It may very well be the worst thing that's ever happened to you! | OPEN MINGLE

[vitaelamorte]

Who: EVERYONE!
Where: EVERYWHERE!
When: Friday October 27th - Tuesday October 31st
Rating: PG-13, warn if you're gonna go higher!
Summary: A catch all for the Horrible Memory Truth Event!
The Story:

For the duration of this event, everyone's entire room will be replaced with a memory playing on loop. They will likely recognize the moment as soon as they see it – it is a moment they remember as the worst moment of their entire lives. It could be a memory from home or something that happened in Wonderland. Lengths of the memories will vary, but they will find that these are not memories they can merely watch – they can step into these memories and attempt to make changes to them, and the memories will be long enough that they have time to make changes (though no more than 24 hours). However, anyone who tries will find that it is futile. No matter what you do or how hard you try, the outcome is always exactly the same somehow. No changes you make will prevent that horrible outcome. It just happens over and over and over again no matter what you do.

On top of that, perhaps complicating any attempts to make changes, everyone will be forced to be honest for the duration of the event. No lies or half-truths are allowed, and filters will be gone for the entire five days. If something bothers someone then they will blurt it out, regardless of whether or not it hurts someone's feelings, and no one will be able to simply keep quiet when they have something to say. They must be truthful and honest with every word they say.

This is a catch-all log for all of your Worst Memory needs! Please mark your threads clearly in the subject line with your character's name and Room Number + Floor for character rooms, or just location if you're making a top level for a public place in the mansion (like the tea rooms or the kitchen) so people can see if there's already a thread available. And here's the plot post if you need it!

Have fun!

Comments

[suspense_kills_me]

Behind mine? The day my daughter died. [He sighs] It wasn't real. The whole thing was faked. It still feels real, even now.

[He downs the rest of his drink and pours another for himself.]

War is a terrible business....is your husband's about the war too?

[beautifullies]

[ Claire's shocked to hear that, and she only relaxes somewhat when he says it was fake. ][ God, she can't imagine. She can't even come close to imagining. But at his question she shakes her head. What happened to Jamie is his story to share, if he ever wants to, so she decides not to go into elaborate details. ]

No. He was captured by British red coats and his treatment was...

[ She hasn't lived it yet, so seeing herself sobbing as Jamie had to nail his own hand through a wooden table makes her feel ill. Downing what's in her glass in one shot, she holds it out for more, please. ]

It was unpleasant, to say the least.

[suspense_kills_me]

[Red's pours her second drink before actually thinking about what Claire actually said. By World War Two, British Uniforms were as far from red as possible.]

You were in the Second World War, and your husband was captured by British Redcoats? How is that possible?

[He hopes he heard her correctly and it wasn't the alcohol playing tricks on him.]

[beautifullies]

[ Even if she wanted to lie - which she doesn't - the truth can't be stopped. She might have formed her words a bit better so as not to be so blunt about it, but truths are truths. ]

I traveled back through time. From 1943 to the 18th century. I don't know how, it's about as explainable as how we all arrived in Wonderland, honestly.

[suspense_kills_me]

If I wasn't kidnapped into some bastardized version of a children's book, I'd tell you that's impossible. But since I have?

[He tilts his glass in Claire's direction, to say 'cheers']

Torture is always two things, very unpleasant and very personal.

[beautifullies]

It was personal.

[ She swallows thickly, refraining from taking a very large gulp of drink. ]

And I was made to watch, at least part of it. I haven't...actually lived through it yet. This happens in my husband's future.

[ To know it's coming and to be helpless to stop it is a hell of a thing. ]

[suspense_kills_me]

[Red nods]

Were they really torturing you or him? Most of the time, watching someone you love go through that kind of pain is more effective to get whatever they want out of you.

Though I do hope something changes and you are able to stop it...watching that is awful.

[beautifullies]

Oh, it was him. I was...attempting to rescue Jamie an everything went..wrong.

[ She lets out a soft breath, and down goes more of the drink. ]

I hate being from his past knowing that at the moment I'm from, I'm looking forward to our future. But from his perspective, he's just...

[ Claire pauses, forehead creasing. ]

Just lost me.

[suspense_kills_me]

Things going sideways is always a risk with rescues, I know that better than most people here, I imagine.

