scorpiongrassfield

[scorpiongrassfield]

I’m finally going to have access to a laptop again soon, which hopefully means updates will be more consistent/frequent again

#not an update

[scorpiongrassfield]

Of Course You Trust Him

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“Don’t I always? You don’t have to ask every time.” 

Theo huffs, amused. “I’m… not sure you should, all things considered.” 

Before you can ask what he means, the world twists. There’s a pulling sensation, a bit like the tie you just severed. 

Your first instinct is to resist this pull, caught off guard as you are. But you told Theo you would trust him, so you let yourself be led away. 

When your vision clears you are no longer in Pat’s living room. 

No, you’re somewhere much more familiar. 

“Seriously?” you chide the open air. 

The format has changed slightly, but you think you’d recognize this place in any art style. Honestly, you’d probably recognize it blindfolded. 

Theo hasn’t responded to you. 

You sigh and settle down into the field of scorpion grass. 

Wasn’t it super super important that Theo not have people inside his soul? 

Maybe it was just the living people that were the problem? Or maybe it was maintaining the labyrinth, or Ametrine’s presence specifically that was hurting him, and Pat needed to leave because they’re a normal human. 

You doubt you’ll get a definite answer if you ask. You’re not going to bother. 

You hang out for a while, experimenting with a world made of oil paint. The petals of the flowers are surprisingly sharp. 

The novelty wears off for a little while. You aren’t sure exactly what Theo’s plan was here, or why he’s not responding to you. 

Despite being literally surrounded by a friend… 

You’re alone with your thoughts now. 

It’s doubtful you’ll ever get comfortable with that. 

Tearing out the connection to your former selves was a little like pulling a tooth. You find yourself unable to keep from poking at the void left behind. 

You know what you are now, mostly. But you still don’t remember being yourself. All you can remember is the fear you felt before flinching away. Like a hand from a hot stove. 

You’d like to think you know better than to touch a hot stove. And yet you can’t help but poke at the empty space. And every time you poke at it, the panic tries to sink its hooks back into you. 

You need to think about something, anything else. 

You wonder how Pat is doing. You still aren’t 100% sure what was going on with them. And you aren’t sure that doctors will even be able to help if the problem was weird exorcist magic. 

But Theo and Ametrine seemed convinced that doctors were the solution and they know more about all this than you do, so. It’s probably fine. 

You’re going to convince yourself that it’s going to be fine. Everything is going to be fine and definitely nothing bad will happen to Pat. 

Thinking about Pat being in the hospital for a second too long makes you panic in a different way. 

So you were wrong that thinking about anything else was a good idea. You should stick to specific things. Safe things that can’t hurt you. 

At least until Theo stops with the radio silence. 

Seriously, what gives? 

He goes through all that trouble to get you out of his soul, then invites you right back in but ditches you? 

Rude. 

Then again… 

Maybe he’s just tired. 

He has been going through a lot lately. Maybe you’re being too harsh on him. 

“Theo, are you napping right now? Can ghosts even nap? Is that a thing?” 

He still doesn’t answer. 

You’re going to take that as a yes until proven otherwise. 

Either way you are still alone with your thoughts and in need of a distraction. 

Surely… 

Surely since Theo invited you in here, he won’t mind if you take a look around? You aren’t planning on being too nosey, but you are curious about what his soul is like normally. 

#choose your own adventure #interactive fiction #writeblr #original writing

[scorpiongrassfield]

Of course you'll trust him.

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Theo wants to "do something".

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[scorpiongrassfield]

#not an update #just a silly for fun poll #i will update soon though #health allowing

[scorpiongrassfield]

Theo wants to "do something".

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#poll #choose your own adventure #interactive fiction #original writing #writeblr

[scorpiongrassfield]

Flinch 

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You turn to face the voice to find nothing. 

“Theo?” you say, looking around. 

“I’m here. I’m just… Incorporeal for the time being,” Theo’s voice says from directly beside you again. 

“Why?” you ask. 

Concrete rubs its face against your leg, starting to purr. 

