WEEK 1

[strangerpeople]

WEEK 1

[The train wouldn't stop. Not until very early the next morning. The few who might have been awake would be able to exit the train, entering the cool twilight of the dawn. The star is dark, and few stars can be seen in the sky as a cold breeze begins to blow from the mountain beyond. You can see some chunks of rock floating idly nearby, far away from the station that it won't hit trains, but near enough that one can see they are larger than the train they just disembarked.

Lastly, laid out in front of them, the first port of call: Menahoven. The mountain: The Throat of the World.

But which world? Who knows. Not any of yours. Maybe it doesn't matter. Not when you are so far from home. Not when you have no way to get off this rock without the aid of the trains-and they will not let you pass.

It looks like you're stuck here until the Conductor decides to leave. In the meantime, everyone will need to get comfortable.


There are fifteen strangers left in this place.]

Comments

[eternaldivide]

... As am I. Maybe that's why I was unaware that such items even existed.

[ beyond possibly not even existing in his world at all but shh. ]

Maybe. But what if they are memories that are better off forgotten. Then would we truly be so lucky?

[notthebreakman]

[Proto is silent for several seconds before answering Mithos.]

This may just be a difference of opinion, but personally, I believe that a person's memories are what make them who they are. So getting those memories back just means you're regaining more of your identity. You may not necessarily like what you find, but it's better to face the truth than to hide from it.

[eternaldivide]

Make them who they are ... So until we regain what we have lost we are nothing but shadows of our true selves.

[ mithos no one asked for anymore of your opinions ]

[notthebreakman]

[Well, this conversation ended up a lot darker than it began, huh?]

It's up to you if you look at it that way or not.

[He sighs.]

Look, the idea of losing memories is... touchy, for me. I wasn't intending to make you believe you were a shadow of yourself or anything like that.

[eternaldivide]

[ oops ]

It was ... simply a thought based off what you had said, sorry.

[ ... ]

Have you dealt with memory loss before, if I may ask?

[notthebreakman]

It's not your fault.

[......]

There was... a procedure I was meant to undergo that posed the risk of completely wiping my accumulated memories and personality. I decided I was better off leaving home before that could happen.

[Proto is conveniently leaving out several very important details, but he isn't technically lying.]

[eternaldivide]

It sounds like .. you made the proper choice.

[ Since is that really a risk anyone would be willing to take? ]

I take it that's why you are on the road a lot. [ ... ] I understand.

[notthebreakman]

[The risk becomes much more understandable when the alternative is certain death. Proto just thought losing his identity was a fate even worse than that.]

Thank you.

It sounds like you've had a hard decision of your own to make at some point.

[eternaldivide]

[ well, if you ask some people losing your identity is like death. but that aside ]

Several.

[ ... ]

I also no longer have a home I can go back to. Though for ... different reason.

[ Maybe it's because Proto doesn't look human but he feels like he could say at least that much ... ]

[notthebreakman]

[Reason insists that Proto not get any more involved with the personal lives of these people than he already has.

But he's already burdened Mithos with part of his past. He can't very well just leave things so unbalanced.]

...What happened?

[eternaldivide]

[ Mithos is quiet for a moment. It's only right to stay fair and explain ]

... My sister and I were expelled from our village. Blamed for something that wasn't our fault.

[notthebreakman]

[Casting out an (apparent) child of Mithos's age with only his sister by his side to protect him?

...Proto was built partly to help humanity, but sometimes, he really just wants to shake them all by the shoulders.]

I'm sorry. No one should have to endure that, especially not so young.

[eternaldivide]

[ Mithos offers him a small smile ]

It's ... alright. It's no worse than what you had to go through. I ... I at least had my sister.

[ even if no one else would accept them they had each other ]

[notthebreakman]

But I chose to leave! I knew what the consequences would be, and I made my peace with that! I wasn't forced out by...

[He cuts himself off and takes a moment to force himself to calm down.]

...I'm glad you weren't alone, at least.

[eternaldivide]

But... they pushed you to make that decision, didn't they?

[ mithos takes a deep breath before another, though a bit of a forlorn, smile ]

Yeah... she's someone that, despite how bad things get, she would always find a way to smile and see the good in the world.

[notthebreakman]

It was ultimately my decision. And he...

[He only wanted what he thought was best for his son when it all came down to it, right?]

...Your sister sounds like a remarkable person, Mithos.

[He'll just... move away from that other topic now, thank you.]

[eternaldivide]

[ he is absolutely okay with it because talking about his sister is 10000% better than talking about ... the other thing. ]

She is! [ just look at how much he brightens up for a moment? ] She's so kind, perhaps to a fault. She's someone you can always depend on and be there for you if you need her to be.

[ ... ]

I ... I miss her...