Video - Memshare (cw: nudity)

[wapples]

[Every morning when Billie wakes up, he sifts through his memories to make sure they're still all there, and greets them with a 'good morning, memories!' It's a perfectly normal daily ritual.

None of them seem to be missing as far as he can tell, but as Wicker peers over his shoulder, with her paws pressed against his back, she begins a broadcast to the network.

Billie is leaned back in a chair, being treated to a facial at a luxurious spa. He peels a cucumber off of one of his eyes, gives it an experimental lick before popping it into his mouth. The second one quickly follows suit. He was expecting pudding from the look of the treatments around him, and while cucumbers are not pudding, he supposes they'll do. Around him, there are several pools for soaking in and relaxing, people receiving different kinds of skin treatments and massages, and playing on pinball machines.

He glances over at Vyng, receiving a facial of his own from one of the other attendants and chatting away about his life story, and bragging about the boy. 'That's my friend over there. That's my good buddy kid.'

In the pool, Tuck is engaged in a chicken fight. Another man is perched on his shoulders, and they're facing off against two women, an orc and a human, none of four are wearing anything at all, but at least Tuck and the orc are partially hidden by the warm water. It's not just the pair on top who are shoving each other, though, Tuck and the orc seem to be engaged in a boxing match until finally Tuck slugs her right in the jaw, and his partner manages to push them down as he bellows something that's probably completely unrelated. 'You think just because Terry's your stepdad, he's your real dad? I DON'T THINK SO! I'M YOUR DAD!'

The man roars in triumph and throws his arms in the air. He looks like he's on the verge of tears, he's so happy, and he shouts again. 'I'M YOUR DAD!'

Billie shouts back, 'YOU'RE MY DAD!' Really, he's shouting to Tuck not the stranger, but he's laughing like he's having the time of his life. The video fades to static and cuts out as the rest of the patrons begin to chime in with a chant of, 'Dad! Dad! Dad!'

The boy shakes his head and glances over his shoulder at his Omen.]

Whoa... That was weird. What was that?

Comments

video; un: lookingforshinsengumi

[tealeafs]

[ Look at that.

Billie has already somehow managed to sum up Chizuru's entire reaction in his own words. Because she, too, has no idea what that was just now. It does seem like it's probably a memory, with the way these devices have been showing those, but..

.. what kind of memory was that even? Chizuru blinks, before starting a feed to helpfully explain: ]

Um, I think it was showing one of your memories...

[wapples]

[Billie's life is often sheer chaos, and he honestly wouldn't have it any other way. Going to the Crystal Bay in the first place had been his suggestion in the first place because he wanted to see the vacation town. Staying at the fanciest hotel they had to offer was just the icing on the cake.]

Yeah, it did! But that's weird - I look at my memories every morning, but they never got on here before.

[tealeafs]

[ Looking.. at his memories..? Every morning?

That's definitely an odd thing, but Chizuru figures it's either one of the oddities of this place, or just little kid imagination talk. Either way, thinking about it like that makes it a little easier to ignore that part and just focus on everything else going on here. ]

I think something is wrong.

[ Not that Chizuru knows what.

Please, she is not technical nor magical enough for this! ]

It's not just your memories. I've seen other people's memories being shown on these things as well.. Though thankfully yours didn't seem all that bad. [ Unlike certain others!!

But it's a good thing in this case, because Chizuru wouldn't want anything bad to have happened to such a sweet bean like Billie. ]

[wapples]

[Billie glances to Wicker, as the black and brown cat peers at him. So it's not just them. It hasn't happened to him before either, and he's been here for six months, not that the passage of time holds a whole lot of meaning for him. It feels like both forever and a single day all at the same time.

Huh.]

That sounds weird! That's weird, right? I don't remember this ever happening before since I got here.

[Being able to share memories between Tuck and Vyng using the glass ring on his finger notwithstanding anyway.

He grins, though, when she says his memory didn't seem so bad.]

It was fun! I was never at a spa before.

[tealeafs]

Uh-huh, it's strange for sure. [ There are many things Chizuru doesn't feel confident being all sure about, but this? This is something she's pretty sure of.

Even in this place, sharing memories like this doesn't exactly seem to be like a usual thing. No matter how many other things are apparently commonplace here. ]

Were you just.. maybe thinking about that memory really hard, maybe? The spa one?

[ Maybe for some reason these devices are projecting really strong memories? Not that Chizuru is sure how they'd do that, but these devices are just a mystery to her in general. ]

[Accident Video] UN:Lothrat

[ezra_of_lothal]

Hey, Billie.

Um. There's something going around where bits of people's memories are going up on the public network and into people's inboxes. As far as I know, no one is picking which memories. I certainly didn't get asked before mine played. It's just...happening.

Some of it...isn't bad. But there are pretty scary or really sad memories, too. If you aren't sure about, uh, any messages you get, I'd say don't look or listen and go get one of your dads, ok?

[Hopefully that advice isn't stepping on toes. He imagines Tuck and Vyng must have some sort of system to deal with the horrific curveballs this place can throw.]