“Trying to put out a fire with lighter fluid doesn’t work, except for when you take lighter fluid away,” he says nonsensically. As he speaks, you can practically see it in your mind. A fire flaring too bright, then fizzling out. You weren’t trying to imagine it.

“Oh, is the speaking in riddles thing just how you talk? I thought it was a part of the maze stuff,” you say, lukewarm frustration seeping into your tone. 

“I… think it’s a side effect of touching the divine, actually. But that’s neither here nor there. I asked you a question. Are you going with them or not?” he says, glossing over the important part in favor of redirecting the conversation. 

Pat is taken outside. 

You lean down to scratch Concrete behind the ears, drawing comfort from this warm living thing by your side. 

The thought of going with them still makes you sick. But you don’t know what else you could do. Sit at Pat’s house and think? Sounds like a bad time. 

“I don’t think I can,” you tell him. 

“You’re scared.” 

You nod. 

“Do you… Do you trust me, Sylv?” Theo asks apropos of nothing. 

“Why? Should I not?” 

The front door shuts, all living people having left. 

“This is different. I need you to answer. Do you trust me to do something?” 

Do you? 

Theo is on Pat’s side first and foremost, but you’re on Pat’s side too, so you should be on the same page. But then again, with Ametrine having stopped short of her goals, you’re pretty sure you’re the biggest threat to Pat right now, even if you don’t want to be. He should know you don’t want to be, though. 

Theo is nice, and he’s been helping you this whole time, but he’s also strange and cryptic and you still aren’t sure how much of him is an act. 

He won’t tell you why he needs your trust, which has your nerves fraying. But he’s also been with you on almost every step of your journey, helping you along. 

Will you trust him? 

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#choose your own adventure #interactive fiction #writeblr #original writing

[scorpiongrassfield]

Think About It 

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Your head continues to spin after experiencing the mindfuck that is existing in so many places at once and feeling so many layers of fear at a time. 

Ametrine is staring at you. She hasn’t let go of Pat. 

You try to think about what it was you were supposed to be doing. 

“I remember you,” Ametrine rasps. She sounds like she could use some water, like she hasn’t spoken in a long time. 

You aren’t sure why she wouldn’t. She’s in the habit of causing amnesia, not getting it. Last you checked, anyway. 

“I remember you, Myosotis,” Ametrine repeats. You tune her out. 

Theo sent you out here. You’re supposed to separate the two of them and… 

Ah. 

That’s what it was. 

They both need medical attention. 

The thought of it causes panic to flare up in your stomach, but compared to what you just went through it’s really not much at all. 

You can get through this. 

“Do you have a phone?” you ask Ametrine. 

“What?” her voice cracks. She’s looking at you like you’re speaking in tongues. 

“Do you have a phone on you? Or know where Pat keeps theirs?” you repeat. 

Ametrine tries to sit up and fails. “What are you planning?” 

“Pat wants to live, so I need to call an ambulance,” you say, searching the nightstand. There’s a phone charger, but no phone. 

“What if I won’t let you?” Ametrine threatens. “You ruined everything. You ruined me. Why should I give you anything?” 

“Ruined you?” you echo. 

She snorts, ugly and bitter. “You’re in my head now. I remember you, Myosotis. You fucking ruined me.” 

You could get into the technicalities of it. Explain that the version of you that’s inside her head is not, in fact, you. You could also tell her that she's got the wrong name for you. But this hardly seems the time.

“You won’t kill Pat just to spite me,” you say. 

“Won’t I?” She threatens. 

“You won’t,” you confirm. You’re pretty sure anyway. 

If she wanted to kill Pat, why would she still be holding onto them so tightly, keeping them in stasis with her powers that you’re pretty sure might be running dry. 

“What will you do with me?” she asks, instead of keeping up the charade. “I can’t bring myself to kill you now. Will you kill me instead?” 

You shake your head. “Just tell me where I can find a phone. The sooner you let go of Pat, the better off you’ll be.” 

Ametrine sighs. 

“They dropped their phone near the entryway. It should still be on the floor,” she says, giving in. 

You leave the room without another word. 

