EXCOLO

'Ri look started and upset that she doesn't remember him, and I reach over and rub her arm again. "It'll be okay, 'Ri. We'll get it straightened out, somehow." I turn my eyes to Lannie when she asks which show. "The Carnival, outside of town? 'Ri, Gar and I all came in with it."

Gar enters, and looks at us without recognizing us, clearly, sitting at the end of the bar and trying to look small. It's not working.

"Maybe you and I should go over and say hello, see what he remembers? The more people you talk to the more you might find the pattern behind this."

"It's... not a bad idea." I say tentatively, eyeing up the wings. "Guess we could buy him a drink, get the ice broken." I sigh as Lannie hugs 'Ri.
"Its okay, Ri, maybe some things are best forgotten," She comments, glaring at Iago, and I manage a laugh at that. "Don't worry, dear wife, you and I shall find a way to pay him back." I assure her with a wink, then take a deep breath and walk over to Gar.

"How's it going, Gar? Buy you a drink or something?" I offer, smiling easily as I slide onto the stool next to him.

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I could tell that no one at that table recognized me, or was in a rapture of joy to see me, so I took the seat farthest from where they were and decided to just get something fast to eat and then continue on with my search for home. When I saw movement off to the side, I turned to look that way just as the man from the table took a seat next to me. Before I could speak, he did.

"How's it going, Gar? Buy you a drink or something?"

I am stunned, and deep down, relieved. Someone knows me, and seems ready to be friendly and generous at the same time. A dozen questions to ask rush into my brain, but I reign them in and ask the basics first.

"You remember me?" I start with and give him a relieved smile as I look at him, and study his face, it's familiar, really familiar. "I.. I know your face. You're familiar to me, but I can't recall from where, or your name. I'm sorry about that." I say "I've been wandering for days, trying to find my way back home. Would you happen to know where that is?" I finally ask him with my heart pounding in my chest with anxiety. I don't like this feeling of so much uncertainty. It feels wrong, but it seems all of us are being affected by the same malaise at the same time, so at least I'm not alone in it.

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Lannie may not remember us being friends but it doesn't show right now, As she wraps an arm around me and squeezes gently while glaring out at the courtyard. Its okay, Ri, maybe some things are best forgotten,

Lucien rubs my arm again and I feel bad for falling apart, It'll be okay, 'Ri. We'll get it straightened out, somehow. I shouldn't need them to do this, I'm a big girl, I can look after myself.

I nod and try to summon up a smile for them. "I'll be okay. S'just a shock to find I should know something and don't have a clue that it was even missing."

Doc seems to decide that my plan for a chat with this Gar person may be worth something and with a wink and a joke for Lannie he's off to where the giant is sitting.

I turn and give Lannie a hug. "You're still my best friend, Lannie. Even if we both forgot each other I bet we'd become best friends again as soon as we met!"

I glance over my shoulder at Doc an Gar. "I should go over n' get reintroduced."

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Don't worry, dear wife, you and I shall find a way to pay him back." My scowl breaks into a laugh at that. I can definitely see why I like this guy.

Lucien goes over to Gar and is talking so loud I wonder if the big guy is def. As a matter of fact, everyone's talking loud. I wonder if they know? Or maybe they think I'm def.

"I'll be okay. S'just a shock to find I should know something and don't have a clue that it was even missing."

"Tell me about it," I sigh. I'm not sure I wanted a husband before I forgot, but that doesn't stop my irritation at what Iago made me believe. "Seems like you remember what's important, at least. I forgot everything."

"You're still my best friend, Lannie. Even if we both forgot each other I bet we'd become best friends again as soon as we met!"

Laughing, I nod and hug her back. I think that's true. I like her already even without the memories. "We got the half way point right now," I grin, then nod again when she says she's gonna go get introduced. "I'll hang here for a few," I say, signaling Thomas for another dink.

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Gar looks at me, and damn, he looks shocked and relieved at the same time.

