Memory Cave

[voidtreckermods]

After the passengers see a glimpse of a life that is not their own they appear in a cave. It is light, a strange moss glowing on the walls and ceiling illuminates the cave nicely and it is large enough for them to pace around in without trouble.

They are not alone. In the cave with them is another voidtrecker. Maybe someone they know well, maybe someone they have only seen in the aisles of the train. But they are together in this cave together.

The cave has no exit, at least not yet. They know that it will, eventually. When the time is right.

But for that time to come, they first must talk...

(OOC: For reference: memories!)

Comments

[wherewoof]

"I don't even know where we are," he said. Worse things had happened to him, though this was definitely weird.

"I was hiking, and then- wait, did something weird happen to you too? Like you were seeing someone else's memories?" Maybe a little more literal than 'like'.

It was also slowly dawning on him that if he wasn't the only one this was happening to, someone might have seen some of his memories, too. The idea filled him with dread; he had a lot of secrets to keep to protect people.

[springforth]

"Uh--yes."

Which is kind of frightening, to think about in the reverse. She crosses her arms over her chest, hiding that she's digging her nails into her arms. Better to act like there's nothing to hide right?

"I kind of ignored it the first time, I hoped it was just some weird--void sickness thing or something. I kind of--did you see anything in particular?"

[wherewoof]

"Same. I thought it was just...I dunno, some kind of hiccup." Even though he'd known he hadn't been the only one. That could've still been a hiccup, right?

"I was playing chess," he admitted, "Or, the person in the memory was. And I've never played chess in my life, so it couldn't have actually been me." He paused for a moment, sifting through the memory in his head, looking for any other important information. "Are you Persephone?"

[springforth]

"Oh--ah that's all? I mean, I played chess all the time so I doubt it was very interesting. But I'm, yes I'm Persesphone."

She tucks back a lock of hair, "Uh, I don't actually know your name. I couldn't see your face the first time and all I got this time was the guy with you?" Her voice bubbles up in a little amusement despite herself, "You knocked him into the snow. It was cute."

[wherewoof]

"It was...kind of nice? There was a man, and you were talking about your mom and some kind of deal." Work related, he assumed.

"I'm Colden," he added, before he stopped to think. There was only one person he messed around with like that. "And that's probably Taos; he's my best friend. What did you see the first time?" He was almost afraid to ask, but curiosity got the better of him.

[springforth]

"Oh--Oh! Me and Hades, probably." Well it has to be but it's hard to say exactly without more details.

"The first time...you were fighting someone. And Taos--I think it was the same guy, the accent was the same. But he was there. He shot your attacker? It was a lot more action-y." She has relaxed enough to start moving her hands now, which spread out as if to emphasize said action, "Kind of scary honestly. Not what I was hoping for on the start of a vacation...Not that you could--it was just a lot to start off with is all! Most of why I ignored it to be honest."

[wherewoof]

"Hades as in the god?" Well, it would kind of make sense. She had said they were immortal. Either that or it was just someone with a really cool name.

He made a face as he listened to her description of the memory. He hoped it wasn't a job, but he couldn't recall, off the top of his head, a time when Taos had had to save him from an attacker recently except...really recently. He hoped it wasn't that either, but she was pretty calm about it, so he was thinking maybe it wasn't.

"Sorry you had to see that." He still didn't know what was going on, how their memories were being shared, but having no control over it was kind of rude. "Sometimes we have to do difficult things, and I'm not always proud of it." Not that he'd been the one to do the killing this time, apparently, but the sentiment was the same.

[springforth]

"Yes, like the god... Actually the god." The amount of people who had no idea who she is but every idea who he is only solidifies her belief that she never ends up more than a minor goddess. It's fine.

"No--I know. It's not your fault. It's not the first time I've been attacked, though never by anything quite like that." She wants to ask. She really wants to ask.

"I don't need details, but...was the first memory good or bad?"

[wherewoof]

"Whoa. That's..." Mind blowing, a little. "Sorry, I'm still getting used to things like gods actually existing in other places." Other worlds, he meant. It still kind of hurt his brain, but he was working on it.

"Quite like what?" he added, cycling through the possibilities. The list was short; it was either a human or a werewolf.

He made a face. "Bad," he said. "Made me wanna punch a guy."