Pat’s house is a cluttered and chaotic space. The walls filled with art, shelves filled with assorted nerdy nicknacks. Through the doorway to the kitchen you spot an automatic cat feeder and water fountain. A familiar gray cat blinks at you from afar. You’ll say hi to it later, you have a task to complete. 

There is indeed a phone on the floor. It’s dead, of course, but you know where to find a charger, now. 

Ametrine’s eyes are closed when you return to the bedroom. You aren’t sure if she’s lost consciousness again or just pretending, but it doesn’t really matter. 

As soon as the phone can be turned on you try to make the call. 

And then all of your confidence and determination leaves you as you realize you don’t know what to say. 

You don’t know Pat’s address, or how to explain what’s happened to them. 

The panic springs up again and chokes you up. 

“Give me the phone,” Ametrine says, without opening her eyes. She holds her free hand out. 

You give it to her. 

She speaks with the person on the other end of the phone, spinning a lie and explaining where she is. 

The fear still simmers at the thought of sending Pat somewhere you know isn’t safe, but you tamp it down. You know this is necessary. 

Once Ametrine hangs up, she tells you the paramedics will be here soon. 

“You changed your mind?” you ask. 

She shakes her head. “Hurting them was never my goal.” 

That runs counter to what she said before, but you’ll let it drop. 

“You don’t want to hurt me either, now, do you?” 

“Empathy is dangerous for an exorcist. I’ve known you all my life, now. How could I bring myself to hurt you?” she mumbles. 

There’s a lull of silence as the two of you wait for the paramedics to show up. 

Another question occurs to you. “Why are you in better shape than they are?” 

“I’m leeching off the shield.” 

The shield. That’s… Theo? 

“Our magic comes from the same source, so it’s easy for me to use him. Patience is a mundane human, much less compatible with grace. All I can do is slow things down, I can’t turn back the clock completely.” 

You frown. “Are you hurting Theo?” 

“He’s dead,” Ametrine dismisses. 

That doesn’t answer anything, but it’s too late to press for more information. 

The paramedics arrive. 

Once Ametrine lets go of Pat, she seems to have the strength to stand on her own. 

The paramedics make you nervous, so you leave the matter to her. 

You’re pretty sure there’s nothing shady she can do at this point. 

Concrete is in the living room, watching the commotion. It turns its gaze upon you as you approach it. 

Its fur is as soft and warm as you remember it being. 

“You’re not going with them?” 

You jump, not expecting to hear a voice so close to you. 

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#choose your own adventure #interactive fiction #writeblr #original writing

[scorpiongrassfield]

You will take a moment to think.

Ametrine is Awake

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#poll results

[scorpiongrassfield]

Ametrine is Awake

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#poll #choose your own adventure #interactive fiction #writeblr #original writing

[scorpiongrassfield]

You decide to let go.

Your world has narrowed down to fear and helplessness.

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#poll results

[scorpiongrassfield]

You Let Go 

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No. 

No, you don’t want to be this anymore. You don’t want to be scared, don’t want to cling, don’t want to smother. You can have safety. You don’t have to haunt a place to belong there. You can belong. You can, you can, you just have to get there. 

There’s blood in your mouth from how hard you’re clenching your teeth. Your stomach churns like you might be sick. 

All this grief is pouring into you and you don’t want it. Not right now. Not like this. 

The connection to the rest of yourself is almost a tangible thing. You feel like you could grab onto it, so you try. It feels like the stalk of a plant that’s taking root in your heart, and you don’t want it there so there’s really only one thing to do. 

Uproot it. 

You aren’t happy about this. The other you that can be felt through the connection isn't. The instinct to cling and never let go applies to yourself as much as the people you haunt, the roots dig in deeper. 

And honestly. Is it really so wrong to be scared? To want to be remembered? To not want to be alone? You’ve been through so much. Why is it wrong to act like it? 

You’re crushing the stem of a forget-me-not in your hand, blood is running through your teeth, every puncture wound gaping open like a mouth ready to bite. 

And you know that you aren’t wrong. You’re scared. There’s nothing you can do about that. But you can change what you do with your fear, and you can let go of the habits you’ve formed. 