"You remember me? I.. I know your face. You're familiar to me, but I can't recall from where, or your name. I'm sorry about that." I smile easy and wave my hand. "I do remember you, you're kinda hard to forget." Granted, I would hate to think I had forgotten about the damn wings. I hold out my hand in greeting. "Names Lucien, you usually called me Doc though."

"I've been wandering for days, trying to find my way back home. Would you happen to know where that is?" I sigh and rake my hand through my hair. "You have the amnesia bad then." Look back and see Lannie and 'Ri still talking. "We both worked for the Carnival, the one outside town?" I say, jerking my thumb in that direction. "I moved into town because I found a girlfriend here..." who doesn't remember me "but as far as I know, you're still with the Carnival, working security. You have a trailer. I can take you back there, if you want."

I am still trying to be polite and friendly, but it's killing me not to ask about those wings.

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I listen to the man introduce himself, and I smile when he tell me that I call him Doc. "I wonder what you are a doctor of?" I ask and there is a glint of mischief in my eyes. I'm suddenly feeling better having not only met someone who knows me, but is seemingly so friendly towards me. He goes on to say that we both work for that Carnival I saw, and that I live on the grounds apparently.

You have a trailer. I can take you back there, if you want."

"That would be great." I say and shake his hand enthusiastically. "I'd love to go home, and rest, get cleaned up..." I say and give a glance down at my muddy self, then back up to him. "I really, really need to get something to eat..." I say, and then give a wave to the server to come over before I continue. "I'm gonna order something to eat. Can I get you something if you'll wait a bit before showing me my way home?" I ask him, and I sure feel like a clown, but I will take any friendly help I can get at this point.

I notice he keeps looking at my wings, and something tells me that he hasn't seen them before either if what Iago told me is true. "They're rather.. interesting, aren't they? My wings I mean..." I say, and breach the subject in case he's too cautious to. I understand more how intimidating they must make me look, along with my height. "According to Iago outside, they are a new thing for me."

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Lannie laughs and hugs me back. Even if it's a bit awkward with her not remembering I'm glad we're still friends.

I'll hang here for a few, she says when I tell her I'm gonna head over to be reintroduced. I give her another hug and scoop up my glass with it's sparkly purple contents and head over to Where Gar an' Lucien are talking.

"Hey guys."

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"I wonder what you are a doctor of?" I laugh a little and shake my head. "Oh, this, that and the other things. Right now I am the physician in residence for Excolo. Thats where we are by the way, Excolo. Fuckin' little town in the middle of nowhere." Where he happen to be stuck, but that's a story for another time.

Gar takes my hand and shakes it... and almost throws me off my stool for his enthusiasm. Damn, he's got a grip! He's all about seeing his place, but wants to eat first. I manage to retrieve my hand and flex it a few times, making sure nothing's broken. "Fine by me. I am really dreading going back to the office anyway, and I should check on the Carnival, see if anyone needs anything."

"They're rather.. interesting, aren't they? My wings I mean... According to Iago outside, they are a new thing for me." I smile a bit wryly and lean against the bar, really looking at them. "Gotta admit... known you for four years, and I have NEVER seen them before. Good trick, keeping them hid. Remember how you got them? Was it recent, or were they always there?" Wonder darkly if he met one from the Tower, and if this is one of his... gifts.

'Ri finally joins us and I loop an arm over her shoulder. "Gar, meet 'Ri. She owns a shoppe in town, but came in with the show too."

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"Oh! That's good to know that you are the local Doctor around here. If I get hurt I will know who to go to. But you live in town here... I will have to get directions to your office before we part ways tonight." I say, then smile a contented smile. "I'm glad you came over Doc. I was feeling pretty lost here." I say, and then listen as he asks me about my wings.

Gotta admit... known you for four years, and I have NEVER seen them before. Good trick, keeping them hid. Remember how you got them? Was it recent, or were they always there?"

The look of confusion must show on my face as I shrug and answer him. "I honestly don't recall much of anything pertaining to my time... here. In this town." I confess to him. I have memories before this place, and I know I've had them before. Glass said they looked like they tore through my skin, out of my back, but it's healing now." I explain to him. "If you want to look you can, I don't mind, but I don't know how gory looking it is." I offer to him. If he's a doctor, I'm sure he's seen far worse.

