weep not for the memories

[brushoff]

WHO: Everybody!
WHERE: all cities
WHEN: March 4 - March 6
WHAT: it's a catch-all log, sucka! Tag here and thread around for the Dorian Ruins Everything Guilt Extravaganza part of the overall March plot. Please check out this ooc post for details!
WARNINGS: Traumatic memories. Possible talk of murder, death, blood, other nasty things. I'll try to update if the warnings needed but please use content warnings if it gets super nasty!

It starts off on March 4th, the early morning before the sun's even risen. You know those weird mirages that were hanging around the day before? Well now it's getting a little personal.

These mirages come and go seemingly for no reason. They might stay for a minute, they might stay for an hour. The images vary between person but the unifying factor is that the mirages consist of people the player characters have hurt, whether people in-game or from their homes. Whether they murdered them, slandered them, or even had a petty little argument, the unifying factor is the guilt each character feels towards or about this mirage. After all, you know you hurt them somehow. You know their existence somehow makes you feel guilty.

Another unifying factor? The creepy way these mirages just seem to stick to you. They'll follow you if you try to leave, staring you down with their creepy unblinking mirage eyes. And whoops: everybody can see said mirages. Hopefully you're not being stalked by someone you and somebody else both know, wouldn't that be awkward?

Have fun confronting your traumatizing past and/or wondering why your buddy's got some creepy ghost guy following him, imPorts!

( ooc: this is a catch-all log! Make starters of your characters getting haunted by their creepy mirages, have other people react to said creepy mirages, ???, profit. Hit me up on the ooc post if you have any questions! )

Comments

Tohru Adachi | Heropa | All Days

[sleight_of_hand]

[ Guess who is hating his life these next few days? This guy. This guy right here. ]

[ March 4th ]
[ It all started that morning of the forth, when Adachi woke up to two very familiar women leaning over him, their faces gnarled and rotting. The scream he let out was probably heard all through the block. They followed him around all that day too, zombies stalking after a dead man, and he spends his time at the grocery, doing investigations, just anything in his life trying desperately to ignore them. ]

[ It's not working, especially when someone asks him about them. Those that already know about his misdeeds will get the truth, but others? Well... hopefully he'll be able to keep his lies straight. ]

[ March 5th ]
[ The corpses are blissfully gone, but that doesn't mean Adachi's getting a break. The man that's following him around this time is older than him by at least twenty years, with enough stubble on his face to emphasize the fact that this was someone with experience and to be respected. If anything, thought, it seemed like Adachi was having a harder time facing this person than he had been the two women that had been following him around yesterday. ]

[ If he didn't need to get shit done, he wouldn't have even left his apartment, but there's an obvious pained look as he goes about his day. It doesn't help that the silent image behind him was a reminder of old times... if only he would talk. ]

[ March 6th ]
[ And now Adachi hates his life. ]

[ The little girl following him around today is small and cute, and can't be much older than eight. Unlike the previous "ghosts" that had been following him around, Adachi keeps taking furtive glances back at the little girl, like he was making sure she was okay. He looks especially haggard on this last day as well -- all of this is taking a serious toll on him and it's starting to show on his face. ]

[ It isn't until toward the end of this madness that he finally stops to collapse against the side of a building, looking like a man broken. He rubs his hands over his face, before he looks down at the little girl again. ]

...I'm not going to say sorry. It doesn't fix anything. Doesn't mean I don't regret it, you know.

March 5th

[fourlevels]

[ He sees Adachi from across the street when he's out and about that day, raising a hand to wave to him. ]

Tohru—!

[ It's the look on Adachi's face causes him to pause though, only noticing the older man standing near him a second later. Is that man bothering Adachi? Maybe Viktor should intervene ... ? ]

[sleight_of_hand]

[ Adachi gave a start at the familiar voice, for a moment glancing back at the older man as if he expected him to say something. He cringed when he remembered that no, that wasn't going to be happening, before finally turning toward Viktor. ]

Hey, Viktor. How's it going?

[ He seemed to be blissfully devoid of any ghost images following him around. Lucky. ]

[fourlevels]

[ That panicked glance and cringe didn't escape Viktor's notice either. He glances at the other man himself as he crosses the street to come closer. ]

Is everything alright ... ?

[sleight_of_hand]

[ Adachi paused, a lie that he was perfectly fine ready on his tongue... but it died there, and Adachi's shoulders sagged as he forked a thumb back at the image behind him. ]

Apparently these 'images' being around has been a thing for some people.

