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

[trabryu]

[ While Mondo hasn't quite drawn the line from the Damian dot to the Robin dot, the next time he sees Damian as Robin, he'd probably figure it out by association to how Jon is Superboy.

'Been better', eh. Seeing the look in Damian's face, clearly he doesn't have the best of time during this event, either. Mondo's hand almost reaches to the younger's head, but he refrains from doing what he usually does to Jon ー apart from things have been a little awkward with the said kid, Damian doesn't seem to enjoy it as much as him. ]

Yeah, shitty event this time too, eh? [ Though (Mondo thinks) they've only had one encounter, it's enough for him to see that Damian keeps a certain distance towards people. He's definitely not here to make friends with kids, but being in good terms with others isn't something he's exactly against either. Cooperating with the others seems like the best course of action here, anyway. ] Didja lock your room?

[sonofab]

[Damian notices the twitch in Mando's hand but the guy shows restraint from whatever he had planned to do. Luckily, Damian was about 90% sure there was no intent to attack. This doesn't seem to be the kind of event where fighting was needed. So it was likely another attempt at comfort due to his child sized body. People wanted to comfort children in distress, that was no secret, but Damian wasn’t aware he looked distressed. That needed to be fixed. He rubs a bit at his eyes trying to scrub away any remaining traces.]

I believe it was intended to be a living hell, yes. [Damian frowns thoughtfully.]

But nothing is trying to kill us this time around. If you are seeking a silver lining.
[No endless nights or invisible dogs to rip them to pieces.]

Yes, of course. Isn't everyone?

[trabryu]

Hah, you're damn right.

[ It surely is much better than the previous event. Fuck all those crazy monsters, what even is the deal... Come to think of it, was Damian alright then? ]

I dunno, I didn't check people's rooms. ...Anyway, were you fine when this place became some kinda tower? It was pretty darned crazy. [ God, just thinking about what he encountered makes him want to vomit. This place really loves fucking with people's well-being. ] Did Jon save you too?

[sonofab]

Well, haven't you? [Why wouldn't you want to lock away your worst memory? What the hell is wrong with people?]

Hm? I was fine. I was fully prepared after the cat gave their warning. Unlike everyone else that was caught in their P.J.s I was caught in full uniform with several explosives, tasers, and weapons.

[How dare-- Yes, Jon has told him that Mando was in the know so he assumes the man has made the connection much like Kaplan had. So you need to be informed that just because he was a human hero didn't mean Damian required saving. Okay, fine, he might not have made it as far as he did without Jon at his side but it was because of Jon's lack of preparation and skill that stopped their progress at all.]

We saved each other. [He folds his arms stubbornly.]

He tried to sacrifice himself to keep us both from being eaten then I got him to safety and monitored his recovery when we escaped. Luckily, Kryptonians heal fast.

lmfao i'm sorry damian

[trabryu]

Yeah. [ Having already seen many of his worst memories, seeing another one is... well, while it's not necessarily easier, the shock factor is definitely much less. 'Thanks' to that, he was able to react appropriately in time, which probably isn't the same for the others. ]

Heh. Fully equipped, aren't you.

[ He couldn't expect less from the smart boy! ]

......

[ Wait what?! ]

Huh?!

[ Mondo does a double-take at the boy beside him. ...Where in the world normal kids casually keep those things around them?! 'Saved each other'? Even Mondo who's many sizes bigger than Damian couldn't fight any of these monsters! Could it be-- ]

Wait, wait, gimme a sec. You're... [ He's trying to take in all these information. Not even his corncob can contain them. ] ...Robin?

It's all good. He's more surprised Jon hasn't outed him to Mondo first.

[sonofab]

[Damian looks up when Mondo ask for a second. Why? He wasn’t even asking the larger teen a question yet... he could see the wheels in the man’s head turning. Seems he has made his own problem to solve. Was that smoke coming out his corn cob hair? Damian finds himself with an image of it burning with popcorn if Mondo just thought hard enough. Fascinating.

Oh, wait, looks like he's got something. The small teen frowns slightly when Mondo tentatively ask if he is Robin. Didn't Ken-- Well Jon did say he told people about himself and since Kaplan figured it out easy enough from just that, he assumed so had Mondo.

His miscalculation in Mondo's observational skills. Still, it wasn’t like secret identities had a use here. It was still strange coming to terms with that... but he was a fast learner.]

