Head Count | Vinzent + ... | Mirror Mines

Vinzent Mayer

After some days (and near incident) has gone by, Vinzent was mostly keeping to himself, not willing to interact with any of mirrored people, especially just in case he runs in Sol again. That interaction alone left him with a very bitter taste.

… If this is a preview of what it is like in the mirror world… Vinzent wasn’t keen on finding out about how his own self would be in that world. Arguably, it would be one of the two things, either extreme cowardice, or it could means his mirror self… Could be as horrible as Sol. Maybe not the same kind of horrible, but nonetheless. Not something Vinzent would want to think very much about. He had no idea this mirror copy of himself has already talked to someone… And boy is he lucky to have been spared the knowledge. For now.

But… Curiousity (and extra wariness) brought him here again in that place. Why? He may have noticed an extra reflection and wanted to make sure he wasn’t seeing things.

While making sure that nobody else, especially not Viper is within immediate surroundings, he approached the mirror fragments to take a close look.

There’s no way, right?… Does that mean… No, hold on, he has to check if the mirror is tricking him.

…

Eh. If he could interact with Sol, then logically, he can interact with this mirror man too. Still. Time to make sure.

“Hey, are you… Jack? Jagal…?”

Maybe it wouldn’t be Jack! Or Jagal! Who the heck knows! But it did look like that man, right? Vinzent honestly wasn’t fond of Jagal, but he can’t say this man didn’t intrigue him.

Roadie 🪶Jack

There was more space in the assembled mirror now, but the reflection still wasn’t keen on taking up much of it. He wasn’t particularly supposed to be here right now. Even if he wasn’t particularly supposed to be in the mirror equivalent of the library right now. Otherwise, he wouldn’t have been playing hooky, right? Good thing there weren’t a lot of reflective surfaces over there…

Vinzent Mayer “Hey, are you… Jack? Jagal…?”

Spotted again. But, well, it had pretty much been fine last time. He’d just have to be ready to run, as usual.

He pushed back over into view—while his face did look worse for wear, none of his posture or movements suggested exhaustion on his own part.

“Um—just his reflection, sorry. He’s… still not here.”

Vinzent Mayer

Roadie 🪶Jack “Um—just his reflection, sorry. He’s… still not here.”

Hm. So the reflections aren’t necessarily their real selves after all. What of his own… No, push that thought aside, it was probably not pretty to think about, anyway. What could cause this…? Very intriguing.

He noted how this reflection is much more avoidant than his actual living (HOPEFULLY?) counterpart, who did jumpscare him on their first meeting. Yes, Vinzent still remembers that part. …But he knows it was just stupidly lame in the end. So to see another staggering difference in personality…

These words… Does that mean…

“He’s still in the library, then? Or would you not know about it?”

This is the only logical answer, seeing that despite not being able to hear what Jagal said in the way here, Vinzent could still see what happened. And then, only guesses were his friend since then.

Roadie 🪶Jack

Vinzent Mayer “He’s still in the library, then? Or would you not know about it?”

He nodded. “Last I saw, at least.” Which wasn’t long ago, but he knew better than to assume his Prime had any sort of inertia at any time. At least, usually…

“I… don’t get the impression he was planning on moving. I guess we’ll find out?”

Odd to see just about the same old Jack expressions paired with an almost deferential tone. Far preferable to the real Jack if you wanted cooperation, though!

Vinzent Mayer

Roadie 🪶Jack He nodded. “Last I saw, at least.” Which wasn’t long ago, but he knew better than to assume his Prime had any sort of inertia at any time. At least, usually…

Vinzent hummed to signify he heard him. Alright…

Roadie 🪶Jack “I… don’t get the impression he was planning on moving. I guess we’ll find out?”

Odd to see just about the same old Jack expressions paired with an almost deferential tone. Far preferable to the real Jack if you wanted cooperation, though!

“Ah…?”

But Jagal seemed like he wanted to get out of the library car… Or…? Guess he’ll never really know about that.

“I suppose we’ll see… It seemed like he did try to get out of the car, but… As you said, we’ll find out.”

