Logs for Memory Event

[gadaboutdetective]

Who; Llewellyn and you!
What; One open to all log for the event, and one closed one under cut.
Where; All around
When; From the beginning till the end of the event!
Warnings; Mature themes pertaining to memory shares. I will update this with warnings depending on the memories that are discussed in threads for any major content.

Do you need a hand? - Open to all!

(Approach Llewellyn if your character has seen one of his memories, or he could just happen on your character having seen one of his or dealing with another memory from someone else. We can also have him accidentally happen upon one of your character’s memories! I can also do personalized starters if you want, just let me know either on Discord: WhimsicalSpook#8219 or Plurk: whimsicalspook)

Llewellyn had eventually forced himself to go out again… Once he and Rhy had a chance to talk and had time for some comfort and recovery from the start of all this.

He had realized that there were probably a lot of people who hadn’t been through this before, and the mental image of people being overwhelmed and in need of assistance had struck him. In his experience it could be incredibly disorientating, and because these crystals happened to be falling outside, most people were probably in between errands or on their way somewhere… So he had bundled up again, making sure his hat and gloves were on before he went out the door to see if anyone needed help with reorienting themselves or to talk.

Yes, he realized that perhaps this was also taking a risk that he might see more people’s memories… But who would Llewellyn be if he wasn’t a little reckless when it came to wanting to help?

And that aside, it was important to watch for signs or clues as to what might have triggered this. To figure out if there were any connections or reasons for some memories. If there were any patterns or obvious triggers for how the memories were pulled from their own heads and crystallized. Suspicious people or signs…

So he needed to be out, regardless of how he felt about seeing things he'd rather not.



We’ve been here before. - Closed to Rhy - Backdated to first day

Llewellyn hadn’t thought much that morning when he looked out to see the sky full of clouds out the window of Rhy’s apartment. It had snowed a lot recently, and the sky seemed to be ready to drop more on them… What was yet to be determined, but it seemed sensible to get Pretzel out for a walk before anything began. The dog was having a little bit of a challenge with the few feet that had fallen recently, his heavier body and shorter legs making wading in snow rather difficult and slightly comical looking as he tried to plow into the white stuff.

So. Getting him out to burn off energy and to take care of his dog-business seemed smart before whatever was to come got started.

They didn’t quite get the walk finished before the weather turned, and Llewellyn frowned lightly, as it seemed that something a little… heavier than snow or rain was falling. At first he presumed it was something akin to hail mixed in, which seemed a bit out-of-place considering the conditions were wrong for it… “Hm…” His brow furrowed as he glanced to Rhy, then to Pretzel, and then around at the surrounding ground. There were… Crystals? That was not normal.

A few came to rest on the brim of his hat and he reached up without thinking to pull them off the brim to get a closer look… And regretted the decision instantly as his mind was flooded with a memory and impressions of feelings that were not his own. As jarring as it had been during his stay at the Sphere, but also familiar in a way. It wasn’t hard for him to recognize the voices speaking, the vaguely familiar setting he’d seen in someone else’s memories so many times before now.

Rhy.

This was another one of Rhy’s… And, as the debate and light bickering between siblings unfolded, he realized this was sometime after the last one he’d seen at the Sphere. The Banner Night memory where Rhy’s ex-lover had let himself into the man’s room and… Well, Llewellyn didn’t care to re-live that memory again. No. He was too busy being caught up in this one, getting the sense of Rhy’s pride for having come up with a plan for keeping Kell’s identity as this ‘Kamerov Loste’ secret, listening to the almost expected reaction from Kell at finding out the actor and Rhy had known one another before all this…

Not that it was a surprise. Llewellyn was quite aware that his husband had far more experience than he had. People had pasts, it was to be expected.

And then as the memory wound onward, and drew closer to a close… There was a sadness there, the two brothers clearly hurting for those they loved who’d left. It made his heart ache again, of course, to think of how much Rhy had hurt… And sadder still, to realize that both men had been trapped by circumstances… Wanting more. To be loved, to travel and to see more of the world together, even if it was unlikely for Rhy.

And then Kell was striding off, and the memory faded away and Llewellyn’s mind was left both empty and too full of chaotic, spiraling thoughts. Because, once again, he’d seen something that was personal to his husband without the man having a say… And again, as with many times where Llewellyn observed Rhy and his brother… It made him think of Hubert and Daniel…

One draw back to this situation compared to the sphere was that it was immediate and while he was with someone. He was often struck by them while alone at the Sphere, since they came through the network. It meant he’d had time to think of how to approach a subject, and it gave him time to process what he’d seen.