My mistake. I thought Jon had told you. Yes, I am Robin and son of Batman. The world's greatest detective.

[trabryu]

[ The popcorn experiment surely is something they should look into... Maybe there's some actual use in this pointlessly huge hairdo. ]

No wonder I thought you looked familiar! I did think you reminded me a lot of Robin... uh. So... do I call you Robin? Damian?

[ Weren't they trying to keep it a hush-hush or something?

But man, so his father and Jon's are friends, huh... Superhero fathers and superhero sons. Kinda surreal to think about. ]

Sorry I couldn't help with anythin' that time... [ He scratches the back of his head. It feels really lame to act like he's some big brother only to get his ass saved by the other young superhero. ] Glad you weren't hurt, though.

[sonofab]

Whichever. I'm still both. [It was weird accepting that sometimes, but, accepting himself had always been his biggest challenge.]

The secret identity thing is pointless here. There are too few people here for proper hiding and assimilation. Plus, Kent and I are the only two minors here with black hair. We've also been seen together far too often.

[That stupid clingy alien hybrid. Damian looks up again at that apology. Why was he apologizing?] You're a civilian. It's not your job to protect us. It's ours to protect you. [All 4'6" of him, Mondo. Here for civilian protecting!] That's what Batman and Superman would do and even out of Gotham I wish to continue my Father's legacy.

[He wasn't completely robotic though. He understood people's animal instinct to protect children. It was as primal an instinct as any, even if they weren't your children. Damian felt it too at times. Though it stemmed more from years of abuse hardening him and making it unbearable to see children so unprepared for the world like he was and unable to protect themselves.

It’s what made him so angry at Kent’s parents. He was unprepared for this life and they could've prevented that. Say what you will about Talia al Ghul... but she made sure he was prepared for almost any horrible thing people could think of to do to a child. It was the only thing his mother ever did for him.]

Thanks. How did you fare during all of that? Jon and I didn’t see you when we were escorting civilians to the safe room.

[trabryu]

Gotcha. [ He'll probably just refer to him as what he's dressed for. ] ...Well, you've got a point there. Being a superhero ain't the weirdest thing here, hiding it 'll just tire you guys out and y'don't get anythin' from it.

[ Wonderland is a melting pot of various kinds of creatures, after all. Like have you seen that talking skeleton? If that isn't weird Mondo doesn't know what is. Superheroes who look completely human won't stand out much compared to those monsters from the Underground.

Identities talk aside, though, he can't help smirking bitterly at what Damian said. 'It's our job to protect you', huh... ]

Jon actually helped me out to the safe zone. Guess he wanted to save me the shame and didn't tell you 'bout it. ...Don't get me wrong, I don't mean I'm ashamed to be saved by you guys, it's just... [ He sighs. ] Feels pathetic, y'know? Being powerless. [ Just standing there doing nothing while your friends are fighting for your safety... that's just not how he does things. ] There must be things I can do, too, and I gotta figure that shit out.

[sonofab]

Or it happened when we were separated. It was pretty hectic in there. [Excuse? There is not a thing wrong with having no powers, thank you very much! In fact, Damian prefers it--Okay, he didn’t, he really liked having powers that one time, but no powers did add more challenge to things and Damian was always up for a challenge.]

Being powerless isn't an excuse. I have no powers and I held up better than Jon in the end. [Something he will freely tell anyone that'll listen!] Compensate for your shortcoming. You train to better the skills you do possess.

Things like age? Size? Powers? They mean nothing. I could toss you across this hall with the right leverage and counter weight placement. Even Jon knows if I so desire I could stop him in his tracks, full powers and all because I am resourceful. [It was fact because neither of them could afford it not to be. Jon's powers needed a safe switch and without Father around Damian knew it fell on him to be that switch.] There is always something that can be done when one looks hard enough. What is your skill? You went to that school just the same as that nurse, did you not? Or that guy preaching morals. This school sounds like it places it's students based on their top skill. What was yours?

[This was all speculation of course. Deducted from things Mondo has told him. His age. His fellow world mates that Damian has seen or met. It was profiling he was about 75% confident in. Care to paint a clearer image?]

