corjonesy

[corjonesy]

[corjonesy]

Coraline laughed at their panic. They weren't trying to be a dick, but sarcasm was lost on them and it was kind of adorable in a funny sense. "I'm just messing with you, relax. I appreciate the coffee. And yes, on a normal day having a stalker is a big no-no, not good at all. But Wybie has been my best friend since forever and I just joke that he's my stalker a lot."

"No, not at all," Casper promised, eyes widening at the accusation, unsure if it was playful or not. They weren't trying to creep them out... they were just trying to be a good friend. "I asked the barista to recommend something because I don't drink coffee. Wait, you have a stalker? Isn't that bad?"

[corjonesy]

"To most, yes," Coraline said as they took the coffee. Bringing the cup to their lips they took their time enjoying their first sip before sighing contently. "Yeah...this was exactly what I needed." Coraline paused to arch a brow at their friend. "It's like you knew my order...you're not stalking me are you? I already have one of those and have to call him my best friend. Two stalker friends would just be extra weird."

"Um..." Casper hesitated, unsure how they were supposed to respond to that; they weren't trying to insult Coraline, but everyone could always use a little cheering up, right? It was part of being human! They thought, anyway. "You're welcome!" Weirdo brought a big smile to their face, but they tried to play it off normal, like it didn't make their entire week to have someone treat them like a friend. "Isn't that the whole point of coffee?"

[corjonesy]

Coraline opened their mouth to speak and then shut it. How were they to even express what they've seen in a way that didn't make them sound utterly batshit? They didn't really have an answer to that, but for some reason it felt easier trying to explain their experience to someone who had gone through something just as terrifying. "To put it simply, I've seen a world that is....beyond this realm. Lived in it for a little bit, actually and let's just say....it's not good. Or somewhere that I'd recommend anyone to visit. And I'm really glad you didn't have to see that as much as I feel horrible that you had to experience anything remotely close to it."

"Thanks," it hadn't occurred to her that it would feel so nice to have someone say sorry that she had to go through what she did. In her relief to be back, it was easy to push aside the trauma of her experience, but it was still there. "What do you mean? What kind of thing happened to you?" If it was similar at all to what Whitney had experienced, it was possible that Coraline was the only other person ( who hadn't gone missing ) who would know what she was talking about.

[corjonesy]

Coraline jumped in their seat, a little startled by Casper's sudden appearance. They had been zoning out pretty hard and just...didn't even realize the friendly face was there until their was coffee next to them. "Do I look like I need cheering up?" they deadpanned before giving a small smile. "Thanks weirdo. It looks like the kind of drink that'll keep me awake for days. You're getting to know me so well."

LOCATION: the park FOR: @corjonesy

They had been watching for a moment, long enough to look like a creep if anyone noticed, but Casper was pretty good at going unnoticed. They tried not to draw any attention to themself as they floated the cup in the other's direction, placed on the bench between them and the empty space Casper took. "I got this for you. Coffee always cheers up... uh... people." They couldn't say them, seeing as they had never been able to try it, but it always looked yummy. Especially topped with extra whipped cream and syrups.

[corjonesy]

"No need to be sorry. Almost everyone makes me uncomfortable. It's nothing personal." That was as honest as it got too. Coraline had a hard time trusting most of the people in town after seeing the other side. There were so many....copies....bleeding through and blurring the two dimensions. It was horrifying and isolating being one of the few who knew about it. At the sight of the band aids though they almost smiled. It was like....weirdly adorable that he just carried those on him. "Um...sure...I'll take whichever one."

Beau blinked a few times before responding. "I apologize- I did not mean to make you feel uncomfortable." They told the person. "Would you like a band aid?" He said, pulling out a box of assorted band aids from their bag. They were adorned with cute flowers and smiley faces. "I work at a nurse at the hospital, so I'm not afraid of blood. You can choose the one you like if you want."

[corjonesy]

Coraline nodded their head. At first, it sounded horrifyingly familiar, but the ghost aspect was new. They didn't think it was possible for the other side to evolve but....it was hard to say. "I'm so sorry you had to go through that," they said softly, genuinely meaning it. "I....I'm sorry for making you share too. Or pressuring you, I mean. I've...I've been through some stuff that is almost like what you've went through but...it isn't the same thing. At least....I really hope it isn't."

