Memory Sharicus - Oh No, not again!

[heromedal]

About 8 am on July 15th, Rex does something stupid in his usual genius way. It was meant to be a small, simple test run of a method to scan a person and instantly gain all the data he needed to produce a Phantom.

The small field the spell was meant to spread just kept growing, until popping like a bubble with the most counterintuitive sound of all- two seconds of white noise, sounding as if it was coming from inches away. Not everyone heard it. But everyone who did...

It's a painless process, almost ticklish and instantaneous as numerous coloured orbs fly out from their chest, taking wild curving trajectories that launch them all over the academy and some of Soleil, coming to a sudden stop and hovering silently for just a few seconds.

That's when they start to slowly float towards the nearest possible recipient of the memory they contain, accelerating as they get closer as if thought and mind have a unique sort of magnetism.

It's sort of beautiful to see, really, not that Rex will notice because 60% of his mind is consumed with fear he will get into trouble and the Phantom project will be compromised. On the other hand, the Phantom project could provide the perfect scapegoat. So about six hours after the initial event, he released his latest creation- the Phantom mischief-maker, Waggery!

What a disaster.

(( ooc: The planning post is here! Be careful to warn for the nastier memories! If you already have memories planned to share, feel free to write them as a top level or just put up your character and link to the planning/make it a free for all. There'll be a post below for Waggery shenanigans and random NPC memories up for grabs. ))

Comments

[unpocoloco]

True, but sometimes weird is just weird.

[Like this part of the world.]

I'll be taking "not all bad" as a compliment, by the way.

[hawkwardness]

< Suppose it was. She's a cute kid. >

[That's all that really matters--the little girl, not the romantic half of it. So lucky...]

[unpocoloco]

She's the best kid.

[As... most Dad's would say about their kids. But still.]

Sweet and kind. The brightest smile. My girl was dancing before she could walk. And she's grown up so much. Oh, I can't wait to see her again. I'm going to hug her so tight.

[And gush about it all to a roommate he just met.]

[hawkwardness]

[The greatest thing about being a hawk, now that he's speaking to people again, is the ultimate poker face. Nothing gives him away.]

< You can't go visit her whenever you want? >

[unpocoloco]

[He wishes he had a poker face right about now.]

Ah, not really. This... thing of mine was worse before. I couldn't make it on most plane trips, though I tried. Couldn't phone. Letters were a problem-- some secrecy thing about them being opened up and read by the wrong person. I didn't have a lot of money anyway and private flight didn't get far. I've only been out of the outlands for just over a year and I got here a few months ago. I'm supposed to keep up a deal for them to stay and... other things have made it more complicated. [The fact there's a monster out there who could change him any time if it corners him again. The fact that he's going to disappear someday anyway.]

I don't want to hurt her. Not again. We've told her I'm sick and that this place is helping. Which means, even if I want to, I can't just take off. Not until things have... stabilized somewhat.

[And yet every part of him still just wants to run to her.]

But I'll see her soon.

[hawkwardness]

[More puzzle pieces, for a very sad picture indeed. He doesn't say anything for a few moments... poor guy, poor little girl.]

< I hope you can. >

[unpocoloco]

[He smiles warmly, grateful.]

Gracias.

[Even if things get postponed again, he's still closer than he was. It's something.

He pulls on a brighter smile.]

What about you? Do you have any... hawk... family? That sounded way less stupid in my head, I swear.

[hawkwardness]

< It's not stupid, what else would I have? I do, but they're not like me. Never said a word, never did anything human like me. Totally normal hawks. >

[It doesn't seem to bother him. It's easy to keep his voice even. He's changed so much.]

< Not that it bothers me. I don't think I need people like a human would. >

[unpocoloco]

[He nods along but he can't help the furrow of his brow or the way his mouth presses.]

Really? Not even being, you know, smart and all like this?

[Sentient and aware. He'd been sure even animals craved something.]