[trabryu]

[ Never in his life he expected to be schooled by a kid a few years his junior. Then again, even Mondo can tell that Damian's a lot more beyond his age ー not just in knowledge, but also in emotional maturity. What Damian's telling him is undoubtedly true, and it's why he can obediently keep his mouth shut and ears wide open. Being powerless definitely isn't an excuse, and if he had prepared better in his daily conduct, he might've been able to put up a better fight. He's aware of this, but it didn't feel this real until he finds out that Damian, too, has no powers at hand. It puts him to shame, and gives his pride some hard pounding. But he has no time to be moping about it. He can't stay pathetic like this. It's why he began asking that military guy some pointers, too. If Damian's providing him with some suggestions, fuck looking cool, he's taking any that's thrown his way. He gulps quietly at the boy's pinpoint questions. Just how much he knows about the Hope's Peak? He surely isn't the son of the 'world's greatest detective' for nothing. ] Y, yeah. That's right. I'm the Super High School Level Biker Gang Leader. [ He pauses, thinking. What's his skill, then? He doesn't have one that stands out in particular, unlike the rest. ] I... I've got some great controls and knowledge in bikes. [ Though he hasn't managed to successfully build a bike that he can be proud of. ] I'm fast. [ But not as fast as his big bro. ] I led the strongest biker gang in the whole of Japan. [ Not as well as his big bro, either. It was built in lies, after all. ] I... hold up well in street fights, but that proved to be useless back in that tower. [ When he's listed them all, he begins to feel an undeniable dread in realising his lack of capability. Shit. What exactly can he do, then? He can train, sure, but what else? His voice clearly displays his dimming confidence, growing quieter and quieter as he goes, and he's normally that one person who doesn't know what indoor voice is. ]

[sonofab]

['Biker gang is an academic talent?' Damian thinks, then he starts to list things.] Mechanic and engineering. These are fine skills. Two of my favorites really. I have built a garage in one of my rooms here. I like to build custom bikes and cars. [These were two of Damian's favorite subjects. He even hoped to one day rebuild the old Batmobile he built for Grayson’s run as Batman.]

I don't really condone the leadership of gang-related activities, but leadership qualities are a plus.

[Damian doesn't quite pick up the dread in the teen's voice. Reading other people's emotions was still a challenge for him, but these skills didn't seem useless. Just unpolished.]

You have no powers but you can organize. You can gain allies for help, it's what my father does when he knows the task is too great. These people make up for his shortcomings, just as Jon does for mine. I would still be fighting a losing battle in my room right now if not for Jon's help. [He pauses and silent curses this truth event.]

You tell him I said that though and I will rain a thousand ruins upon you. [He warns, pointing up at him.]

There is no shame in needing help sometimes... it's a hard pill to swallow, I know. [Damian was still struggling with accepting it, but it was hard to deny how vital Kent had been, as this place continued to assault the walls he'd spent far too much time building around him.]

[trabryu]

[ Right? Even he doesn't really think it makes sense, but it sounds cool, so whatever. And more importantly-- ] You do?! [ Where have Damian been all his life? Just like that, Mondo's mood changes 180°. Cackling excitedly, he gives the boy a pat on the back. ] Dude, wish I knew earlier, I love customising bikes!! I've got no knowledge in cars, but man, it'd be cool to learn. Actually, Jon and I share a workshop at 8th floor, 's where I do all my stuff. Come us sometime! Or I can go visit your garage!

[ That sounds so much like what someone he knows well would say, too. The 'not condoning the gang-related activities' bit, that is. ] Yeah, I know. 'm plannin' to quit it after graduation, but... [ A shrug. ] Shit happened.

[ Hearing what Damian says, Mondo gives him a look. That's... unusually honest of him. At least, from the impression he got through the previous instances meeting him with Jon, he's never praised the other boy so straightforwardly like this.

. . .

Ah. ]

Heh. I won't tell him, you've got my word.

[ That's right, the weird tongue control thing that made you say the truth no matter what. He might be snickering a bit here, but he's definitely sympathising with Damian. Ain't fun spelling out crap to people you barely know. ]

Yeah, exactly that. You've got a point. I did look around for people that I think I can work together with, but... I dunno 'bout leadership. I mean... [ Wait. What's he trying to say? ...Shit, this is instant karma. ] I started leading them cuz of a lie-- fuck. [ Serves him right for snickering at Damian. Awkwardly fingering his hair, Mondo looks away from the younger. ]