After Dusk (Open)

[Patch Jacobs]

Patch roamed through the public market, not planning on buying anything, and talking to no one. The day was slowly coming to a close, and any shop or booth that remained to be open weren't exactly trying for customers anymore, anyway. They were lost in their conversations, not knowing (or choosing to ignore) what was going on around them. Why didn't people think it odd how things had begun to work in the country?

Patch personally would blame the Child's Play company, if that didn't make him sound so utterly foolish. He didn't like the feel of the place at all, and avoided it at all costs. Not even the threat of freezing to death in winter would tempt him to enter the doors for a chance at warmth.

Shrugging his shoulders, he walked over to a woman packing up and asked for a single apple. She only raised an eyebrow at him before tossing one to him, not demanding payment. The apple was to be his supper, and probably last bit of food until after noon the following day. He didn't spend his slim wages on much, not even when he had enough.

However, Patch was opposed to stealing, which prompted him to call out, "You'd be better not to do that." when he saw a dark figure shadowed by the setting sun pocketing oranges.

[Hailee Sarvi Marshall]

Hailee was just lightly walking about the market center, one arm across her stomach and one arm twirling her curls in her finger. It had been at least 2 weeks since she woke up and yet she didn't remember anything at all. She knew her name, and she knew her clothing shop, but other than the basics, she knew nothing. Some of her customers would come in and say "Hey Hailee, remember me." and she couldn't say anything but no. Anyone before the blackness that was her memory, was erased. She couldn't even tell people her prices or where she got her shoes either. Altogether, not being able to remember was bothering her beyond frustration.

Hailee sighed, dropping her golden locks and walking up to the food part of the market, wondering if she could get something to eat to remind her of what her favorites were. She didn't even know if she didn't like anything. Biting her lower lip, Hailee clicked her heels over to the food and was looking over all the fresh fruit and vegetables when someone's voice woke her up from the daze she had been in for the last few hours. The voice was so close, she didn't even see the boy standing there near the fruit seller's cart, right next to where she was. Had he not said anything, she would have walked right into him.

"Oh..." She blurted out, before looking up to the shadow across from the teenager when she saw someone wearing a hood trying to steal the oranges. "Hey! That guy's trying to steal!" She blurted out to the cart woman. Hailee watched the woman jump and start shouting at the person trying to steal oranges. Only with all the ruckus, Hailee began to feel awkward again and pulled herself back, putting her arm across her stomach and began to twirl at her hair again, stepping away from the carts. She wasn't all that hungry any more, too much commotion and too many people looking now. Hailee began to walk off, not without bumping the teenager whom she had almost bumped into any way.
"Sorry..." She whispered with a weary smile.

Outfit

[Patch Jacobs]

Patch hadn't even noticed the woman who'd shouted. She was beautiful, but something in his gut froze. There was something about her ... Something he couldn't place, but knew was wrong. Giving his head a shake, he looked up as she bumped him, and whispered her quiet apology for it.

"It's fine, I'm over looked most days anyway." Patch mumbled in return. This woman was older than himself, but she came across (to him at least) as a younger soul lost in the wrong body. She seemed all together lost. Noticing she hadn't gotten anything from the food carts, Patch offered over his apple, "Here, if you're hungry, take it. I can get another one later."

As an after though he added, "I'm Patch."

[Hailee Sarvi Marshall]

Hailee eyed the boy, shrinking into her skin every moment she could feel his eyes on her. Even if he didn't, she felt like he was staring. Staring was giving her a bad feeling, it was just giving her a nausious feeling and all she wanted to do was run away into the shadows. Hailee didn't like being in anyone's eye. Apparently, before the blackness, she was open and lively, she gigled alot. She could see that in all the photos in the scrapbook in her room. But now, Hailee squirmed at the idea of having her picture taken. It was painful.

Hailee nibbled hard on her lip, unable to look him in the eye and only looked to her fingers playing with the ruffles on her dress. Gulping down, she looked up just barely at his words and saw the apple. Her eyes flickered between the apple and the boy. She winced before shaking her head, crossing her arms across her chest.