Sorry. It's hard for me to imagine. It just sounds lonely is all. Being alone could be nice sometimes-- I used to play all into the night as a kid, but... [He shrugs his shoulders.] After a while, I always wanted to see people again. But what do I know! If you're happy as you are, then that's what matters.

[hawkwardness]

< It's not what hawks do. And I'm still a hawk, I feel like a hawk. I was bored sometimes, but that's not the same thing. >

[Perfectly cool, not a feather out of place.]

[unpocoloco]

[It's sad. Terribly sad. Even undead he's just too human, he guesses. He shouldn't project.]

Well, I suppose it's good that you're okay then. I hope you've been less bored here.

[hawkwardness]

[Absolutely not. He's here to learn and save the world, not find a therapist!]

< I have been. It's nice. World's smartest bird gets an education. >

[unpocoloco]

Maybe you'll move right on to just being the world's smartest. Smartest bird? No, no, the smartest.

[Better Tobias trying than him. He didn't stand a chance.]

[hawkwardness]

< Me versus seven billion humans out there? That's a lot of competition. >

[Neither does he, judging by his life so far.]

[unpocoloco]

Ah, humans are stupid.

[He waves a hand.]

Your odds are better than they seem.

[hawkwardness]

< You're human, aren't you? I assumed you were. >

[unpocoloco]

Born human and still that! [At least in his opinion. Some would argue that skeleton undead isn't human, but bah to them.] Which is why I'm uniquely qualified to say it. Humans? Muy estupido. In new and revolutionary ways at that.

[hawkwardness]

< You definitely do weird things. Not you specifically, all of you as a species. But awesome things too. Like this phone I'm using. >

[unpocoloco]

[He definitely does weird things specifically, but he gets what Tobias is trying to say.]

Ah, si, the phones are really cool. When I first went into the Outlands the things still had buttons. It's like a mini computer now.

[Bit of a learning curve, but cool.]

It's a mixed bag, I think. Humans can be both terrible and really amazing. Just like anything, I suppose. I've run into good and bad of even beings like Daemons who are all supposed to be the latter.

[hawkwardness]

< I could use one with buttons. But that might also make it heavier... >

[Any bulkier than a large rat and he's going to have to leave it on the ground all the time.]

< I bet that's rare, though. Lot rarer than nice humans. > [Which is rare in itself, isn't it?]

[unpocoloco]

Way heavier. Probably harder to text or do the voice thing you do too.

[Unfortunately.

The latter comment brings a thoughtful look.]

I don't think nice humans are all rare. The nasty ones are just louder. But... si, I think there's probably less nice daemons. I'm not sure it's all their fault anymore though. It's a hard life in the Outlands even for them, and a lot of them never learn any better-- or find a reason to try. I think maybe some of them are just going along with the only thing they know, not really asking themselves if they're actually happy or not. That's a big part of changing, realizing you weren't happy with the way things were. You have to notice how much you're hurting first. That can be hard.

Especially, I imagine, if you're some ancient primordial being of chaos who's supposed to have it figured out and inspire the fear of everything around you.

[hawkwardness]

[This guy would make friends with daemons. He's realizing that now. Maybe he is just... a nice guy. A terribly unlucky guy too, because that's how the world works.]

< Makes sense. I wonder if any of them are trying to help us? >

[unpocoloco]

Huh? Oh, yeah, for sure. There's a bunch teaching at the school in fact. You might not have their classes, but ah... Sta-- I mean, Michael, he was teaching her some time ago. He can lack tact with certain touchy subjects but he seems to care a lot and he's always been helpful. Hieke, in the infirmary, really just seems like any shy guy around. Likes plants. There's a few here who might be daemons or something else but I never asked. Atchison isn't but he seems like one. They're all here to help. I wouldn't be too surprised if there are others out there.

[hawkwardness]

[H u h. Interesting. He's quiet for a moment, apparently thinking it over.]

< That's actually pretty cool. >

[unpocoloco]

Isn't it? [He grins.] It just goes to show how all kinds of beings can come together when it really counts and nobody really has to be one thing or another just because of whatever being they're supposed to be.