He didn’t have time to process, instead he was staring off into space and a low whine escaped as he uttered, “Hellfire, not this again.” He blinked to focus and try to turn to Rhy.

Comments

Indeed we have

[unbreakable_king]

It was supposed to be little more than a walk. Two men and their dog taking a day off of work to be together while the weather was horrid. Instead it was this, it was Rhy catching a crystal that glowed with an inner umber light, and his heart aching at what he saw. What he felt.

All he wanted to do was drag his lover into his arms, and ask if Felix had tried to reach for more. And instead he sighed and tightened his hold on the leash for the dog.

"I thought we were free of these in leaving the Sphere," Rhy agreed with a sigh. This was just too horrid of a mess to see. "I don't want this again. I like my privacy, you know?"

[gadaboutdetective]

Llewellyn rubbed at the side of his face and pinched the bridge of his nose to try to still his mind. “So did I… I didn’t miss it.” He finally lowered his hand, eyes moving to Rhy and offering the other man a concerned look. “I presume you saw something as well, then.” He murmured, before reaching out to take the man’s free hand and give it a squeeze.

He knew what Rhy meant, of course. They’d talked about it, and Llewellyn had been doing his best to not accidentally say something about Rhy to let the cat out of the bag that his husband had been royalty in another world… He deserved that privacy, the chance to be who he wanted to be without expectations born of the past. This would… make that more challenging. No. Not just challenging... It made it practically impossible. “I’m sorry, my love.”

[unbreakable_king]

"Nor I," Rhy agreed, sounding a touch frustrated. All of these memories were as upsetting now as they had been before. Rhy took that concerned look and offered on right back. He knew Llewellyn had seen a good deal more of his own in the long run than Rhy had seen of his husband's, but the feelign remained. This was something tiring.

"A young boy named Felix, and some books by a jewel?"

Yes, Jules was not a name inherent to Arnesian culture. Something that Rhy had been happy to avoid thinking of. Going home wasn't something he was ready to fathom, so he had tried to put his home far from his mind.

Though the idea that his nobility was frankly floating out around in the world was just upsetting.

"I refuse to run for public office again."

[gadaboutdetective]

Llewellyn’s attention wavered for a moment, before Rhy said a particular name that he still thought of often… one of the few people he worried about from his world.

Then his eyes darted back to Rhy with recognition. He’d seen… The detective’s expression shifted, a sad smile on his face. “Felix? You saw… Oh.” He murmured, shaking his head. “Jules Verne is an author from my world. Felix had told me about reading a book by him during my investigation. We had discussed it since I had at read it at his age… I suppose I saw myself in him, a little…” A quiet, awkward child. Clever, but in need of support and encouragement.

He rubbed the side of his face a little. Their situations had been similar… But Llewellyn had been lucky enough to not end up in a place like that. “I thought sharing other novels might help keep the line of communication open. In case other things happened there…” He shook his head a little, “I’d met a lot of the adults in the boy’s life during a case there… It wasn’t a kind place.”

Clearing his throat a little, he offered an apologetic expression. In fairness, he should mention what he saw, he expected. “I saw you and your brother this time… You were explaining a plan to him that he seemed a bit concerned about.” Llewellyn shook his head. “You’d hired an actor to hide his identity as ‘Kamerov Loste’, I believe.”

Llewellyn would support that decision, just because Rhy was very good at what he’d done at the Sphere… It didn’t mean he should have to do the same here. “Of course, love. I think you should pursue endeavors that you enjoy in this world. I’m more pleased that you’ve found something you enjoy.” Even if the metaphorical cat was out of the bag here, it shouldn’t mean Rhy should give up on being who he wanted to be here. Plus… Llewellyn hadn’t liked how much had fallen on Rhy at the Sphere. The man had been run ragged at times, and it made him worry.

[unbreakable_king]

"I'm sorry his life is so hard, and so cruel," Rhy said, but hte way he touched his lover's arm...

It was as much about Llewellyn as about the child Felix.

"Well, if he ever comes here my dear, we shall make sure he has a place."

[gadaboutdetective]

“Mm...” He swallowed thickly at that, the touch on his arm getting his attention and leaving him feeling more than a little... Perhaps seen at the moment, the tone in his beloved’s voice and the gesture a comfort.

Knowing how Rhy’s memory shares often left him feeling, the impression of internal thoughts and emotions... He remembered how he’d felt talking to Felix that day, remembered how he’d seen it... That meant his husband had known and felt those things too.