"No... No... I was just going to go eat up at the... um... the cafe down there." She pointed towards the coffee cafe just down the way. Atleast there she could sit in a corner and keep out of anyone's eye. She looked to her feet and shifted her heels uncomfortably. Hailee didn't realize that wearing some of her old outfits would make her feel this uncomfortable.
"I... I'm Hailee." She whispered, looking up to him.

She felt bad just running into him and acting like a suspicous person. Besides, this was the first person she had seen in 2 weeks that didn't ask her if she knew them. It was actually refreshing.
"Look... I could... buy you a small coffee or muffin in there, if you want. The food's cheap and it will settle your stomach more than that apple." She spoke, pointing at the apple, trying to keep eye contact. "I mean, to make up for bumping into you."

Outfit

[Patch Jacobs]

This woman was fidgety, Patch noticed. She seemed unable to stand the idea of looking at him, not that his feelings were hurt. He had a couple nasty scars that even scared him time and again. Namely after a long time of going without a mirror or reflection.

Patch looked to where the woman pointed. It was a small little cafe, not one that he'd even gone to himself, but had passed many times. She introduced herself then, as Hailee, and drifted back onto the topic of the cafe. Though she sounded harmless, lost even, and acted about as terrifying as a teddybear, patch still didn't feel right about her. There was definitely something wrong.

The seventeen year old looked at his apple and shrugged. "Okay, why not? By accepting your offer, I can eat breakfast tomorrow." Patch had intended the comment to sound carefree, like a joke almost, but it sounded all wrong. Stashing the apple inside his coat pocket, he started to walk beside the woman.

After a while, to break the silence, he asked, "So where is it you work? I haven't chanced to seeing you about."

[Hailee Sarvi Marshall]

Hailee sighed with relief when the boy accepted to going with her. She would have been okay if he said no, but she felt bad for acting like the psycho she felt like she was. It wasn't that she couldn't necessarily stand him specifically looking at her, it was everyone. For some reason, Big crowds frightened her, and anytime someone asked her far too personal or memory questions, Hailee grew incredibly silent and awkward. The idea of answering their questions grew goosebumps on her arms and her whole mind shut down and went on auto pilot.

Nodding, she curled her arms around her as the boy walked next to her. Not intentionally biting her lip, Hailee had to let go of it before it began to hurt too much. She could feel it beginning to throb as they walked in silence. Silence, in itself, was forcing her to feel out of place and awkward. Then, the Patch boy broke the silence with a question and she looked up to him confused. For a moment the question didn't even click in her mind until moments later.

"I... I'm a clothing designer." She spoke, her hands falling from her sides. The nerves began to kick in but she swallowed them down. He didn't know her, he had no recollection of her at all so it couldn't be wrong to tell him a little about herself. Most people screamed over who they were and what they were about. Hailee cried at the idea of telling a stranger her middle name or her favorite color, it was that bad. The fear that manifested inside her made her feel weak and idiotic for having it, but she couldn't shake it.

"I own the store Beauty in a stitch, where I sell my own designs and make single people designs for specific people." She managed to press from her lungs. Taking a deep breath, she looked to the ground. Her hands were already at her stomach wringing each other. She must look like some anti-social freak show. Unable to help the habits she woke up with, Hailee turned to Patch with a weak smile. "What about you?"

Outfit

[Patch Jacobs]

Patch listened to her talk, wondering if she was a Doll or not. He didn't understand quite where the term had come from, but just as he was about to discard the random thought, he remembered Chloe. She was just like Hailee - lost looking and hollow. Not a memory in her mind that could have helped Patch help her.

"A fashion designer hm? Bet that's not as easy as it seems." Patch said, trying to make light the conversation. Her shop sounded familiar, and Patch was almost certain he'd passed it by once or twice. Of course he hadn't gone inside, having little enough money as it was, and not having a girlfriend (at all) who sought out such items.

