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

[mypartnerintime]

...I'm so sorry, Ellie.

[What do you say to something like that? Hell, Max can't even figure out what she wanted people to tell her after Chloe left. She feels like her small words of comfort, sincere as they are, fall a little flat in the face of Ellie's moment of vulnerability... Maybe the first one Max has ever seen.

Ellie, so grounded and mature for her age. Down to earth. Practical. Really quite the opposite of Max, with her gentle and comfortable upbringing. Seeing Ellie like this, brought down by the event... it kinda pisses Max off.

Fuck Wonderland.

Her voice stays soft, sincere.]

Would you rather she hadn't shown up?

[backpacking]

[ That question makes her pause, consider it, but... then she shakes her head. ]

No. I mean - I wouldn't rather. I'm glad I got to see her, after...

[ A year? Two? It's hard to keep track of time. ]

It sucked when she left, and I wish I could see her again, but... some time together's better than nothing.

[ She glances almost guilty to Max, asking: ] What about Chloe?

[mypartnerintime]

Oh.

[Because of the event, Max can't keep the forlorn tone out of her voice. Is it bad that she feels... she can't even find the right word. Guilty? Sad? Jealous that Ellie feels that way, while Max is... way more confused? It would be amusing on any other day, if Max wished she grew up to be like Ellie.]

I dunno...

[She can't even hide what she thinks, the event drawing the truth from her. Exposing her selfishness.]

The one year she was here... was literally the best year of my life. Followed by the worst year.

[She looks at Ellie, her eyes watering, expression pained and scared. Scared of what the other girl will think of her, of what Chloe would think of her. Scared of these thoughts being formed into words against her will.

How selfish would it be if Max wished Chloe had never come to life for a year?]

So I don't... know what I'd choose. I don't...

[She abruptly leaps up to her feet, wringing her hands.]

Let's-... Let's do something else?

[backpacking]

[ Ellie is quick to nod, to agree. Neither of them should have to talk about this, let alone relive it, and she's not looking to coax the truth or the pain of it out of her friend. She gets to her feet, too, expression a mix of grief and anger at Wonderland for everything it's done to them so far. ]

We could try something fun. I'm not sure I'll be into it. [ There's the honesty again. Ellie sighs. ] I still wanna try, though.

[ Anything that helps them rise out of this mental pit would be great. ]

[mypartnerintime]

Yeah. Fun. [The word comes out a little desperate as Max casts about for something to do. Anything...

When Max is upset she listens to music. For Ellie, it's finding little things to help you keep going.

For Chloe, it's breaking shit.]

...Maybe we can go to a tea room. And... break some stuff.

[How very unlike Max Caulfield.

But Max has changed a lot, hasn't she? Not taking photos. Smoking. And sometimes she can hear this voice in her head, like hers but someone else.

And usually whenever it talks it pisses her off. Like now. The grief buckles and gives way to the anger underneath.]

Kinda... blow off some steam?

[The tea room will be safe anyway. No one will get hurt, and Wonderland will repair whatever plates and cups they break.]

[backpacking]

Break-...? [ Ellie trails off, looking almost cautiously at Max. As she thinks it over, she begins to nod, expression changing to something... almost excited. Like she has to grasp this idea hard and push for it now, or the feeling will give way to depression again. ] ... Yeah, that's a good one. Let's just go - smash a whole buncha stuff.

[ As Max had said: "blow off steam." She exhales, feeling some of the tension leave her, and gets to her feet. ]

Wanna go right now?

[mypartnerintime]

[Ellie looks at her with that questioning tone, and Max already regrets it. God, how dumb does she sound? Let's go break some crap. Like an edgy teen or embarrassing high schooler. Ellie must think she's so weird.

But then Ellie starts to nod and... the idea catches on. Max hadn't really been thinking when she first suggested it, letting her stewing emotions speak for her - but now that Ellie seems to like it, the whole situation feels like it's sweeping Max forward. Like she jumped into too-deep water and now the current's carrying her to places unknown, and it's scary but exciting too.]

Yes. Smash.

[She starts heading for the door.]

Third floor okay?

[backpacking]

Smaaaash! [ Ellie repeats, but with a Hulk-like tone. ] Third floor sounds good!