A small part of him wished Rhy didn’t have to know it, the part of him that wasn’t used to sharing, that was more used to hiding things. But the other part, the part that had been trying to open up to Rhy since they’d pursued a life together, felt touched by the comfort and understanding offered. "Thank you, love... I wish the world wasn't as it is but... It's why I try so hard, I think... To help those who need it."

And the suggestion gets his attention rather quickly. “That-“ He smiled softly. Llewellyn felt truly lucky to have someone so compassionate at his side. “That means a lot to me, my love...” Even if it seemed unlikely that they’d seen him here, it still meant something to know they’d adjust their lives to help the boy if they were given the chance.

[unbreakable_king]

"I don't know what happens to people like that in my world. I know my brother was brought to us, but I don't know if he's an orphan or not. So I guess I never considered it," Rhy admitted with a sigh. It was something he should think of, as a king.

Maybe he was a failure as a king.

"No reason we can't raise a child."

[gadaboutdetective]

“Mm… I don’t imagine it’s something that has been brought to your attention before, my love.” How could he be expected to know these things when he’d only just become king before arriving in these worlds? Not to mention, under very unfortunate circumstances… Plus… Llewellyn knew that most parents, royalty or not, did not bring these things to their children’s attention. “It’s something that tends to not be talked about by most in mine to begin with.”

It would be nice, though, to think that maybe in Rhy’s world, things were different for children like Felix… Like he and the twins… But Llewellyn wasn’t sure that it would be.

But still, despite the awkwardness it presented while they walked, he drew an arm around Rhy and pulled him closer. He’d like to be having this conversation inside and away from things. To wrap him up properly and talk… It wasn’t exactly a suggestion one made lightly, after all. That meant something to Llewellyn… “I would like that, I think… I don’t know if I’d be good at it, but… Well, I’d still like to give a child who needs it a place to call home. Like I was given when the landlady took me in.” Better in some ways, he could only hope. Safer…

[unbreakable_king]

Not talked about? Rhy didn't like that idea at all. How could people not talk about children who needed homes? It was offensive. But being brought close to Llewellyn was a comfort.

"Perhaps we will some day."

[gadaboutdetective]

Llewellyn certainly agreed… It was a sad fact that he knew well from his world. What was said when they were discussed was often rather cruel and offensive, in his opinion. There were several conversations from that particular case alone where Llewellyn had called someone out for their thinking, as awkward a position as it put him and Murdoch in with the people they were trying to speak to. It was a subject that he was rather sensitive about…

He was glad to provide some comfort, but he’d be relieved once they made it back to the red building. It would be much easier to talk without the hazards of another memory. “Yes, my love. Perhaps one day we’ll have the chance.” He responded with a soft tone and a gentle squeeze. A chance to add on to their little family, if someone needed them. “But we must get in out of this weather. Away from more er- possible disruptions, hm?”

[unbreakable_king]

"Yes," Rhy agreed, moving ahead, only to freeze when a pale pink crystal fell right against him from the sky. He hadn't meant to catch it, but... Well, instinct took over.

And he stumbled a step.

[gadaboutdetective]

When his husband stumbled, Llewellyn ducked forward quickly to catch him and help him regain his balance, hand reaching out to take Rhy’s with a clumsy sound. He hadn’t realized that Rhy had caught another memory crystal, barely noting the faint pink glow of it in the man’s hand before he closed his hand around Rhy’s.

“Oh-” He felt his vision narrow a bit as the series of rather awkward moments between two familiar individuals flooded his mind.

Pretzel was left circling them on his leash, trying to figure out why they’d stopped again.

He shook his head in an attempt to clear it. Cute and awkward as the memory had been, it still made him feel a bit over-cluttered and distracted. “Er- you saw the same thing, I presume.”

[unbreakable_king]

"The cheerful miss Aerith trying to get something like a high five from some dour man?" Rhy asked, shaking his head. What a cute series of visions. "It seemed like he was not good at them."

Do You Need a Hand

[asthecroweflies]

Jagger was quite used to picking things up and seeing things from them so the crystals themselves didn't pose much of a concern for him. Picking them up was actually a curiosity at this point, and one he wasn't afraid to indulge. If anything, they didn't impart memories in a way as overwhelming as his own abilities. It was almost comforting.

As was the memory he'd seen from the crystal he was currently holding, turning over in his gloved fingers outside a shop serving hot tea, which he was actually holding in his other hand. Watts had a distinctive gait, though, and his familiarity with the man caught his attention and he looked down the street as the man approached. It hadn't taken him time when they'd met for Jagger to warm to his co-worker, he could sense the sort of man he was, but the memory in question made him appreciate the detective all the more.