What else could he tell this reflection, though…

“I wasn’t… Fond of him in person, but I’d have to admit, he really intrigues me. And from what I know, he had a rough life… And lost quite some people dear to him.”

…

“Maybe I pity the real Jagal.”

For all the things Jagal said and did, Vinzent had at least one opportunity to get a glimpse in his past that at least partially explained some of it.

… He still wouldn’t be surprised if Jagal messed up along the way and actually harmed someone. Vinzent sincerely hoped that if some harm was really done in the past, that it wasn’t… Intentional, but who knows. (As a matter of fact, yes, he missed out two important pieces of information-)

Roadie 🪶Jack

Vinzent Mayer “I suppose we’ll see… It seemed like he did try to get out of the car, but… As you said, we’ll find out.”

…Huh. He must’ve missed that. His face stayed impassive, though—not like he wasn’t used to missing moments. Not like there weren’t moments he wanted to miss.

Vinzent Mayer “I wasn’t… Fond of him in person, but I’d have to admit, he really intrigues me. And from what I know, he had a rough life… And lost quite some people dear to him.”

“…Yeah.” His voice was quiet enough on that one to sound a little more like the real thing. But only for a moment.

“I’m surprised he would’ve tried to leave them at all… But I guess even I only know part of the story.” He fiddled with his gloves. “For this and the rest of his life. You’re, um… not wrong, though.”

Vinzent Mayer (As a matter of fact, yes, he missed out two important pieces of information-)

And who knew how much of that information may have been misunderstood, anyway! A man of mystery.

Vinzent Mayer

Roadie 🪶Jack …Huh. He must’ve missed that. His face stayed impassive, though—not like he wasn’t used to missing moments. Not like there weren’t moments he wanted to miss.

I hate you Roadie /lh

In any case, the lack of response from this reflection got Vinzent to put aside that part of the conversation quickly.

Roadie 🪶Jack “I’m surprised he would’ve tried to leave them at all… But I guess even I only know part of the story.” He fiddled with his gloves. “For this and the rest of his life. You’re, um… not wrong, though.”

Vinzent simply nods in response.

“I see. There’s only so much I can see and understand by myself…”

Roadie 🪶Jack And who knew how much of that information may have been misunderstood, anyway! A man of mystery.

A true mystery….

“…”

He was in thoughts, Vinzent didn’t hear anything well from a distance when the doors closed on the real Jagal. But if he couldn’t leave, or didn’t want to leave as per the reflection’s suggestion…

The latter guess, he wonders what was the reason, the former… Were there something that was missing but once was around prior? He had no idea. But considering the location of the previous car, he has an inkling of what would have been needed.

… Not like there’s any point to ask. And who exactly would he ask to? He had no idea! Nothing! So… Best to keep it to himself, maybe.

“Well then… It… Was nice to converse with you.” It felt weird saying this to a reflection, much less imagining saying this to the real man. Cringe. The real Jagal would probably laugh in his face, or something like that.

… In a way? Vinzent was glad that… For once, his own opinion of Jagal has changed at least. Not completely, of course, but… So as long as more things brought explanations… It gave Vinzent a better portrait of who that man was. Still not exactly someone he’d totally known, naturally because there’s some missing information. But at least? He stopped thinking of the man as only being awful just because. It’s more complicated than that, he knows.

Roadie 🪶Jack

Vinzent Mayer “I see. There’s only so much I can see and understand by myself…”

“Um… Is there anything I can help with, then?”

Did understanding Jagal really matter at this point? Probably not, but if this was all he could do…

He just bobbed a bit silently as Vinzent thought. Other people weren’t quite as prone to talking to themselves constantly, huh.

Vinzent Mayer “Well then… It… Was nice to converse with you.”

“Oh, um. You too?” Did that even count as conversing? Not like he’d ever done much chatting himself, but… He’d at least seen it happen.

But he wasn’t “real,” anyway. The standards were probably a little different.

Vinzent Mayer

Roadie 🪶Jack “Um… Is there anything I can help with, then?”

Anything…

… Dares he ask? He could have left the conversation here and then but… One last thing.

“You know Viper, right? The girl with freckles. What do you think of her?”

