Which is the illusion, fate or free will?

arkhampsychic:

She’d hit the nail on the head. “No, I know that’s not the case but… Yes, okay… It bothers me because it should have been me that was there for her instead of him. I mean… the whole reason I got into trouble was trying to do something for her! If you ask me this situation’s a pretty shitty reward for the effort!”

Hearing it out loud made it sound a lot worse that it had been in his head. He really was just being incredibly selfish, wasn’t he? You could almost see him deflate and his head met his hands. “God… I’m a fucking idiot aren’t I? Sitting here feeling sorry for myself and acting like a damn child…”

Andy would have repremanded him some if he hadn't already done it himself. "... You lost time. It's understandable that you're upset... Just.. make sure you're listening to her and being there for her now. You're here now... weren't you the one that told me to live in the now with the people you're with?" She wasn't good at this.

arkhampsychic:

“Well, she’s not going to be a child forever. Or that much longer really… I came back and she’d changed so much it’s baffling. Not just physically either, she’s matured a lot, she’s not as introverted as she was… I know she’s gained a few extra influences in her life aside from just you so I guess I’m just glad to see that someone’s having a positive affect…”

His expression soured a moment. “Andy, I gotta ask your opinion on something… While I was gone, Wendy started spending a lot of time with this guy… An old Chinese monkey god. You should hear the way she talks about him, calls him grandpa, and she keeps telling me how much he’s helped her out, how he was there when i wasn’t… Everyone keeps giving him these glowing reviews and telling me I’m worried for nothing and it’s… I don’t know, It’s bugging me.”

She gives him a blank look for a moment. Then sighs a bit, rubbing the back of her neck a bit. Should she tell him? "... Vincent. I want to point something out to you I've noticed about Wendy. Whitney is Mama. Her mother is Mom. I have never heard her mix those labels. You're Papa. She never new her father. Don't you think if Wukong had taken the father figure role in her mind she would have used some variation of dad if that had been the case?"

"That being said. He isn't golden in her eyes anymore than you are. She wasn't being nearly as aggressive as she had until Wukong left without warning like you had. I'm almost scared how bad her anger got when I left... I'm not an empath, but I know what it's like to be mad at everyone leaving you it's-" Andy stopped, starting to feel choked up. She hadn't meant to say that much.

".... Wukong has been coming by the shop as well and I can tell you he genuinely cares about them." And me. But she wasn't going to say that. She'd said to much anyway.

arkhampsychic:

“Of course I do. You’ve got a skillset completely different than mine. I’d like her to have some options. Not to mention you’re far more qualified to teach swordplay. She kicked my ass the other day, thanks for that.” It sounded sarcastic but the smile was genuine. “You take your time and focus on recovery.”

That got her to smile. "You know I've always been horrible with children.. I think I'm still probably colder with Wendy than what she deserves.. But she's a good kid. Puts her heart into everything."

arkhampsychic:

“Am I really… shit… I thought maybe I’d been able to avoid that when none of my own defenses tried to lock me out. Hmm… I’ll have to figure something out.”

He leaned back in his seat and crossed his arms. “I’m sure she’s noticed… but she hasn’t said anything about it. She noticed me while I was floating around trying to track myself down so maybe she figured it out but… I’m almost afraid to ask her straight out about it.”

Andy nodded. She wasn't sure why exactly he was afraid to ask her, but she could guess. ".. Speaking of Wendy. I know I haven't been doing my lessons with her for a few weeks now, but it's still going to be awhile before I can start then up again.. if you still want me to teach her."

arkhampsychic:

That actually was pretty reassuring. “Guess so, good to know the universe didn’t bail on me…”

“He likes it here. The other place was more like a lot of nothing so I think he’s just happy being able to experience something different. That and I sit back and let him take the reigns for a hour or two every couple days. Pretty much so long as he’s entertained we’re golden… One of my biggest worries right now is if the higher ups figure this out, you know? Don’t think they’ll be real keen on their chosen one piggy backing off of something that by definition I should be trying to destroy… another reason I’m asking for a bit of discretion.”

"I won't tell anyone Vincent, but I don't think you can't keep this a secret for very long." She took off her glasses for enfifice. "You're regring as non-human on these and- How has Wendy taken all of this? Someone with her abilities should feel that you're.. different now."

arkhampsychic:

“mm hmm…” he nodded. “a lot of this I’d rather her not know just yet. Just because she’s still half convinced that I’m not actually here, better let her deal with one thing at a time right now, you know?”

He let out a big sigh. “Okay… so… I’m going to summarize this since it’s kind of a long story… but, due to me taking on something I couldn’t handle like an idiot some time ago, I… found myself on another plane or something for a while. Still fuzzy on most of that, but when I got back which I’m still not sure how I did that either, I was completely disconnected from my body. Later I found out that my body was still alive but carting around some other guy that was from that other plane and he and I managed to switch places somehow…”

“All intents and purposes, that should’ve been the end of me, right? I got lucky, the other guy was willing to help me out, we tracked down someone overseas doing some real shady stuff with souls and he managed to put me back together. But only because of the other guy. He’s still in here properly and I’m pretty much just stitched on like a bad graft and working though him as a proxy. But it’s working for now so…”

Huh… that was more than what he’d actually wanted to say but it had felt good actually telling someone the whole story. and honestly he could use some reassuring words from a friend.