"Afternoon, mate." He held up the crystal as a case in point. "Weird snow we're having, yeah?"

[gadaboutdetective]

Llewellyn indeed had a rather unique gait compared to most people, quick and somewhat slouching as he moved. Always seemed like he was going somewhere, even when he wasn’t. He was more than a little distracted, though, as Jagger approached him, his eyes darting around as he looked for signs of anyone in need of assistance with this whole… crystal problem.

He drew up to a stop once he recognized his coworker and friend, offering him a short, distracted greeting. “Oh- hello, Jagger. Er- afternoon, yes, I suppose it is that.” Clearly the detective had lost track of time again, if his tone were anything to go by. “Weird is a word for it…” He also considered them inconvenient, and the experience familiar in a way he didn’t like.

Offering a raised brow at the crystal the man held, wondering who on earth’s memory that was. Perhaps he didn’t want to know, he supposed. There were so many of them going around, after all. “Strange things, pretty, but… unfortunate. Anyone we know?” He asked, intending to make a note to mention to the person it belonged to later if they figured out… what to do with them. To re-distribute to their owners or store them away somewhere for privacy's sake.

[asthecroweflies]

"I think weird's starting to become normal, honestly." He looked back to the memory crystal in his hand, nodding at the detective's question.

"Yeah, mate. Pretty sure it's yours." He smiled slightly. It wasn't often he was treated to a good memory when he touched things. He'd have to thank whoever was responsible for these crystals. "Felix really looks up to you."

[gadaboutdetective]

“Mm… I can’t argue with that.” He certainly had lost track of what was normal a long time ago and had rather started to feel like the weird one in different ways from how he had been at home. It was an odd realization.

Eyeing the crystal at the other’s words, there was a slightly awkward pause. One of his? That could mean any number of things, and after having to explain some less than pleasant situations in the last world because of a memory share, it was a little unsettling to think of what Jagger might have seen. “I see…” He murmured, studying the other’s expression a moment. The man didn’t seem upset, so that was at least something of a comfort.

A brow rose at that. “Felix? Ah…” He rubbed the back of his neck lightly, wondering to himself that it seemed like his memories of the child were going around. Rhy had seen the boy as well, and he had to wonder if there was a reason for that… Though, he had been on the detective’s mind of late for various reasons. “I don’t know if I would say he looked up to me, but… Well, he was a clever child. Thought he could use someone to look out for him.” He shrugged his shoulder’s, it had always been a bit weird to talk about memories.

[asthecroweflies]

On the contrary, Jagger had always felt like the weirdo, and meeting all the people here, native and otherwise, had started to make him feel almost painfully normal. Not that it bothered him all that much. It was refreshing to be the "normie" in the group he'd come to call his friends. Now, the only weird thing was having so many of them.

"I can't think of many people better suited to it, either." And he realized Watts probably didn't feel the same way. "It's odd, these stones. What do you their purpose is?"

[gadaboutdetective]

“Don’t know about that… But I wanted to try.” He responded, confirming the other’s suspicions with a small shrug of his shoulders as he tucked his hands back in his pockets awkwardly. Someone had to try, and it seemed like very few people were willing to at the time. The amount of times he’d offended someone after they expressed less than positive opinions about the children at the home had made things a bit awkward for Murdoch. He wasn’t as good at being tactful as the senior detective was.

The question on the stones gets a hum. “I honestly don’t know…” He slouched slightly, looking around thoughtfully. “This kind of thing was common every few months in the last world I was- different way, though. No crystallized things… Sent right into the mind, there. It was an unexpected byproduct of neural implants, from what I was told.” That was a weird mouthful, and weirder to admit to. “But here?” This was all very different, and it was a little frustrating. There was no telling what memories were out there, and who had seen what.

Maybe that was the point, if there was one.

“Could be that someone is looking for something specific from our pasts…” Less pleasant to think about, you could use information against people rather easily, depending on what was found. “Or it could be another uh- blunder on our host’s part. If they were trying to… do or fix something and it had an unexpected side-effect.” Or maybe they’d just gotten a terrible idea for making them bond and talk with one another, for all he knew.

[asthecroweflies]

"Well, I do." He took a breath. He understood, at least to an extent, Watts' apprehension at being thought of as a hero. If he were honest with himself, if someone came to him claiming something similar, he'd have a similar reaction, but he'd been in the shoes of a lad who had no one on his side, and so had his best friend in the world. Now, they had each other (at least they would if Jagger could ever get home), but before that, they'd been dangling threads until someone had gathered the frayed bits.

