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

[am_i_a_monster]

Abigail keeps her gaze focused on the doctor. Anything to keep from looking at Dr. Bloom and knowing that she can't forgive Abigail for what she's done. Or worse, that somehow she could forgive her and is choosing not to.

"Do you think this place brought them here broken?" Abigail asks. Maybe another opinion will help. "Like how I..like how some people are brought here when they're hurt or dead, and then they get fixed, healed, brought back, whatever you want to call it, to be like the rest of us imports? Only these ones didn't get fixed and they're wandering around as ghosts?" She wonders if she's babbling. It feels like that. She decides to stop and let him speak.

[helpline]

"I dunno," the Doctor admits, as he looks over at the ghost. "Part of it might be that. But then again, one of the ghosts I saw was a ghost of somebody already here."

Just in a different time. It was Clara at the moment of her death that haunted him for a few days, while alive-and-breathing Clara in this world continued to exist.

"Of course, it could be that a couple of incidents happened at the same time. The Porter might be able to plan for one instance of catastrophic failure, but maybe not two."

[am_i_a_monster]

"One of the ghosts you saw." Abigail repeats. "You've seen more than one."

At least Abigail knows she isn't the only one with multiple ghosts to haunt her. There should be some comfort in that. Misery loves company.

"The porter was already dealing with a catastrophic failure." Abigail points to Dr. Bloom. "She should have been brought here instead of me. Or my Mom. Or my best friend. Or so many others. Maybe it's trying to put that right."

She makes herself look at Dr. Bloom again. "I can't change things. So stop looking at me and go glare at the porter people."

Of course, there was no response from the mirage, just that same stare.

[helpline]

"I've got an idea," the Doctor says, as Abigail looks over at Dr. Bloom. "You keep on shopping, I'll stand between you and the ghost until you finish. That way you won't have to look at her."

Because obviously this is bothering her. And there's no way to make these ghosts actually go away, but there are ways to keep Abigail from looking at them.

As if to prove his point, the Doctor attempts to move in between Abigail and the mirage, trying to block Dr. Bloom from her sight.

[am_i_a_monster]

Abigail takes a few steps away from Dr. Bloom, giving the Doctor more room to get between them. "Thank you." She says quietly and sincerely. She is grateful for the help.

Abigail examines a few more items on the display and finds they're all a bit too much like the music box, reminding her of the past in various ways. She looks back at the Doctor, being sure to stand at an angle where she only sees him and not Alana. "Let's try a different store."

[helpline]

It's a bit awkward having to constantly move to keep the ghost out of sight, but the Doctor does it with ease. The fact that he's a good six foot tall is pretty helpful in keeping the ghost out of view.

But if Abigail wants to go to a different store, well then they'll just go to a different store. "Lead the way!" the Doctor responds, with a little nod, as he takes a step to the side to further keep ghost-Alana out of sight.

[am_i_a_monster]

Abigail moves out of the store into the mall corridors. She walks slowly and carefully, to ensure that the doctor is between her and Dr. Bloom at all times. She occasionally looks at other shoppers, feeling a twinge of jealously that not everyone is followed by a ghostly image.

"Do you think everyone has seen a ghost too? Or is it just us imports?" She asks the doctor.

[helpline]

"Points for Abigail," the Doctor responded, giving the girl a little nod. Because that? That is a VERY good and smart question and he honestly appreciates very good and smart questions. "So far it seems to be just us imPorts. I suppose the question now is why just us imPorts?"

[am_i_a_monster]

Abigail manages a near smile at the mention of points. Considering her mental state with Dr. Bloom nearby, it's the best she can do. "Because we're here and they're not. We got the second chance they should have had. Or at least I did." She doesn't want to assume that the Doctor, or the other imports, have as many deaths to feel responsible for as she does.

[helpline]

"We'll need to collect more data on this. Because honestly, I've a feeling some people here haven't done anything to warrant a second chance." Not him. Definitely not him, he needs that second chance, a brand new universe with none of the baggage from back home following him here. Where he can be just a garden variety eccentric instead of a destroyer of worlds.

"Some people here just seem so...normal, you know?"

[am_i_a_monster]

"I didn't." Abigail says quietly, barely loud enough to be heard. She'd already had a second chance when her throat was cut the first time and she'd gone on to frame Will, hurt Alana, and trust Hannibal. She feels like she deserved having her throat cut the second time.

"I know that people who seem normal can be the most dangerous." No one ever realized her father or Hannibal were killers until it was too late.