(no subject)

[strangerpeople]

WEEK 2

[The unfortunate death, and subsequent execution, has no doubt weighed on everyone's minds since. The dam has burst, and now, the idea that someone may kill another in this place is not just a possibility anymore. It is reality, and a very terrifying reality at that.

Yet, there is a strange side effect to the murder's aftermath. When the Titled go to sleep on Saturday evening, they will dream, even if they don't normally do so. When they wake up, their dream stays with them, and a thought comes to everyone. A realization.

Their dream had been a memory they lost. Now, they have it back, as if they had never lost it.

Nor is that the only change. They also feel just a little more confident in their power. Confident enough that they find that their ability has evolved to become stronger. Whether that's a good or a bad thing, well...

Soon enough, too, the Titled's phones start pinging, and when they open up their LIME app, they receive a simple message:]

Your Mall Map has been updated!

[And indeed, those who go to check the Food Court will find an elevator on the eastern end which leads to a brand new wing that had previously been obscured by the barrier.

Dio and Wake's information is also slightly different from before on the LIME app, but...maybe it's best not to think about it. Last week had been...disheartening.

Hopefully, this week will be better, right? Surely, this week, temptation won't win out again....right?

Well.

There's only one way to find out.


Welcome to Week 2, Titled.

There are thirteen strangers in this place.

This week's crab is Dungeness.]

Comments

[eyesofdespair]

In my memories I learned that Joshua had become an emotionless assassin. I know it was something done to him because I was just so infuriated at the one who did it to him.

[And he'll just leave it at that. He doesn't want to talk about the worse parts of that, what he apparently has become or how he's really no better than Dio is, only better at getting away with it apparently.]

[beguiledcard]

[ Akira's expression outright falters in surprise, his eyes widening. That sounds... really awful... ]

... I'm sorry...

[ There's a lengthy pause as his gaze lowers all over again, eyes resting on his hands now. After a slow exhale, he closes his eyes for just a second before he speaks in a quiet voice. ]

That must have been really awful...

[eyesofdespair]

Awful is not knowing why that was an improvement.

[beguiledcard]

[ He pauses for a moment... ]

An improvement?

[eyesofdespair]

That's all I know. It's better than what he was, but I don't know what that was.

implied spoilers of sorts

[beguiledcard]

Ah...

[ He exhales. ]

My memory doesn't leave much room for questions about what led up to it.

[ Shaking his head now. ]

Can't say it makes seeing someone from back home die feel any better.

[eyesofdespair]

No, it wouldn't. Truly, I don't think there is much worse than watching people die.

[beguiledcard]

[ He's taking a moment to scratch behind the cat's ears. ]

Do you know how old you were in that memory?

[eyesofdespair]

There wasn't anything to figure out a date from, but Joshua was about 10 or 11 there and he was 6 in what I had last remembered.

[Definitely much easier to estimate the age of a child if he's lacking a date.]

So I guess it would be about 1196 or 1197 or so and it was 1192 when I first arrived.

[And yeah, he hadn't mentioned how the calendar in his world is very different. Curse his canon and its lack of giving dates for anything.]

[beguiledcard]

[ Soooo... he's... from a much earlier time than Akira had anticipated. Which is furthest from the important detail here. Because the most important detail here...? ]

Wait.

[ The thing that really sticks out? ]

Joshua was turned into an assassin at ten or eleven...??

[eyesofdespair]

[That hadn't even stuck out to Loewe because in the memory it wasn't so much Joshua going with him that was odd, it was the boy being so good at coldly killing his targets, and his silence and lack of emotions. That was why he adopted Renne himself. He thought someone closer to Joshua's age might be able to get him to act more like a normal kid, plus he knew Renne wouldn't react well to being placed in the care of another when she'd already been abandoned by her parents.

But answering this without revealing that he also was involved would be hard, and he's missing something on how he even got involved in such work. So probably the easiest answer would be to just agree and avoid explanations.]

He was, but I don't know anything more than that.

[beguiledcard]

[ That's--... Holy shit, this is even more awful?? His gaze lowers as he frowns pretty hard. ]

Damn...

[ That's all he can say for a couple of seconds. He tilts his head down a little. ]

I do agree, though... I think that'd be the worst part for me too -- not knowing why that was an improvement...

[ He's releasing a quiet exhale. What do you even say to this?? He's not sure this will even help, but... ]

I am sorry.

[eyesofdespair]

No, you don't need to apologize. I probably shouldn't have even spoken of it to someone remembering something horrible as well. Some reward for two people dying, isn't it?

[beguiledcard]

[ He's twisting his bangs, a frown appearing. ]

Think this is what's gonna happen if more people die? We just... keep getting more memories?

[ His jawline tenses. ]

I'd rather just go without, if that's the case...