garregmach | (no subject)

A mist settles in over the monastery.

Is it morning? Night? Who can say? Today, the day feels endless. The sun is nowhere to be seen — or had it been at all? Instead, a curious green glow engulfs Garreg Mach, like an eternal twilight settling in. Time seems to be paused almost, though the wildlife in and around the area continues to act as though nothing is wrong. As though this is perfectly normal. As though it is natural for the skies to be dark, with not a single star in sight, and for the sun to be forgotten in the mist that lingers. The paths are at least lit by small orbs of light, fireflies flitting about.

However, should one come into contact with one of those fireflies, a memory of the past will be projected for all in the close vicinity to see. Joyous occasions, tragic events — they don't seem to discern one way or another. Perhaps it would be best to watch your step for now, though.

Of course, after lingering for about a day, the strange ambience will fade into what appears to be a normal night at Garreg Mach. It's as if nothing had happened at all. Did it? Or was it all simply a shared hallucination?

[ ● MEMSHARE POST. Coming into contact with the fireflies will share a memory of your character's with those around them. You can top-level with a memory to start out or have people tag you and determine it then, whatever. I don't make the rules (except I do and I say yolo). Have fun with it!
● Open posts like this one are flipping to a two week schedule instead of a weekly one.
● Because of the above, the last bit is there for people who'd maybe like to play out aftermath threads later on but don't want to wait for a new post or make a new one.
● Settings have been slightly updated. ]

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

[Marianne's conversational abilities have not much improved since waking up in this version of Garreg Mach, but the subject Dimitri introduces is one that she quickly warms to.]

They're fine. Horses can handle the wet and cold better than we can. And I checked on them after too, just to make sure. Everyone's been so attentive and kind to them... They're always talking about how happy they are.

[That almost gets Marianne to smile too!!! Her voice is indeed more fond, at least. One of the horses snorts and Marianne pauses, nodding her head as if agreeing to what the HORSE just SAID, and then]

Oh, that's right... Um, Dimitri? Do you know what's going on outside?

[This time, he's come prepared with some treats. True, dried apples are not as much of a treat as fresh, but they're better than nothing! Dimitri makes a quick round through the stable, doling them out.]

I am... unsure as to the exact cause, but touching those lights seems to put one's memories on display. If it were a natural phenomenon like an eclipse, the animals would be behaving strangely, so I thought I would come take a look — but they seem largely unaffected. It must be part of the spell.

[Dimitri takes a wary glance around him, trying to make sure there aren't any nearby. He doesn't want to be showing unsightly memories to a sweet girl like Marianne. Unfortunately for him, his blind spot is going to make exactly that happen all too soon.

For now, he turns his focus back to the animals.]

[DRIED APPLES!!! if horses could unleash a yeah boi of their own...

The expression on Marianne's face at Dimitri's explanation though... It pales (if her face CAN get any paler) as thoughts similar to Dimitri's run through her head -- her memories? put on display? For all to see? Did she do something to upset the goddess -- or whoever is in charge of this monastery? It has to be that right, otherwise she can't wrap her mind around the potential catastrophe that could very well happen.]

That's... Then -- it's not safe.

[well, it's safe for the horses, like Dimitri said, but for her?? and him???]

I should leave.

[She says weakly, even as she shrinks into herself as much as possible, one hand still on Dorte as she backs away... further into the stall, rather than towards the exit. She can't just -- run from Dimitri like that -- she'd have to explain herself first, anyway. And she doesn't want that either. She just... wants nothing to happen. Absolutely nothing. Maybe if she prayed about it, the goddess might grant her some measure of mercy.]

[His face falls slightly when Marianne starts to back away, and he steps forward on instinct to apologize. Unfortunately for Dimitri, being distracted results in him brushing up against one of the fireflies, and he stares in horror as a scene from his past starts to play out.

---

He's running through the halls of the palace in Fhirdiad late at night, blood streaming down one side of his face. Dimitri's formerly prim and proper uniform has been reduced to shreds, and he has no weapons save for the dagger he clutches in a white-knuckled fist, already slick with gore. But his true saving grace is Cornelia's pride, not the weapon: she's doing her best to hide his escape from anyone native to Faerghus while sending every imperial soldier that's been granted to her to try and recapture Dimitri.

Dimitri intends to live long enough to make her regret that mistake.

He rounds the corner, coming face to face with a bleary-eyed boy. The child can't be older than 13, he's probably a squire, up out of bed to relieve himself. Before he can so much as inhale the breath for a scream, Dimitri slashes his throat with such vigor that it exposes his windpipe.

He doesn't look back. He doesn't even stop moving, he just slaughters him at a run. The same goes for a maid that he passes, and for a soldier from Faerghus that was clearly only doing a standard patrol. Dimitri does stop then, but only because he hears keys jangling. When he looks through them with trembling hands, he finds the key to the armory and starts to laugh, but the sound startles him and he chokes it back. He can't be caught here. He looks up, suddenly surrounded by a legion of half-burned people wailing, even more drenched in blood than he is. Dimitri's breath starts to come so fast that he gets dizzy as his gaze settles on two of the figures in particular: one, a man that looks very much like Dimitri, the other a man on the verge of adulthood that looks eerily like Felix.

The man that looks like Felix sneers, looking at the dagger in Dimitri's hands. "Do you cling to her memory still? Face reality!"

Dimitri looks to the dagger. His vision swims, and the memory finally fades away.

---

He couldn't look away. He remembers killing those people, but at the time, he didn't spare them a passing glance. Now, bile rises in his throat as he realizes he knew them. Dimitri covers his mouth and shudders, fighting the urge to vomit.]