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

[saunteredvaguelydownwards]

He can't help but slightly grimace. It is, she's right, but he still feels words he wouldn't normally think to say out loud pressing at the back of his tongue.

"Well," he says, a filler word as he tries his very hardest not to say what comes next. It doesn't work. "You're frustratingly naive and never seem to listen to a word I say when I'm only trying to make sure you're safe."

Another grimace. Someone bless it.

"But-- I've grown oddly fond of you."

[uncaging]

Elizabeth looks downcast for a second, unsure if she really is that annoying or if it's simply that saying nice things isn't in his nature. But when he says he's grown fond of her she beams at him. She lurches forward a little, meaning to hug him, then catches herself as she remembers how irritated he'd been the last time she did that.

"Thank you. I'm very fond of you, too."

[saunteredvaguelydownwards]

"And it's a ridiculous idea, but I'm not going to sway you from it."

Because he's done too many nice things for her, spent too many hours in her company not being a jerk, and she's got the idea that he's someone worthy of trusting.

... Which he is, but he's not going to admit that.

He leans back slightly from the aborted attempt at a hug, but he lifts his eyes to the ceiling momentarily before he holds up one arm. Bring it in.

"This one time, Elizabeth."

[uncaging]

She doesn't understand why he doesn't like hugging, whether it's a particular quirk of his or whether all demons are hardwired not to like nice things, but it means a lot to her that he's willing to put up with it so that she can show her affection. She leans in, gripping him tightly and pressing her head into his shoulder.

[saunteredvaguelydownwards]

For other demons, you simply wouldn't get near enough for that kind of affection. Demons don't trust each other, and it's very wise that they don't, so they keep a certain level of distance between them at all times.

In Aziraphale's case, it was because touching him was akin to putting your hand on a low voltage wire. Not painful, but with a noticeable tingle.

When it comes to Elizabeth... it's because she's human. He doesn't expect her to understand that, but he doesn't stiffen up against the contact like he did the first time. Instead, he sighs and pats the back of her head lightly, then wraps his arm around her shoulders.

"I really hope you never have to witness how truly cruel the world can be."

[uncaging]

Elizabeth clings to him, glad of the security and comfort he's offering her, grateful to him for so much more than she knows how to tell him. She's fairly sure that, once she's returned to her own world, she'll see all its cruelty laid bare - she's already seen more than she'd hoped to.

"I don't think I can avoid that. But at least while we're here, we can press pause on it."

[saunteredvaguelydownwards]

Crowley lets her linger against him for a few moments longer, then gives a small, semi-awkward squeeze around her shoulders and gently pushes her back.

"That's optimistic," he says dryly, lifting his hand and pointedly wriggling his fingers in her direction. "There's stuff going on here that even Hell wouldn't stand for."

[uncaging]

"You can't mean that." She sounds bewildered at the idea. "This place is awful - most of the time at least - but it wasn't designed specifically to torture us, was it?" As soon as she says it, she's not too sure of that.

[saunteredvaguelydownwards]

"Couldn't say. You don't sound too sure, either."

Crowley thinks about it. He can't even say he wouldn't deserve it, but there are plenty of people here who wouldn't. Even if they're not beacons of goodness like the girl sitting in front of him.

"Do you know about the Core? What it does to us when we die here?"

[uncaging]

Elizabeth frowns, shaking her head. "There was some talk about the Core when we could go over to the Mirror side last year, when Max and I had to solve all those puzzles. But I haven't heard anything about when we die here."

[saunteredvaguelydownwards]

"... Might be better if I don't tell you."

And that's the truth. He's almost surprised to hear it come out of his mouth, but he supposes it's the next best thing to an outright lie.

Besides, lying to Elizabeth feels... strange, even without their current situation.

[uncaging]

There's something gratifying in knowing that he's chosen not to lie to her, but she still looks very unsettled.

"Mr Crowley, if there's something terrible going on there, I want to know about it. I can't just go about my business knowing there's something nasty in the background."

[saunteredvaguelydownwards]

It makes him shudder just to think about it. Crowley looks at Elizabeth for a long moment, feeling the words pressing behind his teeth and knowing he can refuse

"Saw it in someone else's investigation notes. When people here die, their souls go through the Core, and it... takes something from them. It's revolting."

[uncaging]

She's silent for a long moment while she absorbs this information, having turned white as a sheet.

"What do you mean, 'takes something'? How is it even possible to take something from our souls unless we offer them up to be taken?"

[saunteredvaguelydownwards]

"You'd be making the mistake of thinking your soul belongs to you." Even the devil can quote scripture, so they say, and even Crowley can tell you just what the deal is between a mortal and their God.

"But it doesn't belong to the Core, either, and even the devil doesn't twist up souls that way."

[uncaging]

She blanches a little at being told that she's mistaken, then reminds herself that he certainly knows far more about this particular subject than she does.

"Then how--" She stops, not sure she wants the answer to that question.

[saunteredvaguelydownwards]

"You don't want to know." He tells her quickly. "Don't ask me. Please."

Crowley, who never says please for anything, says it this once for the fact he really, really doesn't want to get into this with her. He frowns and shakes his head.

"Go to sleep, Liz. I'll be here."

[uncaging]

Elizabeth knows this will always be at the back of her mind now, and she'll find out sooner or later; she'd prefer to know than let herself conjure up all sorts of dark images. But she can at least spare him being the one to have to tell her.

She reaches forward a little to squeeze his hand before returning to the pile of blankets she's made into a makeshift bed.

"Promise?"

[saunteredvaguelydownwards]

Maybe he would tell her another time, but at a better time when he could twist the details and leave things out that someone like Elizabeth didn't need to hear at all. She squeezes his hand, and he looks down at his fingers for several long moments before he replies to her.

"Hm? Yeah."

He shouldn't promise. He can't guarantee he'll still be there when she wakes up.

"Promise."