You close your eyes shut so tight you can see the stars on the backs of your eyelids and tighten your grip on the stem. But now it’s not just one stem, but many, all the threads to all the people you’ve ever haunted, and all the parts of yourself you want to leave behind. 

You can’t resist the urge to look at them. 

Instead of a forget-me-not, the flowers digging into your heart are stringent black dahlia and sickly yellow hyacinth. They don’t want to let you go, roots stretching to tangle into your arteries. 

Still, you’ve made your choice. 

It feels like a blade being pulled from a wound. You’re intimately familiar with the sensation. It hurt then as it does now, but you do it. You know you’re not supposed to do that kind of thing. Risk bleeding out. But hey, you’re already dead, aren’t you? As long as you’re not forgotten, you can’t die again. 

You wrench free the tangle of ugly feelings, the connection to the person you used to be, the person you still are in other bodies in other places. 

And then you let it go. Bloody roots and crushed stalks hitting the floor with a splat. 

The emptiness it leaves behind is cavernous. You wonder if you might have made a mistake, but now at last you are just yourself again. One person in one ‘body’. 

Your name is Sylv. And you’re here in this room for a reason. 

You almost forgot. 

You’re aware of your surroundings again. 

The bedroom hasn’t changed at all in the… however long it took you to deal with all that. 

Pat is asleep on the bed. Ametrine is slumped forward half on the bed, gripping Pat’s wrist tightly even now. 

The general idea is to separate the two of them. 

You move closer to the bed, ready to break the connection between the two of them. 

But then Ametrine starts to stir. 

A new wave of panic wells up. She’s waking up? She shouldn’t be able to wake up so soon. Should she? 

But then again what do you know, really? 

Maybe she’ll let go when she wakes up. 

Maybe she has some sort of trick up her sleeve that she can use against you out here in the waking world. 

Your head still feels fuzzy. 

Was the point to separate them? Or was it something else? 

What were you supposed to be doing? 

Helping Pat. 

How can you help them? 

Ametrine’s eyes blink open, visible as her sunglasses were knocked askew when she fell onto the bed. 

She stares at you. 

You stare at her. 

Will you try to separate her from Pat now, or will you try harder to remember what your overall goal is?

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#choose your own adventure #interactive fiction #writeblr #original writing

[scorpiongrassfield]

Your world has narrowed down to fear and helplessness.

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#poll #choose your own adventure #interactive fiction #writeblr #original writing

[scorpiongrassfield]

Pat isn’t planning to save themself

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It's up to you and Theo.

“How do I get out of here?” you ask. 

Theo blinks rapidly as he snaps out of where he’s watching after Pat in a daze. 

“You’re going?” he asks, sounding surprised. 

“If you were going, you’d already be gone.” 

Theo doesn’t quite wince, but a little of the fight seems to drop out of him. 

“It will be dangerous,” Theo cautions. 

“I’m dangerous. This whole thing has been dangerous,” you counter. 

Theo sighs. “Alright. It’s just… No. It doesn’t matter. Time is of the essence. I’ll send you out. Just… Be careful. What Ametrine did to you… It might not work out there. Try to help Pat first, regardless of what you choose otherwise.” The last bit has an edge of doubt to it. Like he’s asking something impossible from you. 

You don’t get a chance to ask him to be less cryptic for once in his afterlife, because you’re being removed from his soul. 

It feels like Theo is holding your beating heart in your hands as he sends you into the world outside. You think you understand why Theo was so scared now. Having your soul touched directly is not something you’d want to repeat if you could help it. 

You get the briefest flash of a bedroom, Pat lying asleep with Ametrine collapsed half on the bed, half off, gripping onto Pat tightly. 

And then you’re somewhere else entirely. 

You are everywhere with everyone you’ve ever met and you’re scared and it hurts you’re haunting and weeping and bleeding and so alone without these people. You need to hold onto them so you don’t drown but you’re dragging them down with you and you’re scared and you don’t want to be alone you don’t want to be forgotten please, you want them to remember you, keep you alive you don’t want it to end like this please you don’t want to be forgotten it hurts so much please, please… 

You don’t even remember being these other versions of yourself. All this and you still can’t remember and you hate that. You really truly hate it, your gut churning with disgust. 