Whitney wished she was used to people asking her questions by now, it wasn't as prevalent as it was when she'd first come back, but it did still happen. She couldn't be mad at them though, if there was someone else to ask these questions to, she would have. "I don't mind, you aren't the first one to ask." There was a smile on her face but it was twinged with some sadness. She didn't love thinking about it. "It was Evermore, I mean, I think it was. I could still see everyone, hear them...but no one could see me or hear me or touch me. It was like I was a ghost but not. If that makes sense."

[corjonesy]

"dude, i have no idea what your job is, but it is seriously all over the place." coraline probably sounded stupid saying that. for all they knew, he had multiple jobs and all of them were pretty normal. they knew better than to be all assuming, but some habits were hard to kick. "yeah, i just finished. was probably going to go somewhere creepy to smoke for a little. i'd ask if you want to join me, but you're being pretty intense right now and that might kill the vibe." they looked in the direction he was staring at. yeah, they had no clue what he was waiting for. "are you almost done working? 'cause i mean, there's time for the vibes to change."

barrett's pockets were filled by his fists , that and a set of brass knuckles that were somehow , still , cool to the touch despite being buried in denim for the past half hour . his target was late , his jaw ticking , patience wearing thin as he pressed his leather-jacket bound shoulder blades harder against the brick and mortar behind him .

coraline's voice sounded in the air and took him out of his zone ( interrupting his dissociative stare down the side walk , forcing him to blink his blurred vision back to clarity ) . " workin' , " he fessed with a limp shrug of his shoulder , not turning his face to them nor breaking his sewn stare from the stretch of road that led downtown . though , after a moment , he glanced at them in his peripheral , but only long enough to say ; " — you just clockin' out ?? "

[corjonesy]

closed starter @faiirytalcs (whitney) location: wonderland

"umm...hi," coraline stated awkwardly, shoving their hands into the pockets of their hoodie as they tried to form the right words. "so...i um...heard you were one of the....welcome back!" they didn't think they could sound more socially inept, but they were trying to get some answers to some heavy questions so they figured maybe they just needed to get right into it. "i was wondering if you umm...if you didn't mind me asking where you went? was it...like evermore...but not at all? i can explain why i'm asking i swear i just....need to know."

[corjonesy]

closed starter @beaumax location: any cafe pick your poison

"hey, i'm not trying to be rude and all that....but is there a reason you're staring at me?" coraline was stared at a lot. they didn't really blend into any crowd with the way they looked like they would rather be anywhere but where they were, but still. they looked down at their hands and arms and noticed the tiniest scrap along their elbow. they had ate ass earlier on their way to the cafe and maybe that was it? "you're not afraid of blood, are you? it's hardly doing anything!"

[corjonesy]

closed starter @wildcstwinter (barrett) location: outside central cinema

coraline had just finished their shift and all they could think about was getting stoned out of their mind and sleeping for however long they could. people were back, that was great, but coraline couldn't help but have a sick feeling in their gut about it all. what if they weren't the people who went missing? what if they were the other versions of them? it was too much so they were doing what they did best; act like the burnt out fuck-up they were and pretend the problem wasn't there. it might not even be there.

stepping out into the cool air they paused at the sight of a familiar face. "what's a degenerate like you out over here for? i'm afraid the last movie has already started."

[corjonesy]

Casper reminded Coraline a lot of Wybie. They were still trying to decide if that was a compliment or not. They were aware they had a habit of saying nothing and saying everything at the same time, but they still struggled with being understood in general. So many people telling them that they made up the other world made them a bit cautious and now when it counted they stayed silent. Casper was cool but what if they didn't believe in them either? It would just be another dead end and it wouldn't ease their mind a bit.

Cor sighed, hugging themselves tighter. "No...it's just....I went missing once...except I didn't? And no one ever believes me but...the things I saw from that are...well, they just remind me of things here. And I really hope for everyone's sake that whatever is going on has nothing to do with all of that because....it'll be bad. It'll be so bad."

Shoot! Shoot, shoot, shoot, that was close. Casper had been floating mindlessly, only noticing Coraline seconds before they noticed them, dropping back to the ground right as the other glanced over their shoulder. "The one and only," they beamed, as if weirdo was a compliment, and there weren't other weird people in Evermore. There were probably significantly less now...

"You think it's scary?" Cocking their head to the side, Casper thought it over, trying to put themself in their shoes. Humans seemed to be scared of a lot of things. Their level was probably a lot higher, seeing as nothing could actually hurt them. It was hard to be scared when you had nothing to lose. "Those people may not be scared, you know! Or in danger! They may be having fun."