[ Like Max, Ellie is just latching on to this idea, now, and rolling with it for as long as it carries them. Anything is better than stewing in the miseries that they've recently suffered. ]

After you. [ She offers, yanking the door open for her friend. ]

warning: video link contains flashing images

[mypartnerintime]

[Max gives the teen a quick punch in the shoulder as she walks past into the stairwell. Momentum carries her forward, and she lets herself descend quickly, sneakers slapping against each step.

A few flights down she whips out her Oregon phone and starts playing a song- one of Chloe's. The song echoes down the stairwell loudly, drowning out the sound of their footsteps.

No one asks me for dances, because I only know how to flail...

She hits the third floor landing with a thud, sparing only a quick glance back at Ellie to check that she's still there. Then she's moving down the hall, before she finally comes to a stop in front of the Second Gallery, room 004.

No care, no care in the world...

Her hand comes to a rest on the door handle. They could do it here instead. Destroy every picture Max hung up. Pictures of Chloe.

No care, no care in the world...

Yeah. No care.

But... but no. This isn't just about Max. This is Ellie, too. And trashing the gallery seems kinda selfish, in comparison... right?

...Right.

I don't care, I don't care anymore...

So she lets go of the door and starts moving on to the tea room, a little more slowly, leaving the gallery intact.

I don't care, I don't care...]

[backpacking]

[ Ellie follows, chuckling, and brightens when Max puts on some music. The girl's got good taste, and since she's been exposed to Max's genres of choice before via gifted playlist, the sound is... relatively familiar, despite it being a new song for her. She bops along as they go, humming along as best she can, trying to focus on the music only and not... the reasons they'd decided to do this in the first place.

Max stops in front of a door and Ellie almost runs into her back. She takes a step back, though, still bouncing a bit to the beat, waiting for the way to be opened. Her friend seems to reconsider, though, which makes Ellie's expression flicker to confusion... briefly, and then they're off again. She chalks it up to simple indecision and heads along the hall next to Max as they find a tea room.

It isn't hard, since there's one on every floor. She grabs the door this time and yanks it open, flourishing a hand in a sort of gesture, sort of bow. ]

After you!

[mypartnerintime]

[Max grins at the bow but decides against trying to curtsy in return- she has no idea how to. Instead she tries to wave off Ellie as she goes pas the girl, into the tea room.

Teacups. Saucers. Those little teaspoons you use to dump in sugar and stir. Mirrors. Candlesticks. Little bowls of small sweets.

Lots of things to break, Max thinks apprehensively, but with a tinge of excitement that grows as the song goes on.

But where to start?

And... how?

The upbeat tune continues as Max turns to Ellie.]

...What do we do...?

[backpacking]

[ Ellie looks back at Max after they've both taken stock of the room, considering. Like the other girl, she realizes just how much there is to destroy.

It's exciting, somehow. Like this is Christmas morning, but instead of getting stuff, you... just destroy it.

There's another silence before Ellie snatches up a nearby candlestick. ]

Smaaaaaaaash! [ She yells again, a la 'charge,' and begins rampaging through the room. No need to keep the noise down, right? This is for catharsis! ]

[mypartnerintime]

[Max is almost surprised as Ellie charges forward and begins wrecking the room. But why should she be? Destroying stuff was the whole point, and while it felt completely unreal until now... well, suddenly it's happening. And Max isn't about to leave Ellie alone to do it.

She bounces on the balls of her feet in time to the music, trying to get more into the mood, before awkwardly pushing a plate off a table and watching it shatter against the ground.

And that feels good.

She starts actually picking things up throwing them against walls, gently at first, and then harder, as she remembers everything this event did to her.

Fuck Wonderland.]

Hey, Ellie.

[She gestures at a plate she's holding, then tosses it gently in Ellie's direction, like a pitcher to a batter.]

[backpacking]

[ Ellie turns at the sound of her name and laughs when she sees what Max is indicating. With a grin, the younger girl winds up and swings... and then misses, sending the plate crashing nearby. ]

Again! [ She demands, holding the candlestick like a batter. She bounces a bit to the music, too, and though this might throw off her aim, it's too fun to stop. ] I've got it this time!