You’re forgetting something else,  too. Why are you here? Does it matter? You’re connected to them now, and they to you, and you can feel every inch of the fear they feel, every bit of their desire to twist and clutch and try to climb their way out on the backs of others fake memories. 

You want it to stop, everything to stop, you just want to feel safe, why can’t you feel safe? 

You’re overwhelmed by it. 

You’re scared. You’re forgetting something important.

The world around you swims, the details of the room are bleeding into each other and you aren’t sure how long this can last. 

The other versions of yourself are reaching out for you, now that they know you’re here. They’re welcoming you back. More fuel for their fire, more proof of their own existence, a reflection, an echo cast by your own voice. 

They want you to join them. You should join them. Shouldn’t you? 

There was something you needed to do. What was it you needed to do? You’re scared. 

You feel like you’re clutching a live wire. Letting go is impossible, yet holding on is doing more damage than you’re able to withstand. 

You’ve found yourself, and yet you think that this is not who you want to be. 

If you hold on, you can chase yourself down, find a way to put yourself back together. 

If you let go, maybe you’ll remember why you’re here, what it is you’re forgetting to do.

Either way, you’re sure you will be scared. 

What will you do?

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#choose your own adventure #interactive fiction #writeblr #original writing

[scorpiongrassfield]

You Think Pat Should Believe You 

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“You should,” you say. 

Pat tilts their head to the side. “Really?” they say, sounding skeptical, “Are you sure about that?” 

“Yes,” you lie. You’re 70% sure at most. 

Pat frowns and leans in a little closer to you, squinting a little as they stare at you. 

Then they straighten back up and their expression goes back to normal. 

“Okay,” they say. 

“Okay?” you repeat. 

“Yep.” Pat shrugs. They chuckle. “I mean why shouldn’t I take a mind eating ghost at his word that he doesn’t want to hurt me? There’s no way that could go wrong,” they say. There’s no sarcasm in their voice, even though you feel like there should be. “I mean, it’s not like you altered my memories to make me trust you, and make it almost impossible for me to realize that you shouldn’t be here, right?” 

You wince. “I…” You’re not sure what you can say in your defense. 

“Patience,” Theo says, sounding displeased. 

Pat rolls their eyes and sighs. “Fine, fine. I’ll stop messing with him.” 

They turn their attention back to you. “It’s not that easy, actually. It’s complicated. I don’t trust you, but I’m going to take you at your word anyway,” they say. 

What. “Why?” 

Pat smiles. “Oh don’t scrunch your face, it’ll get stuck like that,” they chide. 

You just frown at them. You’ll wait them out. 

Pat takes a deep breath. Not quite a sigh, but it’s close. 

“So Ametrine,” Pat gestures to the almost-corpse, “is on her, what, seventh chance from me? I had myself convinced that I was done with her, that I was done with giving her more chances. And then she showed up on my front step. Looking scared and very convinced that something was wrong. I opened the door.” Pat chuckles, this time sounding bitter. “What do you think happened?” 

“Um…” you aren’t super clear on the events directly preceding waking up in the field. 

“She put me in a magically induced coma and tried to burn six years of my life right out of my brain! ‘For my own good’,” they put air quotes around the last few words. 

Still standing a bit behind Pat, Theo is looking kind of nervous. 

“That’s…” you don’t know what to say. 

“Yeah, that’s a betrayal of my trust, isn’t it? And it’s not the first time she’s pulled shit like this, taking advantage of my trust. And it won’t be the last,” they say, shaking their head. 

“It won’t?” 

“Nope. Because, assuming I live through this, which, mmm that’s a little dicey right now… But no, I’m always going to give her the benefit of the doubt. People can change for the better. If they don’t, that’s on them,” they say with a shrug. 

That’s a lot to take in, but it’s not terribly surprising when you consider what you’ve learned about Pat.  