"You can touch them if you want, they sort of feel like arms without as much feeling, not as many nerves in them. I know they are there, I can move them. I might try pulling out a feather to see what it feels like, or what happens." I say, then look at him for his opinion when one of the women from the other end of the bar, the one with very brightly blue colored hair joins us. Doc puts his arm around her shoulder and introduces her to me as Ri.

"Hello Ri." I smile and give her a nod of my head. "It's nice to meet you." I say.

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Doc is looking at Gar or maybe at his wings when I come up to them. Lucien puts his arm round my shoulder, Gar, meet 'Ri. She owns a shoppe in town, but came in with the show too.

Up close Gar looks even bigger but his eyes are soft and there's a bit of the confusion that I saw in Lannie's eyes. He gives me a friendly smile and a nod. Hello Ri.It's nice to meet you. Still no recognition whatsoever, this is just like meeting anyone for the first time. I smile up at him and echo back the greeting.

"Hi, Gar. Nice to meetcha too." I slide a look to Doc an' then back to Gar. "Yeah, like Doc says, I gotta shop in town. The salon, where I do hair and stuff." Not going to get into what the other stuff is unless he asks.

"But I came to town with the Carnival with all the rest of us." I pause to drink some of my violet charm. All of a sudden I have no idea how to ask about the state of his memories an' surely Doc's already asked? "Uh mind if I sit here with you?" I end up asking looking away a bit at how lame I sound.

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My but he's talkative! Never had a very lengthy conversation before. Funny, this amnesia thing. He;s happy to know I am a doctor and wants directions...

yeah. Not drunk enough. Take a swig of my vodka. "I'm glad you came over Doc. I was feeling pretty lost here." I tip my glass to him. "Live to serve."

We move on to the wings, and he starts rattling about them. Lean over to get a better look. "If you want to look you can, I don't mind, but I don't know how gory looking it is." I can't see much, and there are others about. "I will when we get to the fairgrounds. It's not a bar type activity." I reason, running my finger along a feather. "I might try pulling out a feather to see what it feels like, or what happens."

I grasp the one I am touching and yank, then pass it back to him. "Well, how'd it feel?" I ask rather clinically, ghost of a smile.

'Ri and Gar exchange greetings, and I can tell this is gonna be all sorts of awkward as 'Ri explains how we're all part of the show, and now she runs the salon. "Uh mind if I sit here with you?" She asks, and I sit down between the two of them and pull out the stool alongside me.

"Have a seat, join the party. I'll be walking back to the show with Gar later, I can check on... " I don't want to say her mother in front of Gar, so I settle for; "I can check on that problem you told me about, if you like?" I offer, wondering if her mother will remember me?

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I smile at Ri and then at Doc. "It's funny how we are all from the same part of the town, or the Carnival rather, and I don't recall Ri, Doc seems familiar, but he recalls us both. I guess that is really lucky for us, don't you agree?" I ask Ri. I find I am getting more comfortable with talking with these people whom I apparently know, but have forgotten, for now anyway.

"Mind if I sit here with you?" she asks and Doc pulls out a stool for her. I'm feeling better all the time, relaxed, content, but still hungry.

Suddenly, there is a sharp pull and the next thing I know, Doc is holding up one of my feathers and then hands it to me. "Well, how'd it feel?" he asks me. I give a little wince, mostly from the surprise and not the pain, which is minimal. "It.. felt like when someone pulls out a hair from your head." I explain, and give a shiver like when you feel a chill, and then I look over the feather. Black as night, but it has an opalescence to it in the dim light. Blue or purplish black.

I hear him offer to check on some problem for her when we walk back to the Carnival, as well as having a look at my back. Suddenly the evening doesn't look so bleak.

"Here! A gift. Maybe it will bring you luck." I say and reach over to hand the feather to Ri. I give a sly grin to Doc. "You can yank out another later if you want one."

