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

[fourlevels]

... It's not acceptable to have a relationship?

[sleight_of_hand]

Not like yours between two guys... or two women for that matter. Just between a man and a woman is accepted.

[ Adachi let out a sigh; explaining it out loud really made it sound dumb. Really, who cared? It's not like there was some token flaming homosexual that would shoot rainbows out of their nipples that made people change their preference. ]

[ ...wow his mind went weird places. He had to fight against a smile creeping on his face at the mental image. ]

Japan isn't even the worst country about it; it's outright illegal in some countries.

[ ...actually, wasn't Russia one of them? Yeaaaah... he wasn't telling him that. ]

[fourlevels]

[ Okay but Adachi hasn't met Christophe Giacometti. And Viktor would totally wear a costume like that on the ice, just saying.

The confused expression doesn't leave Viktor's face as he still takes bites of his katsudon. ]

You started to explain it before during your birthday, but it still sounds weird ... How can it be illegal to love someone?

[sleight_of_hand]

[ Oh god Viktor do you want half the world to die from blood loss? ]

[ Adachi made a face, before he finally let out a sigh, his shoulders drooping. ]

I... don't know. Between what you and Bull have said, plus saying it out loud, it does kind of sound dumb.

[ Maybe if the both of them weren't such decent guys he could stubbornly refuse to budge on that mindset, but he couldn't; especially being right in front of Viktor and that stupidly innocent look on his face. ]

I think... some people take the fact that a fulfilling family must include actual procreating too far? That's... the only reason that would make sense, outside of just pure hatred.

[fourlevels]

Well that's a silly reason. If it's about having children, that's what adoption is for. And what about those men and women couples who can't have kids for whatever reason? Are they not considered acceptable either?

[sleight_of_hand]

No, I... think they're fine...

[ ...yeah, it really is just about bigotry and hatred, wasn't it? Adachi let out a faint breath, poking at his katsudon with his chopsticks. ]

...sorry.

[ He hated apologizing; it was more of an ego stroke for the person saying it than the person receiving it. But at the moment he couldn't think of any other way to make up for being a jerk about it. ]

If it's any consolation, I didn't like my world, even though I guess I still brought it's expectations with me.

[fourlevels]

[ Viktor waves his hand, the one still holding the chopsticks (Viktor, that's rude). ]

It's alright. Yuuri and I weren't exactly offended by it; we just didn't understand why you were acting weird about it. It's what you knew and were raised with, right?

But now you know differently and can expect different things.

[sleight_of_hand]

[ Adachi raised an eyebrow (no, seriously, that is rude, Viktor), before he let out a faint laugh. ]

You're way too forgiving.

[ But it reminded him of something else, something that brought an annoying twinge to his chest at the thought. This wasn't the first time he had a conversation like this. Why was it easier to accept it this time? Because Viktor was the same age he was back then? ]

[ ...ugh, he didn't want to think about it, and pointly shoved a piece of pork into his mouth. ]

[fourlevels]

[ Look, if he doesn't know the subtlety of not using first names, he definitely doesn't know Japanese table manners.

He blinks at Adachi's pointed action though, coupled with his statement. ]

... Did you ... want me to be mad at you for it? Or Yuuri?

[sleight_of_hand]

Well of course not, I just...

[ He trailed off, letting out a sigh. ]

I... screwed up bad, back home. Those that were directly impacted are never going to forgive me, and I don't expect them to. But... others were forgiving, and I guess... I just can't understand people being so easily forgiving of things I've done, regardless of what it is.

[ He should have died in that other world, or at least been dragged out like a proper murderer. Not gently helped to his feet and walked out, to where an ambulance his partner had called for was waiting. At least they had the decency to treat him with suspicion when he showed up while everything was going to shit, but he could tell almost immediately that Dojima's brat didn't really think he had a hand in it. Hell, Nanako would probably still give him a hug if she ever saw him again. He didn't get it. He didn't deserve it. ]

[ It took him a moment to realize he had just been staring at his katsudon while those errant thoughts were racing through his head, and he leaned back in his chair. ]

...sorry, maybe we should go back to a more cheerful topic.

[fourlevels]

[ Viktor's quiet for a number of beats, chewing thoughtfully on a strip of pork. His tone is softer after he swallows, using the voice that suited Yuuri best whenever he was close to a panic attack. ]

Well, answer me this ... Whatever it is you did back home, would you do it again here?

[sleight_of_hand]

[ Adachi let out a faint noise at that. ]

No, definitely not, even if I could.

[ ...which was probably a good indicatior that Adachi was hiding something involving his powers, but he didn't notice his mistake. ]

I... promised myself long before I ended up here that would never happen again.

[fourlevels]

[ If he could? He knew about that strange other-world since Adachi told him about, but he's not aware of any details about it. Viktor figures that's what he's referring to and decides not to ask about it for now. No point in pushing an already uncomfortable subject.

Instead, he just smiles like that was the answer he wanted to hear. ]

Then I have nothing to worry about.

[sleight_of_hand]

[ Him and his stupid drunk mouth. Then again, he probably would have blabbed about it eventually, given how he was prone to running his mouth. Still, Viktor's smile puts him at ease, and a small smile finally came back to his own face. ]

...thanks.

[fourlevels]

Besides, [ he continues, still smiling, ] you can make it up to me and Yuuri by coming to watch us skate!

[sleight_of_hand]

[ ...oh he walked right into that one. ]

Fine, fine; I said I would.

[ What next? Was he going to try to get him to skate? He was pretty sure he wouldn't like the taste of that ice. ]

[fourlevels]

[ He chuckles again. ]

For all that bluster you're putting on, I'll bet you'll like it.

[sleight_of_hand]

Well, I guess it doesn't hurt to check out new things.

[ ...he would probably like women's skating better, though. Hell, if the men could do some crazy things... ]

[fourlevels]

[ Mila would eat Adachi alive. ]

Come by any time then. We're usually there in the afternoons, though it might depend on the day. We take whatever un-booked sessions we can get.

[sleight_of_hand]

[ Just about any woman with a modicum of self respect would and does. ]

I wouldn't've thought ice skating was that popular in this town. Unless you mean you're going to a different porter city.

[fourlevels]

Oh, it's just a local rink here in Heropa so it's small, but it actually serves all sorts. There's public skating times for everyone to come in and enjoy, you can book them for birthday parties and all that kind of thing. Then there's also hockey teams too which is both game times as well as designated practice schedules. Since they only have standard business hours, it's actually a bit of a juggling act to have any consistent schedule with them.

I'm hoping when we get some bigger sponsors that the management will be more open for negotiations and contract some set times for weeks at a time.

[sleight_of_hand]

W-wow...

[ Guess who had no idea skating was that popular? This guy, right here. Adachi shoved some rice in his mouth, a bit of a sheepish look on his face. ]

[fourlevels]

What? What's that look for?

[sleight_of_hand]

Nophin--

[ He paused to swallow. ]

Nothing! I just didn't think anything involving ice would be popular in a small town like this.

[fourlevels]

But it's Florida, right? People want to get out of the heat into some place cool. What better place than an ice rink?