“Ah. I don’t mean to interrupt your… heart to heart,” Theo interrupts. 

Pat snorts, but turns around to face Theo. “Yes, what is it?” 

“Shouldn’t you be waking up? Instead of giving speeches?” he nudges. 

“Oh, that would be nice, wouldn’t it?” Pat says nonchalantly. 

“Why aren’t you waking up,” Theo asks, firmer. 

Pat grimaces. “Well, you see… I can’t.” 

“Why not?” you ask. 

Pat turns around to look at you, and then takes a few steps back at an angle so they can see both you and Theo at the same time. “What was the plan here, with this?” they ask instead of answering. 

“Pat-” Theo starts to complain, but Pat puts a hand up to silence him. 

They shake their head. “Uh-un. Explain your thought process first.” 

Theo frowns, crossing his arms. “We’re wasting time,” he says. 

“It’s my time to waste if I want to.” Pat doesn’t budge. 

“Which all of this are we talking about?” you ask. Might as well play to Pat’s game. 

“You knocked Ametrine out. Why?” they clarify. 

You take a minute to formulate your thoughts. 

“Well. If she’s asleep, she isn’t causing trouble for us,” you say. 

“I… mostly stopped her from using her powers in here,” Theo adds. “If she’s asleep she’s not supposed to be able to use her powers out there.” “Yeah, that’s the thing, isn’t it? You see the problem, Theo,” Pat nods in his direction. 

You don’t see it. 

“Ametrine can’t erase people’s memories or enter souls while she’s asleep. It takes conscious effort. She’s asleep now, so her avatar here is a masterless puppet,” they say, gesturing to where it lies. 

“But?” you prompt, knowing there’s a catch but not seeing what it is. 

“But I still can’t wake up, which means her ability to put people to sleep is something she can somehow use while also asleep. Which is kind of bullshit if you ask me, but it’s also maybe for the best?” Pat explains. 

You frown. “What do you mean?” 

Pat smiles, but it has no warmth to it. “I’ve basically been in a coma for the past 8 days of real world time. The only reason why I haven’t already expired is because Ametrine and Theo here are both using… what’s it called?” Pat looks to Theo. 

“She calls it Grace,” Theo reminds them. 

Pat snaps their fingers. “That’s it. Grace. You and Ametrine have both been using “grace” to keep me from dying while I’m under. But take away half of that magic and suddenly I am in the middle of a very dire medical crisis. Mostly the dehydration will be an immediate problem, I’d guess,” they say with a shrug. It’s hard to tell if they’re as nonchalant about it as they seem. 

“What do we do, then?” Theo asks. He isn’t hiding how he feels about this at all. The fear is plain on his face. 

“Well, we need someone to go out there and call for some medical help. I’m pretty sure that Ametrine will keep using her power until we’re physically separated. Once the contact between us is broken, we’ll all just have to pray,” they say. 

“I… you don’t…” Theo can’t seem to find the words he wants to say. 

Pat moves closer to him and ruffles his hair. Theo half-pulls away from them looking really unhappy. “It’s alright, kid. It’ll either work out or it won’t. Don’t worry yourself into a tizzy about it,” they say. 

“Can’t you take this seriously?” Theo pleads. 

“I am. Now why don’t you two hash out what you’re planning to do about this? I’ve done just about all I can here,” Pat says, releasing Theo from their grasp. 

“You’re leaving?” you ask, stepping forward to block their path. 

“I’m just going back to my own soul. See how much of the damage you did is something I can reverse myself now that I’m aware of it. You two get the fun task of deciding what to do with the information I just gave you, because I can’t actually help with it. Good luck,” Pat says. They put their hands on your shoulders and drag you out of their way instead of just walking around you. They pat you on the head before they leave. 

Theo doesn’t try to stop them at all. 

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#choose your own adventure #interactive fiction #writeblr #original writing

[scorpiongrassfield]

You think Pat should believe you.

