The Character Break Room

T.Mor:

Listens to Cricket repeat that. Again. Wants desperately to be able to trust that statement, but...Trust seems to be synonymous with getting chopped up...which, he would prefer to keep from happening again.
" ...but...you...and...The..and..uhm..." Is just straight up inarticulate at this point, not even knowing what he is intending to say himself.

Ezra

Great...I was being ignored. "Fine," I mumbled, "not like I care anyway." I was slightly hurt I had been ignored, but I sat down in an arm chair not far from the door.

(Can I still join this?)

Cricket

When all thoughts fail to form coherant strings of words . . . rant. Breath. Bright side. Speak. I kept my eyes shut and let loose. "You're not a monster, T.Mor; th' only monster in that room was me, who wasn't me, but some . . . alternate reality version, or a clone, or something, not me, not me b'cause I would never do that t' you, or say those things, or mislead you on purpose. And we do care, and everything you 'eard in that room was a lie, and I'm sorry, that whoever it was put you through all that, and . . . please, I didn't do it . . . I didn't do it . . ."

T.Mor:

Is surprised to hear all that.
Is not sure that he actually believes all that, but really...really wants to. Desprately.
" ...But... How...How do...You could be lying... more..." Muttered into knees.

Cricket

"I'm telling th' truth, damnit! You can--" . . . Aye. Bad choice of words. My forehead pressed further into my knee as I fought the urge to go find a wall to angst against. Stupid stupid stupid. Hesitantly, I peeked at him. ". . . why would I lie t' you?"

T.Mor:

Didn't know. Although, it seems to him as though Cricket and the rest of the Four have been lying for quite some time without valid reason. Even though...he really wants to believe otherwise, and just...believe otherwise.
"...I...dunno..." Quietly.

Cricket

I didn't know what to do. "T.Mor . . ." I cautiously reached with my hand again, but, it was as if I thought he would burn me. I couldn't quite touch him. "You've got t' believe me, 'ere . . . I can honestly say I'd never forget it if you didn't, even if I'd want to, which is, ah . . . saying a lot." I stared at my hand and willed it to do something besides hover in the space between us. Alright . . . please don't burn me, or anything. Whatever that even meant. I laid my hand on his bony shoulder. "And no, I wouldn't lie t' you."

T.Mor:

Feels the hand on his shoulder, and intuitively tenses underneath it. Aside from Authorial hugs...he gets very little positive reinforcement.
"...I...I want to...But..." Makes a shrug of uncertainty.

Cricket

"But," I repeated. That's what I'd been afraid of. " 'e . . . 'e really struck a few chords in there, didn't 'e? . . . He lied, though."

T.Mor:

Is so terribly conflicted. On the one hand...This was Cricket. On the other hand...This was Cricket.
Though...He suppouses that as the monster that he is, he sort of deserves this all, in some kind of convoluted way. Isn't particularly sure about anything anymore, though.
Finally extracts his head from his knees, but continues to look at them, tears still running down his face.
"I...I don't even..." Cannot actually coher a formant sentence at all. Is sort of talking simply to fill the space. Even if it is borderline gibberish.

SO. THIS ARC WAS RESOLVED IN THE CHATBOX, BUT...THE COPYPASTA WAS LOST TO A COMPUTER DECIDING TO RESTART ITSELF AND BEING GENERALLY...EVIL. WHAT FOLLOWS IS A BRIEF SYNOPSIS.

So, they sat for a while, T.Mor and Cricket, T.Mor in his 'knees to chest' position, and Cricket trying to work up the nerve to put a hand on T.Mor's shoulder, all reassuring like.

Several sets of ellipsis were exchanged, in attempt to get T.Mor to forgive Cricket. T.Mor was...understandably, due to DDS circumstances, reluctant. Cricket was...terribly upset about that.

Eventually, Cricket stands, and asks for T.Mor to allow him one more opportunity. To trust him one more time, and states that if he cannot do that, then he would understand, and leave. T.Mor removes his head from his knees and agrees to trust him.

Cricket then hugs T.Mor, and T.Mor basically collapses into this, a sobbing mess. Everybody apologises, and then T.Mor is reprimanded for apologising. He then attempts to apologise for apologising, but it's all nearly unintelligible due to tears anyway. Cricket has a thought regarding what the guys would think if they saw him like this, then decides it doesn't matter what they'd think.

After a bit more of that, Cricket asks if T.Mor will be alright, and T.Mor states "I...I...hope...so..."