His tone wasn’t accusatory, no. It was very much puzzled… Curious even.

Vinzent… Shouldn’t snitch on privvy things like that. But… He has started to see since the library car how much Viper seem to really care about Jagal (and not just some dumb banter-level or stabbing-fighting like back in the island car. The heck was that, anyway?) and… Well.

He had a feeling that Viper might be either be projecting herself in Jagal or they have some more things in common. And… It’s not like he has every chance to ask Jagal about Viper. (And asking Viper about Jagal? no <3, besides he has seen how much inquiry she did ask his family back then, so that was… Plenty evidence.) It’s pratically now or never.

Roadie 🪶Jack “Oh, um. You too?” Did that even count as conversing? Not like he’d ever done much chatting himself, but… He’d at least seen it happen.

But he wasn’t “real,” anyway. The standards were probably a little different.

Yeah. But first– He isn’t leaving Yet.

Roadie 🪶Jack

Vinzent Mayer “You know Viper, right? The girl with freckles. What do you think of her?”

He blinked. What, just a… personal opinion? Did he have those? Uhhhh.

“Um, just barely. The Prime one, right? I think…” Uhhhh.

“…she’s having as rough a time as anyone else in the game?” Was that a worthelss answer? That was probably a worthless answer. H.

“We talked some earlier, but I can’t say I paid her any special attention before then… Sorry.”

Vinzent Mayer

Well. An attempt has been made!

Roadie 🪶Jack “Um, just barely. The Prime one, right? I think…”

Vinzent nods at the reflection’s question.

Roadie 🪶Jack “…she’s having as rough a time as anyone else in the game?” Was that a wortheless answer? That was probably a worthless answer. H.

He doesn’t know what to say. Of course, she does. What’s new! Nobody is having a good time in here!

Roadie 🪶Jack “We talked some earlier, but I can’t say I paid her any special attention before then… Sorry.”

“Alright. It’s okay. ’m sorry for the question. But uh, thanks for the answer, at least.”

If anything, this puzzles him a little more. Why is Viper like this?

While he still has an issue with her going in people’s business without consideration for the majority of the time (Not like he would voice it, unlike his reflection who already had, among other problems his reflection also caused without the real Vinzent knowing-), Vinzent at least could see that even Jagal’s reflection had no idea what is Viper’s deal at all.

… Maybe it is best to let it be. Even if… Even if it was very unsatisfactory.

… Okay, maybe he has something useful to ask. (Spoiler: Not that useful. Sorry Roadie-)

“Did you use to have a pet bird before?”

Maybe he’ll learn something more from that angle? We’ll find out.

Roadie 🪶Jack

Vinzent Mayer “Alright. It’s okay. ’m sorry for the question. But uh, thanks for the answer, at least.”

“Ah… No problem.” That seemed like a response to both statements. Two birds with one stone, eh?

Speaking of…

Vinzent Mayer “Did you use to have a pet bird before?”

“Jagal had Nazir, yeah.”

“Who had a reflection here, too, but it’d be kinda weird to say he was my pet. More like… coworkers…?” He scratched his jaw. “Not that I know much about those. Jagal hasn’t exactly had a lot. But Nazir was a hunting partner, too, so maybe that counts…?” Oh gosh what was he even talking about anymore.

Vinzent Mayer

Roadie 🪶Jack “Jagal had Nazir, yeah.”

“Who had a reflection here, too, but it’d be kinda weird to say he was my pet. More like… coworkers…?” He scratched his jaw. “Not that I know much about those. Jagal hasn’t exactly had a lot. But Nazir was a hunting partner, too, so maybe that counts…?” Oh gosh what was he even talking about anymore.

Right, uh. He forgot for a second about the reflections not being exactly themselves, but anyway! Small detail!

“… Ohh.. Okay. I see!”

Vinzent… Half-understands it? Kind of?

The bird helped Jagal then, in some way? Hunting partner… That’d track.

Vinzent’s currently the embodiment of that image that I’m too lazy to do a meme drawing tonight-

Except, of course he doesn’t voice it outloud. He nods. Yep, perfectly normal!

At least? This was a bit different from the usual confusion, kind of.