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

[acclimatized]

"Oh-- don't worry, it's fine, I'll get it." John assures Erik, bending down to retrieve the can by his feet while Mary waves back at the little girl. When she turns away and bounces along the aisle like it's her own personal playground, Mary tilts her head and watches her with a sad, wistful smile.

"Here you go." John straightens up again. It's only then he notices the little girl marching around them and smiles, mirroring his wife's expression. It's hard not to think of Rosie when he sees other children these days, but he looks back at Erik when he senses Mary's unflinching gaze on his neck.

John. The spaghetti?

"Sorry."

[incogneto]

"Thanks," he responds, taking the can and putting it back on the shelf where it belongs. He likes to avert the attention of the ghosts, and finds that he can't quite look Mary in the eyes. He doesn't know if she's dead or not, but he assumes so. All of his were. He pauses and then, for some reason, he adds, "She would've been eight this year."

"You have children?"

[acclimatized]

"Oh." John's mouth falls open with realization. She's just another mirage, like the one standing next to him and staring at Erik with narrowed, inquisitive eyes. Although John's quick to offer his condolences, they are sincere, "I'm so sorry." He may not have noticed Erik's reluctance to look Mary in the eyes when he took back the can, but she did. She turns her head to look at John.

He doesn't know if I'm dead or not. John, you can't live like this. Tell him.

"Uh yeah, just the one. Rosie. She's back home."

[incogneto]

"Oh," he responds, that's good. Honestly, that probably means she's safe.

"Rosie, that's a pretty name." He doesn't know what he should say after that. Go home, think about how lucky you are, and when you disappear from here, make sure she knows how much you love her?

He doesn't get the chance to finish his thoughts, as Nina distracts him by going over as if to introduce herself to Mary. He knows they can't see each other-- maybe they can-- but it gives him a small glimmer of hope that they might both just. Appear.

[acclimatized]

"Thank you."

John is surprised he hasn't seen Rosie toddling along after him. He has a lot to feel guilty about regarding his beautiful, precious daughter. He neglected her when she needed him the most; when he was unable to cope with his own complicated grief and there was a tense moment where he thought he would die without saying goodbye to her. Still -- he would love to see her again. If only for a moment.

"She was named after a good woman." He can hear a snatch of Mary's laughter before he reminds him of her past. A past that caught up to her in the end and took her from him and Rosie.

"Her mother. She, uh, passed away when she was still very young."

[incogneto]

His jaw clenches on hearing what happened to her, and now he averts his attention entirely from Mary. It's probably wrong to assume she is Rosie's mother, but honestly Erik's been waiting for his own wife to make an appearance to haunt him these past few days so.

"I'm sorry." No one should have to grow up without a mother. And no man should have to lose his wife. "Do you think they're trying to tell us something?"

[acclimatized]

"It is what it is." John intones sadly, although Erik's commiseration manages to coax a weak smile out him. It sounds cavalier, but it's the best he can manage right now. Although months have passed since Mary died to save his best friend, the wound from losing her is still raw and might never heal. Not judging by the wedding band he's still wearing.

Darling, you still feel guilty for cheating on me. John's gaze flickers to the mirage of his wife. He really can't argue with that and suddenly, the string of clients in his flat the other morning make sense. Clever boy! Now you're getting it.

"Yeah. I could be wrong, but I think it has something to do with feeling guilty. Maybe someone's powers have gone haywire and we're just filling in the blanks for them."

[incogneto]

"I always hated that saying," he responds. "Misery loves company." It's not nice, especially when the phantom senses linger: the static of the hair, or the little one-off laughs, the pitter-patter of a young girl running too fast. "Do you know anyone with powers like this? Powers of projection?"

And time manipulation...

Erik is thinking it's most likely that the person is a new arrival, unaware of what they're doing. That often happens when powers come out of nowhere, in his experience.