[Why he said that is beyond him.]

How did he lose you?

[It's time travel, anything could happen really. And being here probably makes any time related issues even worse.]

[beautifullies]

Back through time, I'm afraid. To my own. There was a battle between the English and the Scots. The Battle of Culloden Moor. Have you heard of it?

[ She won't assume what Mr. Reddington does and doesn't know of history. If he does know, then he'll know any Scotsmen who lived through the battle were deemed traitors of the Crown and were swiftly executed. ]

In any case, he did it to keep me safe. To keep our unborn child safe.

[ And yet she gladly would have died on the battlefield with her husband. ]

[suspense_kills_me]

I haven't. Scotland's history isn't one of my strong suits.

[But he's always willing to learn.]

That's...very similar to the reason my daughter decided making me believe she died that day was the right course of action. She and her husband wanted to keep his their daughter safe. It's amazing what one is capable of in situations like that.

[beautifullies]

It wasn't a particularly good outcome for Scotland. Quite a lot of death followed, no matter how I tried to prevent it with my knowledge from the future. At least, that's what I've been told.

[ But maybe she didn't try hard enough, maybe there was more she could have done. ]

It sounds as though your daughter is a strong woman. You must be very proud.

[suspense_kills_me]

I'd be afraid to try anything that would change the outcome of history, Butterfly Effect and all of that. We might not be the people we are.

[Time travel is complicated apparently.]

I am very proud of her. Despite what happened when she was younger she's grown up to be an intelligent, kind, and loving woman. Not that I can tell her any of this. She has no idea who I am beyond her criminal informant.

[beautifullies]

How far would you go to keep the person you love from being killed then, is the real question I suppose.

[ Damn the Butterfly Effect to hell, if she can save her husband, she's saving her husband. Spoiler alert: she won't have to save her husband. Still, she doesn't know that yet and downs what's in her glass, nudging it out for more but not asking in case he thinks that's totally impolite. ]

Your daughter...doesn't know that you're her father? And you can live with not explaining to her who you are?

[suspense_kills_me]

I went from a promising Naval Career to becoming one of the most powerful and violent men in the criminal world, I'd do anything for Elizabeth.

[He doesn't and refills both their glasses. It's been a difficult day for everyone.]

No, she doesn't and I can. Until now it kept her safe. She'll find out soon enough I'm sure.

[beautifullies]

[ Bless you, Raymond. ]

That's quite a large sacrifice. I suppose we'd all go to great lengths to keep the ones we love safe.

[ Even if she has moments of being mad as hell at Jamie for sending her back through the stones to live a life 200 years away from him. ]

Was it like that from the moment she was born?

[suspense_kills_me]

[Red shakes his head slightly.]

For the most part. I met Elizabeth when she was still an infant, and knew her off and on until she was seven. Her mother, Katerina, and I were on opposite sides of the same war, intelligence officers for opposing sides. I was her mark, her mission ended and our relationship didn't. I think we could have been happy, if it wasn't for our respective marriages. In the end, through circumstances out of our control we were branded traitors. We left Elizabeth with someone we both trusted.

[beautifullies]

That must have been incredibly difficult.

[ Which seems like such an understatement in and of itself. ]

Not to mention complicated. But, I suppose the important thing is she's actually fine and perhaps, one day, all will be well for both of you.

[suspense_kills_me]

It was, but Elizabeth was better off for it. She has a promising career and a criminal informant that's more than happy to further it along.

[It's the least he can do for her, all things considered.]

I doubt things will turn out fine for me, but I hope she gets the family she's always wanted.

[beautifullies]

Stories hardly do turn out to have happy endings in the real world, I suppose. But I can still hope the best for you even rooted firmly in realism.

[ She raises her glass to him in solidarity before taking a large drink. ]

[suspense_kills_me]

[Red does the same. It seems as though everyone in this place has interesting lives back where they're from]

I hope you and your husband have a happy ending, or at least enough happiness to make up for all of this.

[beautifullies]

Thank you, Mr. Reddington, I appreciate the sentiment, and I'm sure my husband does as well.

[ She knows that she should go home, back to Jamie, and she stands, brushing out her skirts. ]

And thank you for sharing your alcohol with me. I hope to return the favor someday, perhaps under better circumstances and lighter conversation.