♐ fifty-eighth shot

[yeahihidmypants]

[He hadn't seen her in a while. Honestly, he thought it was just her being... well, he'd say her, but there were still nuances about her that he couldn't put his finger on. Maybe it had been something else, but he confirmed it with the name-plate check.

She was gone.

He didn't feel relief.

There's a soft clearing of his throat before he dictates:]


Those of you that knew Mer- that knew Tess Mercer, she's gone home.

Comments

[yeahihidmypants]

Yeah, Caroline, I'll be alright. It's just not what I was expecting.

[coy]

I'm sorry you lost your friend.

[yeahihidmypants]

Thank you, Caroline. I knew her back home. Actually, I dated her back home, but here we were just getting to know each other again.

[coy]

Whoa. Wait, so did she forget you? [She knew Bonnie's loss was forgetting Jeremy, maybe that was common.]

[yeahihidmypants]

[He makes a soft sound of amusement.]

Not exactly, more like I forgot we had ever dated. I actually don't remember being with anyone.

Ever.

[coy]

Really? So is that... your loss?

[yeahihidmypants]

Yeah, it's a bit odd, but I just have a huge part of my life just... missing.

[coy]

So everyone you dated?

[yeahihidmypants]

I think. I mean, that's what it seems like to me. Possibly even the ones that I wasn't exactly... dating.

[coy]

Oh. Oh.

[yeahihidmypants]

[He laughs a bit]

Well, I think knowing that I forgot it all is better than before when I just thought there was nothing.

[coy]

Yeah, that's true.

[yeahihidmypants]

Have you figured out your loss yet?

[coy]

Yeah-- [Oh. Wait. No. Shit.] I think so.

[yeahihidmypants]

[He laughs]

Sounds complicated.

[coy]

I'm not sure exactly.

[yeahihidmypants]

Do you want to talk about it?

[coy]

It's just embarrassing [or something.]

[yeahihidmypants]

Embarrassing as... thinking that you've gone through your life to the age of 28 without having sex?

[coy]

Wait-- What?

[yeahihidmypants]

[He laughs, not too much, but enough to get the light-funny part of this conversation back.]

Forgetting the whole relationships thing. It also included all of the casual ones and that means I don't actually recall any of the action I may or may not have gotten back home.

[coy]

So you're a mental virgin? [That sucks.]

[yeahihidmypants]

Well, I was. I mean, I handled that aspect in the castle. [He clears his throat] Christmas is... an interesting time.

[coy]

[Excuse her for being nosy, Oliver!] What does that mean?

[yeahihidmypants]

The castle, much like the times where it's suddenly a pirate ship or a different era - likes holidays. There's the Christmas tradition of Mistletoe, but the castle puts its own twist on that. Usually, there's a specific item. You get near the item, you kiss whoever is closest to you.

If you ... don't move away from the item -- it can escalate.