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Theo Can't Answer For You This Time

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#poll results

[scorpiongrassfield]

Theo Can't Answer For You This Time

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#poll #choose your own adventure #interactive fiction #writeblr #original writing

[scorpiongrassfield]

Pat is Standing Behind You 

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Pat puts their left arm around your shoulder and their right around Theo’s and sort of pushes themself between the two of you. It’s not quite a hug, but it’s an approximation. 

“I think I’ll give you,” Pat says, tilting their head in Theo’s direction, “A break. I mean, you were actually trying to respect my wishes up to the last time we had spoken. Things just got way out of hand.” They say it like they alone can pardon Theo for whatever wrongdoing he might commit. 

It’s a little hard to see Theo with Pat between you like this, and he doesn’t answer out loud, leaving you in the dark. 

Pat looks… different. 

Their hair is shorter, cut in a different style. The color has changed, too, a darker pink now. 

And they look a little older, a little more tired. The grooves of their face seem just a bit deeper.

Pat stops hanging off of the two of you and ruffles Theo’s hair. You take a step back and face the two of them. 

“I’ll give you an A for effort, really. That was a better and more cohesive plan that I’d be able to form and stick to while on fire,” Pat says, and when Theo looks away, like he’s ashamed, they shake their head.  “No, seriously, I’m not mad at you. It was better thinking than anyone else was doing at the time. You got a little lost  part way through. That’s okay. You were up against Ametrine. I always though the two of you would mix like kerosene and more already on fire kerosene, you know?” 

Theo shakes his head. 

“Hm… Well we’re not going to be able to unpack this all right now, we’ve still got things to do. But keep in mind that even though I’m mad, I’m not mad at you. That’s all,” Pat says with a decisive nod. 

Then they turn around to look at you. 

“So, kid. What’s your name?” 

That catches you off guard. 

You look around. There’s no one else there, obviously. “Me?” you ask anyway. 

Pat chuckles. “No, the other kid here whose name I don’t know,” they say, with a little bite of sarcasm. It doesn’t sound mean or angry, just amused. “Sylv,” you say. That’s the one you picked and you’re sticking with it. 

Pat raises their eyebrows, a mimicry of disbelief. “Sylv?” they confirm. “Not Myosotis the memory parasite ghost?” 

One of those words makes you flinch, and for once it’s not the word ghost. 

You look to Theo for help. He shakes his head. 

You shake your head. 

Pat nudges Theo with their elbow. “Hey, I’m not grilling you, I’m grilling him,” they complain. 

“We’re friends now. Organically, even. His powers don’t work on me,” Theo says with a shrug. 

“Oh, so you’re capable of playing nice,” Pat says, like you’re the one that explained and not Theo. 

“I… I don’t want to hurt anyone,” you say. It’s only a little bit of a lie. 

You can’t claim you didn’t just want to hurt Ametrine. The evidence of that is still lying on the ground behind you. 

“No?” 

“I don’t want to hurt you,” you emphasize. That’s very true. You like Pat. 

“So let me get this straight,” Pat says, putting a hand to one hip. “You mind whammied me into thinking we’ve been friends and roomates for more than half a decade, inserting yourself into my life so close that I would never think to question your actions, ultimately causing a situation in which my former best friend has to try and kill me and my current best friend has to do the closest thing that an angel can d-”

“I’m not an angel,” Theo interrupts. 

Pat makes a funny face, lips pursed, eyes wide as they twist their head to look at him like “are you seriously arguing about this now?” before shaking their head and waving him off. 

“Right, causing my best friend to do the closest thing a guardian can do to dying and going to hell, not to mention all of the other shit that we both know ‘Myosotis’ has done to other people that’s worse, and you want me to believe you don’t want to hurt anyone. Just because you say so,” Pat says, giving you a flat look. 

You look to Theo again, and he nods. Pat rolls their eyes and steps in between the two of you, blocking Theo’s face from view. “Nope, this one’s between me and you, kid. Teddy’s on time out now.” 

“Ah,” Theo seems surprised, but ultimately says nothing more than that surprised vocalization. 

“Well?” Pat says, drawing your attention back to them. “Should I believe you or not? I want an answer.” 

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#choose your own adventure #interactive fiction #writeblr #original writing