[ Really, though, Dojima was better than corpses. He really didn't want to lie to a decent guy like Viktor like that. ]

[ He jestured half heartedly behind him again. ]

So, uh... meet my old work partner, I guess.

[fourlevels]

[ He blinks at the man beside Adachi openly now, finally noticing that it's a mirage rather than a solid person. ]

The one you told me about on your birthday?

[sleight_of_hand]

[ He nodded at that. ]

Yeah. Dojima Ryotaro. He's... a good man. It's weird to have him around being this quiet though. Heh...

[ The attempt at a joke is so half hearted it almost hurts. ]

[fourlevels]

[ He looks back to Adachi. ]

Why is he showing up anyway? You said it's happening to others?

[sleight_of_hand]

[ Adachi shrugged helplessly at that. ]

Dunno...

[ ...but if he had to guess... Adachi let out a faint noise, absently rubbing at the back of his neck. He was very well aware of that little nervous habit of his, moreso than ever after yesterday. It started in April of 2011, and it wasn't all that surprising of a habit to pick up when you expected to have a rope around your neck in the future. ]

I think someone's powers went bonkers, or something malfuntioned, and it's feeding into things we feel guilty about.

[fourlevels]

[ Viktor might be dense at times, but having been so close with Yuuri for months now, he's gotten fairly good at noticing nervous habits. His eyes flick briefly to the hand on his neck, but he chooses not to comment on it for the moment; that was always the best approach with Yuuri anyway. ]

This place certainly never gets boring ... You have something to feel guilty about? I thought you and your senior were friends.

[sleight_of_hand]

[ Adachi hesitated, glancing away. ]

I uh... let my partner down before coming here.

[ ...well it wasn't a lie. ]

[fourlevels]

Ah ... I'm sorry to hear that.

[ Viktor turns back to the mirage, tentatively putting his hand through the man's shoulder, giving a quiet "huh" as he watches his hand pass through him. ]

Is there some way to shoo him away?

[sleight_of_hand]

Not that I've found.

[ It was hard to watch Viktor's hand go through him. It... hurt? Knowing that Dojima wasn't really here... that he'd probably never be here, no matter how much he wanted to show how good he was getting at being both a person and a detective. ]

[fourlevels]

[ Again, he catches the way Adachi's expression tightens when looking at his partner. He drops his hand immediately with an apologetic expression of his own thoughhe doubts Adachi is even looking at him.

This calls for a distraction. With the hand he just dropped, he reaches for Adachi's own hand, tugging in whatever direction is opposite of the mirage. ]

Well if we can't shoo him away, at least we can put him behind us!

[sleight_of_hand]

E-eh?!

[ Viktor, what are you even?! Adachi stumbled after him, almost falling over. ]

Where are we going?

[fourlevels]

[ Look, it worked for Yuuri when he was having a panic attack in China okay.

... Well. Sort of worked. Viktor did end up making him cry though. But details. ]

Anywhere we want! Are you hungry? We could go get something to eat. Or drink!

[sleight_of_hand]

[ Viktor please; Adachi let out a faint noise, trying and failing to fight the smile creeping onto his face. ]

C'mon, I'm always hungry. Don't you see I'm wasting away here?

[fourlevels]

You are rather skinny. Come on, we can go get some pork cutlet bowls! The café is just down the street.

[sleight_of_hand]

...there's a cafe with katsudon?

[ HOW DID HE NOT KNOW THIS?! Adachi's pace picks up a bit, already tasting that wonderful pork. ]

[fourlevels]

Mmm! The Cat's Eye serves quite a bit of Japanese food. I go there nearly every day.

[ Adachi's mirage might still be right behind them, but at least Viktor's distracted Adachi enough to put it from his mind for now. ]

[sleight_of_hand]

[ For the moment, yes; Adachi was nice and distracted. So much so he didn't realize he was holding onto him a little tighter. ]

Hunh, didn't realize that. I just always dropped in for coffee and ran in the mornings.

[fourlevels]

I did the same until I came in for lunch one day, and there it was! Yuuri was certainly happy too.

[sleight_of_hand]

[ He is okay with this. Once they get to the place, he's happy to slide into a chair, a grin on his face. ]

I take it katsudon's his favorite?

[fourlevels]

[ Viktor tries to angle them to a table that has space behind the chair Adachi takes so he can turn his back to the mirage at least. Viktor slides into the chair opposite. ]

Mmm, it is! IT also makes him super strong here too, like Superman!

[sleight_of_hand]

[ Adachi didn't even notice what Viktor was aiming for, or the fact that "Dojima" was clipping through the chair behind him. ]

Wha-- for real? That's a fun super power.