.]

This will probably be the last time "I" see anyone - first and last. Kind of sad to think about it that way, but it would be nice to be whole again. I wasn't made to be Lorelei's assistant, and I had my suspicions, but I don't think the part of me she left intact did. Why would she want that? I was handed over her to help her, and that wouldn't be very helpful. Probably.

[They frown at the knife, before finally setting it in its assigned place.]

You probably also already know about the whole helping Lorelei thing, so this is just a pointless word dump to make me feel better about the fact I don't know what's going to happen to our existences after this. Not - not "our" as in me and you guys, I mean, like. Me and the rest of the mes. You'll probably be okay, for as okay as you can be in some sort of alternate reality? I don't think there's any side effects to that. You'll have to ask the me that's still Florence to check you out if you're worried about it.

[This part, apparently, is way more talkative than the Florence everyone knows. I was not expecting to write so much. I'm sorry.]

Um. I think this is it, probably.

[The world falling apart isn't a very dramatic thing - there's no cracks or loud noises or anything like that - simply everything going fuzzy at the corners.]

So... thanks? I think. I'll have to figure out whether or not being together again sucks before I decide how grateful I am to all of you.

[It's not an instantaneous thing, but there are dinosaur fossils on the other side waiting for you, which might be cooler than talking to a fragment of an artificial intelligence. Or less cool. I'm not the boss of you.]

CYOA - W6

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