"I'm just a Busboy at a pub. Minimum wage when they can afford it, less when they can't." Patch shrugged. The thought reminded him that he needed to find a place to hunker down for the night, most likely with a high risk of being kidnapped - but who wasn't at risk nowadays?

"I'm originally from New York." he said then. "What about you?"

[Hailee Sarvi Marshall]

Hailee looked towards the cafe that was just a few feet from the two of them. Food, her stomach didn't feel too hungry but the more the thought of food pressed into her mind, the more she wanted it. Maybe a big muffin! The one with blueberries and cooked sugar crumbled ontop. Her stomach growled lightly at just the idea. Hailee had been by the cafe the other day to eat, someone saying it was cheap and the food/treats were yummy. Pulling from her own thoughts, she looked to the Patch boy who had said something. Oh, yes, fashion design.

"It's only as hard as the client... I like making clothes, but it's tailoring it to people's wants and shape that's hard..." She spoke, trying to keep calm. Talking to him seemed far easier than she thought it would be. Aslong as he didn't ask too personal a question or ask her about why she looked so lost, she would be fine.

Hailee watched him talk about his job with a shrug. It was unusual. He was an unfortunate fellow and yet, he didn't seem to blame anyone or talk about his misfortune the whole time. It was merely a blimb on the conversation. Eyeing him lightly before looking to the doors of the cafe. Pulling them open, she turned to him with a cocked head. "Why don't you try to work for a place that always needs you... if you don't mind my prying?" She asked before waving for him to come into the cafe.

Hailee stopped and stared at the ground. Now... where did she come from? It wasn't clear, and she couldn't fathom where she did come from. There was always the option of lying to him, but Hailee hated lying more than she hated not remembering the truth.


"I... I couldn't tell you, I don't really remember." She whispered. Gulping, she smiled at him weakly, "What's New York like?" She asked, trying to switch the conversations quickly.

Outfit

[Patch Jacobs]

Patch listened to her speak. Listened to her talk about clothes and the people who came to her. She was definitely beautiful enough to get by on looks and creating them ... If only her eyes were a little more alive. This of course was Patch's opinion, her having dead eyes.

"It's not that I'm not needed - I'm always needed to clean up after some drunk or another. It's just that the owner himself is a drunk, and digs into our pockets to feed his own addiction without losing stock." Patch shrugged again, not wanting to get into it, and not wanting to complain either. The latter was rather dangerous he found, nowadays. One wrong word and poof - you were gone.

Patch frowned, not liking the feeling that came to him when she said she hadn't a clue where she'd come from. "New York is good. Busy, but that's a good thing. People don't recognize you as easily if they only see you passing by. Easy to be forgotten..."

[Hailee Sarvi Marshall]

Hailee looked to patch, eyeing him lightly before looking to the the ground underneath her slowly moving feet. There was that impending issue of hers that she had been reminded of by those who knew her. She liked to help people period. Even now that she was shy and unable to look him in the eyes. Hailee didn't want to just offer a job to the boy, because what if he was lying or was some kind a secret serial killer. Gulping down the idea the boy could be holding back secrets, she bit her lip before looking at him.

"Well, I'm sure that if you're trust worthy, someone might hire you who's trust worthy too... I only got as far as I did... because my grandmother. Some friends of mine just recently reminded me that it was always my grandmother's wish for me to open a clothing shop and or boutique." She found a small smile stitching itself on her face. Despite the fact that she couldn't remember her grandmother, she did like being told about her from people who claimed to be her friends and family. The woman seemed like someone important to Hailee.

She furrowed her brows as he spoke, looking at him with slight confusion. There was the question on her tongue she wanted to ask but it seemed rude somehow. The way he spoke she couldn't tell if he enjoyed being forgotten or disliked that he's always forgotten. Maybe it was a mix a both. Hailee did like being remembered, but at some times she wished they had all forgotten about her and how she disappeared. Sighing, she shrugged.
"It can be a good thing and bad thing... if you are forgotten, who's going to remember you if you forget yourself?" She asked, trying a weak smile at him.