[corjonesy]

closed starter @fricndlyghost location: evermore park (at night)

"oh. it's you, weirdo," coraline said over their shoulder as a figure approached them on the park bench they were occupying. they couldn't sleep. the missing people were keeping them up at night, taunting their dreams as if it were their fault this was happening. there wasn't even any proof that the other world was responsible for people vanishing but coraline felt that it had something to do with it. and if their feeling was right...they felt like they didn't do enough to warn people. to help them. it was a lot.

bringing their knees to their chest they glanced at the normally perky casper. "i've been scared of a lot before," they said, looking to the ground now. "....but this missing people thing? too scary."

[corjonesy]

coraline shrugged off his words. they couldn't help the words that slipped past their lips most times. it didn't matter either, because they sure as fuck weren't ever going to really deep dive into what they were talking about either. they didn't expect barrett to be their comfort and they weren't going to try and change that now. besides, barrett talking about his job was far more interesting then their crisis. especially because they had enough to drink where it felt more like a game than real life.

"you could have been stood up. i'm sure you scare enough people off," they countered before giggling to themselves. oh they were so far gone. looking around and feeling silly even though barrett was obviously sober and doing the exact same thing. pointing to the first stranger they saw, another laugh escaped their lips. "it would be kinda funny if that was the guy you were looking for. he looks like some cartoonish mobster. stupid hat and everything."

barrett could feel something weighing down on the other but, in all honesty, he was in no place to be providing any kind of support. well, he never was — barrett oliveras was the last person on earth who should be looked at as a shoulder to cry on, next to luis . . . he cared about cor, in his own way but ; right now ?? he was here on business. " i know you're speaking english, " barrett mused, not glancing back at them. " — but sometimes, i swear, you sound like you're speaking in tongues."

her questions made thick brows furrow, head whipping to look at her as he scoffed, insulted by the insinuation that HE would be stood up. " fuck off, i'm not being stood up, " barrett dismissed, huffing through nostrils that flared in response, clutching the circumference of his sweating glass. " i'm looking for someone but — not a date. i fuckin' wish it was a hot date, i'd much rather be lookin' for someone pretty than the fuck bag i'm actually trying to spot. "

barrett, unlike the other boogies, was not skilled in the art of keeping his work on the low.

[corjonesy]

coraline wasn't being observant enough to watch the ways his eyes moved around the people in the bar. making any kind of eye contact felt a little nauseating at the moment and while they were happy to know what next to them, they were still a little shaken up from their own paranoia. "i used to feel that way," they hummed, ordering another drink and slumping into themselves a little bit. "once i saw what not being real was like...that changed my mind."

once they finally did put together that barrett wasn't really drinking they had started to theorize ideas. being at a bar and ordering something only to ignore it could mean a lot of things, but thinking too hard in their state made a headache try to form. "did i interrupt a hot date or something?" they settled with, a teasing smile on their face. "are you being stood up?"

turning to face the other, barrett took a moment to process just who he was looking at. he had tensed when he felt the invasion of his space, nerves standing on edge, but noticing it was just coraline — the shoulders that had creeped up to his ears sank back down again. " oh, hey cor, " barrett greeted, clearing his throat, leaning back in his stool as his gaze began skipping around the bar again.

he was looking for someone, a specific someone, and he clenched his fist to drum it against his bouncing knee as he went from face to face, person to person, searching. if they had already left the bar and barrett hadn't noticed ?? he'd be in some deep shit. with oz. with the boogie boys. with — well, that's all that mattered. " i'm certainly real, " he mused, a bit distant, his drink sitting atop the bar with sweat-slicked sides from the condensation that puddled beneath it, its contents untouched. " i kinda wish i wasn't real but . . . you know, that's how it goes. "

[corjonesy]

lizeth selene via instagram

[corjonesy]

"Have you?" Coraline asked, more suspiciously than they had meant to. The only true scary place they had ever seen was enough to ruin sleep for them for forever. Maybe they were being dramatic, but they had some serious doubts that someone who looked like they still believed in unicorns and sunshine has seen some true haunts. "Now I gotta know. What kind of things scare you, Casper? And what have you seen that was scarier than this sham?"

Unusual probably wasn't a compliment to most, but they took it as one, bouncing a little when they gave their name. "Coraline sounds much better than Caroline, anyway! Rolls off the tongue better. No offense to Carolines." A cackle erupting between them, Casper had to nod in agreement. "It's pretty bad, isn't it? I guess some people like it, I heard someone squealing earlier! But maybe they were just caught by surprise. I've seen much scarier places."