Andy was quiet, her face remaining blank as he told his story. "Well that explains why you're lighting up on my glasses." Was her first comment. "It's good everything worked out. Despite that all happening you're still getting a second chance, which means the universe is still on your side." There were a lot of probablys and maybes she could have added but she was trying to be supportive. There were other prying things she could ask, but considering she wasn't sharing all the details of what happened to her while he was gone.. Alright there is something important she needs to ask. "So what's the other guy getting out of this?"

arkhampsychic:

He found a seat for himself and thought a moment. “Yeah, you can ask… if I actually explain it though, as a favor could you keep it between us for the time being?”

Andy nodded. "I can do that." She looked around what she could see off the house for a moment and made a guess. "Whitney out with the kids right now?"

arkhampsychic:

“Oh, yeah sure…” he held the door for her. “I guess I can’t blame you, just glad you’re alright. I’m not planning on doing much traveling anytime soon so you can give me a call if you do need a ride somewhere. Though that depends on if you even want to be in a car at all…” 

"Thank you for the offer, but.. yeah, I can't be in cars right now." She sat on the edge of the couch, her movements a bit stiff. "Vincent, when you said you might have been dead.. what happened? Is it alright for me to be asking? Are you alright now?"

Her small smile faltered, “I could ask you the same, we thought you were dead.” Boy, did that sound like an evasion. She sighed, “I was in a car wreck a few weeks ago.”

“A car…” he visibly grimaced. “And after you got the courage back to drive too… Damn. Guessing I can count this as a huge step backwards?”

He looked away a moment. “… I’m not one hundred percent sure I wasn’t in some fashion or another. But it’s not important, I got better.”

"The car was totalled and I'm not getting another one." Andy stated very plainly. She looked tired. "May I come in and sit?" She hadn't decided whether she wanted to ask for more details or not. But she hadn't used a Babylon candle for... certain reasons, and she didn't have her cane. So all this standing was really getting to her.

Her small smile faltered, "I could ask you the same, we thought you were dead." Boy, did that sound like an evasion. She sighed, "I was in a car wreck a few weeks ago."

“Me either after seeing you like this…. How long will you be in here for? How is Red handling this? What about your girlfriend?”

“Just a few days.. She’s alright and her real name is Francis. She’s stopped going by Red.” Andy covered her eyes sighing. “I don’t know. I haven’t told her. Whitney I haven’t talked to Eva in months.”

She looked away cursing herself for bringing it up.

“I’m sorry… I didn’t know…I… Is there anything i can do for you?”

Andy sighed again, pulling her hand away from her eyes. "No, but I'll be alright. I've lived threw worse."

“Andy…. i’ve missed you so much…. are you sure you’re quite alright? You look rather tired…”

“I’m fine.” She lied. “Just.. Having a bit of trouble sleeping. Car wreck and all, it brought up some bad memories, y'know?”

“I understand…. Andy i thought you didn’t drive though…” Reaching out she took hold of Andy’s good hand.

“I did before I stopped smoking… And I was starting to again when this happened.” She sighed. “I’m not know though. I don’t think I could ever calmly be in a car again.”

“Me either after seeing you like this…. How long will you be in here for? How is Red handling this? What about your girlfriend?”

"Just a few days.. She's alright and her real name is Francis. She's stopped going by Red." Andy covered her eyes sighing. "I don't know. I haven't told her. Whitney I haven't talked to Eva in months."

“Andy…. i’ve missed you so much…. are you sure you’re quite alright? You look rather tired…”

“I’m fine.” She lied. “Just.. Having a bit of trouble sleeping. Car wreck and all, it brought up some bad memories, y'know?”

“I understand…. Andy i thought you didn’t drive though…” Reaching out she took hold of Andy’s good hand.

"I did before I stopped smoking... And I was starting to again when this happened." She sighed. "I'm not know though. I don't think I could ever calmly be in a car again."

“Oh dear. I’ll be right over!” After 10 minutes of Whitney fumbling to find a candle she quickly made her way to the back of the hospital and quickly made her way inside. It wasn’t long before she was admitted in.

“Knock knock…” She mumbled as she opened the door.

“Hello.” Andy gave a small smile. She had a neck brace on as well as a splint on her wrist. She looked tired if anything.

“Andy…. i’ve missed you so much…. are you sure you’re quite alright? You look rather tired…”

"I'm fine." She lied. "Just.. Having a bit of trouble sleeping. Car wreck and all, it brought up some bad memories, y'know?"

“Before I say anything else, know that I’m okay. I’m in the hospital, I was in a car wreck.”

Her eyes widened at the mention of her being in the hospital. “A-Are…How long? What room? I need to visit you!” She cried out, worried terribly for her friend.

“Just a few days. I’m fine just whiplash and a broken wrist.” Still she’d tell her the room number.

“Oh dear. I’ll be right over!” After 10 minutes of Whitney fumbling to find a candle she quickly made her way to the back of the hospital and quickly made her way inside. It wasn’t long before she was admitted in. “Knock knock…” She mumbled as she opened the door.

"Hello." Andy gave a small smile. She had a neck brace on as well as a splint on her wrist. She looked tired if anything.

“True true, though I still walk most everywhere. Those candles aren’t the easiest to make. Illegal to make actually.” She sighed, eyes darting around the room a moment. “You know my grandmother never left. I saw her during the wreck.”

“Did you? My my… Could it you’ve her to thank for coming out of the wreck mostly unscathed?”

"I don't know. My grandmother was very against the notion that you could control the future. It doesn't seem like something she'd do... But I just don't know."

“Before I say anything else, know that I’m okay. I’m in the hospital, I was in a car wreck.”

Her eyes widened at the mention of her being in the hospital. “A-Are…How long? What room? I need to visit you!” She cried out, worried terribly for her friend.

"Just a few days. I'm fine just whiplash and a broken wrist." Still she'd tell her the room number.