[mypartnerintime]

Strike! [Max calls in an exaggerated voice. She picks up another plate and winds up like an over-enthusiastic kid, before pitching it underhand at Ellie.

Maybe a little too close to Ellie's face, but... well, she's a quick girl, right?]

[backpacking]

Whoa - [ Ellie moves out of the way as the plate goes whizzing past her, laughing a little when it smashes behind her. ] Man, that was a bad pitch. Give me something I can work with!

[ AKA, that one was a 'ball,' not a strike. Or so she'll claim. ]

[mypartnerintime]

[Max's cheeks turn a little pink. Alright, yeah, she's bad at this. But by her count she's smashed two plates and Ellie's missed two, so...

Ugh it's so tempting to pull out the rewind and mess with it. But... that'd be immature.

Then again...

No care, no care in the world..., the song goes on its fifth or sixth repetition.

Max takes another plate and gestures with it, making sure Ellie sees it coming.]

One, two, aaaand...

[Throw!]

[backpacking]

[ This time is a winner. Ellie swings and hits, smashing the plate into shards, after which she recoils to protect her face, but laughs. ]

Score! Nice one! [ She offers the candlestick to Max with a grin. ] You should give this a try. Maybe not... for baseball, 'cause I'm not sure I'd be any good at pitching, but for smashing stuff up.

[ It's very cathartic, she's finding. ]

[mypartnerintime]

[She takes the candlestick with a grin, adrenaline pumping.]

Not fair! I'm sure you're a natural at pitching.

[Come on, give her one try. Just one. Before it stops feeling like a good idea, before the shitstorm this event is works its way back into their brains. She takes a few steps away and faces the other girl, waving the candlestick.]

[backpacking]

Uh, no way. [ She denies the accusation, but... gives in anyway, shrugging before winding up. ]

She shoots, sheeeee...!

[ Waits for Max as she tosses the ball, amazingly getting the pitch somewhere in her general vicinity. ]

1/2

[mypartnerintime]

[Max grins as she follows the plate with her eyes, passing just within her reach. But she doesn't move to hit it.

She might have hit it if she tried, and rewinding is totally unnecessary, but... as long as they're being irresponsible, Max might as well go all the way.]

Oops.

[Max can't keep a small laugh out of her voice. She holds up a hand to Ellie as though to keep her from speaking.

Her fingers curl as though gripping something; and on cue the familiar sensation of rewinding time overwhelms her.

Wind whipping through her hair and clothes; the song playing in reverse; a shattered plate reassembles itself and bounds off the floor, arcing toward Ellie's hand...

Max watches the movement of the plate, remembering exactly the point where it passes nearest to her. Before it completes its entire trip back to Ellie, Max lets her arm fall, and the music-

2/2

[mypartnerintime]

[-bursts back into its normal flow. The plate arcs through the air, from Ellie's hand toward Max's general vicinity.

And Max's arm is already out, the candlestick in the way, so the plate smashes against the stick like it's the easiest thing in the world. The ceramic pieces fall to the floor with a clatter against all the other debris the two girls have made so far.]

Scores.

[Max says it with a smug smile.]

[backpacking]

Whoa! [ Having not seen her miss, Ellie assumes the other girl had scored a "home run" all along. ] Did not see that coming. Shoot, you're good at this!

[ Time to step up her game. Ellie grabs another breakable object and winds up dramatically, giving Max time to prepare. ]

Here goes. [ And she lobs another one, hoping to trip Max up this time to avoid looking like she's much worse than her friend... ]

[mypartnerintime]

[Max's smile turns into a grin. Okay, okay, she cheated- Ellie doesn't have to know that, but Max isn't gonna push it too far. The object Ellie throws this time is much smaller, a teacup, and Max swings at it but misses.

It's again tempting to rewind, but she still has some self control. And she really doesn't want a migraine right now.]

Aaand that's a fail. [The cup breaks as it hits the floor. Max watches the pieces scatter, letting her arms fall limp to her sides.] Whew.

[backpacking]

Bummer. [ Ellie chuckles, planting a hand on her hip. ] And you did such a good job on that first one, too.

[ Eh, this one had been a smaller target. Easier to miss. ]

Maybe we should just go full-blown rampage now? Skip the baseball?

[ Her desire to Hulk Smash has still not been totally sated. ]