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

[shivving]

[ He's surprised she's so willing to leave - obviously this isn't the first time she's put herself through this today, and no one knows better than Joel about clinging to your past.

But he's grateful, and he nods, immediately getting to his feet. ]

Think that's a good idea.

[ He holds a hand out to help Ellie up. ]

Y'ready?

[backpacking]

[ She's been through this so many times before he even found them that... yes, she's willing. And Ellie guesses that Riley - the fake, memory Riley - will be here again if she comes back.

Her jaw tightens. ]

Yeah. [ She gets up, taking the hand he offers. Ellie finds the nearest door and pushes it open... to find them standing in the hallway of Wonderland's mansion. The wound is no longer fresh, her clothes have changed, and she's a little older, but the memories remain.

New is the key in her pocket, which she immediately uses to lock the door behind them. She doesn't feel the need to explain the action. ]

[shivving]

[ He doesn't like to think about how many times she's suffered through that - the chase, the fear, the moment of sinking, horrified realization.

So he doesn't. He follows her out the door, watching in silent understanding as she locks it behind her. That scene isn't something anyone needs to stumble in on.

Once it's all firmly shut away, he puts his arm around her shoulders, urging her away. ]

C'mon, let's get outta here.

[backpacking]

[ It's hard to not keep thinking about it... and to not feel as if she's just abandoned Riley. Left her behind (again). Ellie keeps quiet as Joel leads them away, not caring where they're going, head full of the scene, still on repeat.

Don't go. But Riley had left her anyway. She fidgets, wringing her hands. Why had this happened? And-... did it mean that everyone else was having the same kind of experience?

She doesn't dare look at Joel, doesn't ask. Not yet. She doubts he wants to talk about whatever awful memory is looping inside his own room. ]

[shivving]

[ Ellie's silent, passively following along where he leads, and Joel is likewise quiet, still worried about her. What she might be thinking, after all of that.

He's determinedly not thinking about what might lie behind his own door. If Ellie had found that...well, it can't be anything good.

But he's not focusing on that right now. Whether he chooses to face his own past or not, Ellie comes first. Joel clears his throat, glancing down at her, still clearly concerned. ]

You uh...want some ice cream or somethin'? Big ol' sundae. All the toppings you want.

[backpacking]

[ Despite herself, she snorts. ]

You know I can just get all the ice cream I want - whenever, right? [ Though, surprising, Ellie hasn't gone hard with the junk food. ... Still, the gesture quiets her reluctant smile into something more thoughtful. ]

... Yeah, I guess that'd be nice. [ He's offering, and that's what's really important here. ]

[shivving]

But this time, you can put all the blame on me when you eat too much and make yourself sick.

[ He's trying to lighten the mood, with questionable success. Joel's still got an arm around Ellie's shoulders, and he gives her a light squeeze. ]

Or we can do something else. Whatever you want.

[ Or he can leave her alone...but he'd really rather not do that right now, not after what he'd just seen. ]

[backpacking]

Oh yeah? [ She questions lightly, lips twitching at a grin. It's tempting, but... not quite. She imagines just about anything would taste bitter, right now, and unappetizing. So, Ellie sighs shortly, glancing away. ]

I dunno. [ Ellie admits, unable to keep from speaking the truth. ] I don't feel like doing anything.

[ Not entirely unexpected, considering what she'd just seen over and over again. ]

[shivving]

...Yeah. Me, neither.

[ The admission surprises even him, but...well, it's true. He's not in an ice cream mood, and never had been. He'd just been trying to think of something to distract Ellie. Something she might enjoy. ]

Y'wanna just...sit somewhere?

[ Not her room, obviously. Or his, if he can expect the same sort of nightmare there. ]

[backpacking]

... Okay. [ Why not? She doesn't want to be alone, but doesn't have ideas of what to do, or what to talk about that isn't... this. Ellie nods vaguely, but then realizes that they need a destination if they're going 'somewhere.' ]

Um... I dunno. We could pick a random door we haven't been to before, see what we find?

[shivving]

[ Joel hums, glancing skeptically at a door as they past. ]

...Probably not a good idea today.

[ Considering what had been hiding behind Ellie's closed door. An idea strikes him suddenly. ]

They got horses, outside.

[backpacking]

I meant-... yeah, okay.

[ She'd been picturing the non-residence rooms, but he has a point. The common spaces might be torturous memories, too.

Horses, though.... ]

Won't be as good as Callus. [ Ellie says with a small, grim smile. ] But I think I could go for that.

[shivving]

Well, maybe some of 'em'll have better names.

[ Callus. Just...why. He smiles at her, to show that he's teasing. ]

C'mon, let's see what they got.