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Have a seat, join the party. I'll be walking back to the show with Gar later, I can check on... I can check on that problem you told me about, if you like? Doc says as he takes a seat next to Gar an pulls out a seat for me on his other side. I nod as I take the seat.

"Thanks. I'd really appreciate that." Just as I appreciate him not mentioning what's wrong with Mama in front of Gar.

I've been doing my best to politely ignore those wings on Gar's back. They're probably supposed to be there and I should be used to them. I concentrate on the words instead, Even as I watch Doc reach out and just yank a feather out. It's funny how we are all from the same part of the town, or the Carnival rather, and I don't recall Ri, Doc seems familiar, but he recalls us both. I guess that is really lucky for us, don't you agree? "Um yeah." I reply to Gar. "I gotta confess I don't remember you either though I remember Doc. Guess I got holes in my memories."

Gar takes the feather Lucien pulled and hands it to me.Here! A gift. Maybe it will bring you luck. I take it in surprise and curiosity. It's beautiful if a little damp. All dark and shiny with purples an' blues. "It's gorgeous..." I breathe then I look up and over at him. "Thanks."

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Gar explains that he doesn't remember any of us expect that I look familiar, 'Ri remembers me but not Gar, and I seem to have no memory lapse whatsoever.

"I guess that is really lucky for us, don't you agree?" I shrug a bit and look around the bar. "Wish I knew why some people forgot everything, some forgot little things, and some seemed unaffected. Don't know why I managed to luck out... if you could call it luck." I say quietly, thinking of the blank look Miao gave me when I tried to explain that we were lovers.
"Haven't seen a pattern yet. If I figure it out, I will clue you in."

Gar winces at the plucked feather, but as I thought, it doesn't seem to hurt him much. He likens it to getting a hair yanked out. He studies it for a moment, then with a grin, hands it to 'Ri. "Here! A gift. Maybe it will bring you luck." "It's gorgeous... Thanks." I grin at 'Ri. "Perhaps you can figure out a way to duplicate the colour, it would look smashing on you." I tease, cocking my head and wondering how she would look with black hair.

"You can yank out another later if you want one." Gar says with a impish grin, and I shake my head. "Thanks, but ... I have the luck of the Irish, no one ever said it was good luck." I say, instantly knowing I got that saying from someone else, but I can't quite remember who.

Oh well, can't be important...

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"It's gorgeous... Thanks." Ri says to me when I present her with the feather, and it makes me feel good inside to know she likes it. She seems like an easy person to like. If we are already acquainted as Doc says, I hope we are, or were, or will be this good of company for each other in days to come.

When I offer to let Doc pull out another feather, he mentions the luck of the Irish he has, but not that it necessarily means good luck. I wonder what he means by that. I'm sure no harm would come to me if I were to have another feather pulled out. Then as if to prove that to myself, and maybe him, I reach to the side, and pluck one out myself. "Ah!" I say more for effect than pain reaction, and hand it over to Doc as the server finally arrives. "Food please good sir. I would like a steak if possible, large, rare." I say to him with a purposeful stare. "A strong ale as well, and whatever my friends here would desire." I say and then glance to Doc and Ri to see if they will have anything.

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Haven't seen a pattern yet. If I figure it out, I will clue you in. Doc says, quietly, almost as if he's thinking to himself. My turn to pat his arm in sympathy, "You'll figure it out Doc."

when I look up from Gar's feather to thank him, Lucien grins at me, Perhaps you can figure out a way to duplicate the colour, it would look smashing on you. I grin back and shake my head. "That's too easy. I already got somethin' that's pretty close. Bet I could do more interestin' things with this." Already I can see the bold tribal lines of the tattoo as it forms under my hands. I want a marker so bad right now...

I barely hear Doc refusing to take another feather only to have Gar pull one out himself. Thomas comes round to us and Gar tries to order a steak. I can't remember if that's even on the menu here. Then Gar adds a drink and, ...whatever my friends here would desire. I have the urge to point out that Doc and I were supposed to offer to buy him a drink. I manage to raise my half full glass of Violet charm and murmur an "I'm good for now."

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