"You don't have to be perfect, or inspirational, mate. You just have to be there. A lot of lads don't get that, and you made sure Felix did." He shrugged. "Does that make you a hero? It does to him. You didn't have to go out of your way to be a positive influence in the bloke's life, but you did, and that makes all the difference."

He let the uncharacteristically uplifting lecture hang for a moment while he mulled over Watts' ideas. "My money's more on a mistake than anything nefarious. If anything, they...sort of come off as...I don't know...children? I don't think they really know just what they're doing, you know?"

[gadaboutdetective]

A hero definitely was not something Llewellyn tended to view himself as, the man was of the mind he had too many failures on his ledger for that… Just someone desperate to help others and avoid seeing people end up in situations like he or his adoptive brothers had. But Jagger’s words are kind, and he does appreciate what the man is trying to do. “Mm… That’s a nice way of putting it… Thank you, Jagger.” He offered him an awkward smile. “I only saw him a few more times after that, unfortunately. It wasn’t terribly long after that I found myself in that other world.”

And Felix was one of the few people he knew he’d want to check on if he had the chance, and also a reason why he sometimes felt a little guilty for not wanting to go back to his world. The kid definitely needed someone to look in on him and the situation at the orphanage, and Llewellyn had come to feel responsible for him, even if he couldn’t do more than check in.

Llewellyn nodded to the mention of a mistake, though, his brows rising thoughtfully. “I admit, having spoken to them… I’m inclined to agree with that assessment?” Children, for all that they didn’t look like them. They needed guidance, but it seemed like they were fated to learn by trial and error… Which he could understand, at least in his own way. “So, if this is something they’ve caused…? They don’t seem to ever mean anything malicious when these things happen. It always seems like an accidental byproduct of whatever they were trying to do.” Not that it’s a good thing to have those who don’t know what they’re doing in charge…

[asthecroweflies]

He nodded. That was rough, and he recognized something of himself in Watts as he explained himself. Jagger had helped people identify spirits plaguing their homes, he'd helped them find loved ones, or the remains of loved ones, but he didn't think of himself as a hero. He was just a man who knew too much when he touched things, and he did his best to use those abilities to help people rather than to drive him mad as they had his mother.

"Yeah, if this is something they did, I don't think they meant to, or if they did, they didn't mean for it to be so invasive." He shrugged. "You know, this is actually how my own gift works, the way this shows you things."

[gadaboutdetective]

“I think that’s likely… I suppose it might even be their misguided way of trying to get us to know one another better, and it went a little further than expected.” Anything was possible, really, but he was in agreement with Jagger. The Aspects meant well, so this was likely a mistake of some kind born of an intent to do something good. Unpleasant, but… not much they could do about it now, aside from hoping it stopped soon.

His attention shifted, though, a curious expression crossing his face. He knew, of course, Jagger’s abilities worked by touching things with strong imprints from a person… But he hadn’t realized quite how it played out once he had. “Really? After that time with the microscope at the office, I wondered if it might be.” He hummed a little, rubbing the back of his neck. “I confess, I am rather impressed by how you manage it. I always find these… Memory sharing incidents jumble up in my head a bit too much. It takes me a while to sort through and organize.” His thought process was a bit chaotic, and raced around, so having more shoved in his head without warning was usually difficult to bounce back from.

[asthecroweflies]

"Or it went just as far as they'd hoped." The Aspects seemed, beyond anything, as they'd discussed, children, and like children, they seemed to take any concept to extremes.

At Watts' confession, Jagger barked a sardonic laugh, shaking his head. "It's usually all jumbled up, too, but it's gotten easier as I've gotten older. When I was boy, it was hard to tell where I ended and where the memories picked up, which were mine and which were someone else's, you know? I'm not sure how it's gotten easier, maybe just...having more of my own?" He shrugged. "It doesn't make the emotions any less intense, and they don't fade fast, either. Just because I know a memory's not mine doesn't mean it's pleasant."

[gadaboutdetective]

“I suppose anything is possible with them.” Llewellyn responded with a small nod. It wouldn’t have been surprising… As much as he didn’t like to think that they’d gone so far without considering how awkward it might make things for some people.

Listening thoughtfully, he still wasn’t sure how one could get used to the experience or find it easier… “Perhaps it is having built your own memories and experiences? I couldn’t really say myself…” He agreed with a small, uncertain shrug. “But I wouldn’t ever expect that you’d find it pleasant.” Anyone who thought otherwise had clearly never dealt with something similar before. “There were… A lot of things that I saw in the last world that were more troubling. Having anything dumped in your head isn’t pleasant, whether it’s an experience that happened to you or someone else.”