[springforth]

"I get it, really. It's not an easy thing to believe," She waves her hands, brushing away his apologies, "Besides, I'd never seen anyone like the person attacking you. Claws, tail--vicious. Not like any being I've seen."

His answer narrows it down, a touch. She's wanted to punch two guys in her life and one of them was just--you know, a mild punching. So it's probably Apollo and that thought just sends a spike of anxiety through her, straight to her core. She tries so very hard not to think about him.

"Well--right, um, I'm sorry you had to see that. I don't know which particular bit of his behavior you got but I'm sorry you had to see it. Mine hasn't always been stellar with him either."

[wherewoof]

"Oh." He hesitated. He'd already brought up werewolves before with someone else, and the cat was really out of the bag here, since she'd literally seen his memory. Was there any point in lying about it? "That was a werewolf. I haven't seen too many of them, myself." Just two.

He shook his head a little. "Whatever's going on, we have no control over it; it's not your fault. But you also didn't deserve to be treated poorly. You seem like a nice person."

[springforth]

"I--thanks. I'm not really his biggest fan and he could probably use a punch or two but his sister is kind and took me in and I have to kind of keep the peace, you know?" How much did he see and of what? Gods, she'd kill to know but she doesn't want to talk about him, knowing he knows some piece of it is bad enough without getting all the gory details.

"It's lucky your friend was there to save you from them..." Then she stumbles over her words, "Not that you couldn't handle it. It just felt kind of--I'm not used to being in mortal peril is all."

[wherewoof]

He winced sympathetically. "So you're kind of stuck. That sucks. No one should have to put up with an asshole, for any reason."

"It's okay," he added, with a little laugh. "I am lucky to have had Taos around. He's gotten me out of a couple of close calls." Things that Colden might not have been able to get out of himself, or when the hunters had gotten him, and he'd been helpless and useless.

[springforth]

"Hey I'm here, you know? Don't need to deal with it all here." Her smile is a little pained at this weird compromise she has worked out with herself. Don't exactly want to be here but might as well embrace the better parts of it.

"I hope you tell him how lucky you are!" She wags a finger, purposefully making herself a little ridiculous to lighten the mood, "And I'm sure he's lucky to have you as well."

[wherewoof]

"Good point." He felt pretty similarly. He didn't want to be here, he'd rather be home, but right now things weren't too bad. Weird memory stuff aside. And even then...things could have been a lot worse. He was lucky whatever was behind this hadn't decided to spill his darker secrets, and that he was apparently sharing them with someone who was so understanding.

"I think he knows, but I'll be sure to tell him whenever I get home." 'When' not 'if'; he was determined. "Assuming we get out of, uh, wherever this is." This cave place.

[springforth]

"Good, I get the feeling you're not to type to be that open with it. Though maybe I'm wrong, maybe you're very open and honest and I'm being rude with only two short snippets of memory."

Reminded of the lack of apparent exits, she turns to look around, then jumps.

"Alright, I know they weren't there before." She points out the doors, now suddenly appeared as if they had been there all along.

[wherewoof]

He opened his mouth to argue, but then promptly closed it again. He couldn't argue against that. While he wasn't the most vocal person when it came to showing someone he cared about them, he at least expressed it other ways. Saying it out loud was hard sometimes, though.

"No, you're right."

He did a double-take when he saw the doors, shifting his weight from one foot to the other. "They definitely weren't there before," he agreed. He wondered what the criteria was for making the doors appear. Time? The whims of wherever they were? Their conversation? "I guess this means we're free to go now."

[springforth]

It's a touch satisfying to hear that her ideas of him aren't completely fabricated. Not that she has a real idea of him, but apparently enough to make stupid split second judgments.

"I guess it is. Um--take care of yourself. Here's hoping we don't end up back in here again. You've been nice about it but--you know?"

[wherewoof]

"You too," he said. "And yeah, same. I could think of ways this could've been a lot worse, but I'd rather not have more of my memories shared around."

He was pretty sure she felt the same way. It was awkward and a weird invasion of privacy. Though on the other hand, things had gone surprisingly well, and he was glad things were only shared with one person instead of a lot of people. Or everyone. That would have been a nightmare.

[springforth]

With an awkward wave, Persesphone opens a door and closes it tight behind her. Only to find no time at all had passed really. Still kneeling in front of a random plant in the middle of the forest, blinking in the sudden sunlight. Well. That was weird.