To which Cricket replies something to the effect of: "Look. You're going t' be a'right, a'right?" Then T.Mor attempted to smile, which led to Cricket 'fixing' the smile so that it actually looked like a smile. He says something about one day being able to do that by himself, and the smile lingers momentarily on T.Mor's face.

END SCENE.

Cricket
I sauntered into the room with a carefree whistling tune rolling off my lips of its own accord. It felt like I hadn't seen the place in forever. Well, it was nice to be out of the chatbox for once, and into somewhere less two-demensional. There was the familiar coffee scent lingering in the air, and a few overstuffed couches pushed up against the walls. 'Ello, real chat room, long time no see, I whistled as I flung myself onto a couch, and kicked my legs over the armrest.

Marley
Oh my gosh, this was like... INSANITY. I COULD THINK. WITH WORDS. AND EMOTIONS. AND... it was just goodness. I missed being in legitimate chats on a regular basis... especially this brilliant place. I smiled as I stepped in through the door and into the comforting coffee smell. Good times were had in this room... er... some not so good times too, but... still. Heart attacks and naps. Mmm. Life doesn't get much better than that, I tell ya.

I glanced down at the couch, and let out a laugh "There you are Crick!" I greeted, memories from... welll... you know, playing through my mind. So... where did that leave us, exactly?

Cricket

I felt my smile broaden at the sound of her voice. It was probably a stupid-looking grin, but there was no turning back from it now. "Marley! What're you doing 'ere, lassie?" I sat up on the armrest, shaking the static out of my hair. It was a bit of an odd feeling, now that we'd kissed. (Oi my my . . . what a word. Made me jump every time I thought it.) It was almost like I now had permission to think that she's pretty, that she's funny, that hey, perhaps I would like to kiss her again, and I didn't have to push those thoughts away like bad memories anymore.

Marley
He was kinda different now, you know? Like somebody had turned on some light, and now I was seeing him for the first time. Well... actually... not quite, he was still Crick, but... it was almost like I wasn't /afraid/ of seeing him in any way other than my friend.
"Uh... I don't know, honestly" I laughed "I think I just missed this place"

Cricket

"Me too." That stupid grin again. I made an attempt to wipe it off my face, but it only softened a bit. "Lot more freedom in 'ere, in a way, it's not all crowded int' a whole bunch o' script-from scenes. So, ah . . . want t' sit down?" I nodded at the couch behind me, and then my eyes flitted back to her.

Marley
"Agreed. And... you know... significant less death rate" Then I paused for a second, meeting his eyes with a slight smile "And sure, I'd love to" Then I sat down carefully, right next to him, my eyes never leaving his face

Cricket

I watched her watch me, and after a moment I couldn't help but look away and laugh. Not at her, just at the odd way things happen. If it hadn't been for 51, or even Bells, then where would we be in the world? I tucked a knee to my chest. "Am I th' only one who finds it funny 'ow things 'appen? Little coincidences, all th' time, that lead t' other odd 'appenings, and it just goes on."

Marley
"Yea... you're right" I nodded, thinking "Every little thing just builds and builds up... like... honestly... if I hadn't had lemonade this morning, I would totally not have been awake enough to keep Rori from hanging upside-down from Dorian's bunkbed. Wait. That's not what we're talking about" I laughed

Cricket

I smirked, resting my head on my knee and looking at her. "Marley, a lot o' things would never 'ave 'appened if it weren't for your lemonade."

Marley
I laughed, then nodded "True, true... like the invention of happiness. Or World War II..."

Cricket

"Lemonade is like World War II. Oi my my, that's a new one." I turned so my back was against the armrest, and I was facing her. Or more like, I suddenly found myself like that. One moment I would be sitting in a perfectly normal position, I'd blink, and I'd be halfway upside down. I didn't get it. But now that I was facing her, I was at a loss for words.

That's another new thing. There were now moments that couldn't seem to form actual understandeable words when I was around her. Well, actually, that sometimes happened whenever I looked anyone straight in the eye . . . so I glanced away again.

Marley
Juuuuust as I was coming up for the perfect response for that, my mind kinda went blank. Like one second thinking, the next second... he actually looked me in the eyes. He hardly does that. It screwed my train of thought up... then when he glanced away, I got over that little... blip of... whatever that was. Whatever it was, it was insanely distracting. "Um..."

Cricket

Oh bother. Now weren't we one big pile of silence now, aye? "What?"