[wapples]

[Billie is remarkably cheerful in spite of the strange situation, and he waves at the camera. It wasn't like it was a frightening memory, or even something particularly private. The spa at the Emerald Hotel had been a lot of fun, after all.]

Hi Ezra!

Did it happen to you too?

[It's really not so terribly different from his morning routine anyway, except he's not used to sharing his memories with others.

The advice Ezra offers to go get either Tuck or Vyng if he gets any strange messages just brings a shrug. It's probably a good idea, realistically, but he's nine. He's old enough to watch whatever he wants, isn't he?]

I'm not scared of them anyway - they're just memories, they can't really hurt you, right? Even the bad ones.

[ezra_of_lothal]

It did happen to me. But some of it was happy stuff I didn't mind sharing.

That's...not a bad way to look at it, Billy. [Although he's had memories shared even more directly - as in mind to mind. And that...had left their mark, on his psyche. He's not going to bring that up, though.]

[wapples]

Yeah... I'm glad it was something happy for me too!

[He pauses for a moment, reflecting back on the memory.]

Hey Ezra? Do you think they have a spa here?

[ezra_of_lothal]

I...don't know. Haven't heard of one. But I can't think of a reason why there couldn't be one. It wouldn't be like, natural hotsprings, but someone could build a place with warm indoor pools.

[nothinglikea]

[Rose is doing her best to project strength. reassurance. caring.

she's simply not sure of how well she's doing. and has to clear her throat twice before saying]

That's very wise of you, Billie. Memories can't hurt us, not if we don't let them. So! I suppose that makes the only option not letting them?

[wapples]

[The happy memory of him, Tuck and Vyng at the Crystal Bay spa being broadcast over the network doesn't seem to faze him at all, aside from finding it a little weird. He just assumes Wicker has her reasons, even if he doesn't really get what they are. It certainly doesn't occur to him that there might be something wrong about it.]

Did it happen to you, too?

[nothinglikea]

[Rose was used to looking for the wrong. she almost had to, given the nature of impolite society in New England. her fiancé was the worst of them all and she's so glad she's permanently out from under his thumb. she honestly thinks that she wants to make a life in Trench, actually]

The...broadcast memories? No. But I know what it's like, to have a--a myriad of memories.

Would you like shaved ice with syrup?

[wapples]

Well, maybe it won't happen to you too, then. It's kind of weird.

[His eyes light up at the offer. Anything sugar and Billie is absolutely one hundred percent in.]

Yeah! Sure!

[nothinglikea]

I can imagine. Though, I can't, nothing like this has happened to me before.

[she beams at him in return]

I'll come along and pick you up, then we'll go to the shaved ice cart. I always get sweet plum, that's my favorite. But they have a whole list of flavors!

video | un: diggs

[justoscar]

...Memories, I think.

[That was a heck of a thing to wake up to-- but, it wasn't entirely unpleasant either. Oscar Pine couldn't help but smile and offer a small wave once he had Billie's attention-- because, in an instant, a few puzzle pieces had clicked into place about the wild wilderness man that sometimes appeared in his kitchen for snacks.]

So you're Vyng's buddy kid? That's awesome!

[wapples]

Yeah! That was one of my memories! What's it doing out there, though?

[He looks off camera as though checking something else, somewhere out of sight. He shrugs, apparently satisfied, and looks back to Oscar with a grin, and returns the wave.]

Yeah! I guess everyone here knows them.

[He keeps running into people who have already heard of him too, which feels a little strange all on its own, but he's gotten used to it over the course of the past several months.]

I'm Fat Billie. What's your name?

[justoscar]

My name is Oscar. It's nice finally meeting you... uh, can I call you Billy?

[Because he honestly wasn't sure if 'Fat Billy' was an insult or not. He didn't want to add fuel to an uncomfortable situation for the boy.]

I'm not sure if everyone knows your dads, but Vyng is one of the wisest people I've met... and Tuck was really worried about you on the network a few times.

With... uh, this? I think something's wrong with our devices. This isn't normal, and it's been happening to other people.

[wapples]

[He seems distracted for a moment, looking between the Omni and Wicker. It does seem weird - she's never broadcast any of his memories to the network before. Maybe Oscar is right and something is wrong.]

Yeah, maybe. It's weird.

[He gives a little shake of his head. Wicker looks fine, but he can't help but be a little worried at the news that something isn't right. He's not sure how to fix it, though. Maybe he'll talk to Vyng, or Tuck, or someone about it, just in case.]

Anyway. Yeah. Sure, lots of people just call me Billie.

[He shrugs a little. It's probably easier to shorten his name; it's not as though there's dozens of halflings here with numerous variations on the theme after all.]

I don't think I've met anyone here yet who didn't already know them. I'm glad they're here too, though.

[He doesn't want to be alone.]

[justoscar]

Billie, then.

[He beamed. This kid was so sweet that Oscar couldn't help but be charmed.]

I know the feeling. I'm not sure what I'd do if my big sister wasn't also here.

[Although he and Ruby weren't really related, they had gone through enough together and shared enough connections that adopting each other as siblings had been inevitable. It was in many ways a relief; he didn't need to face this world alone.]

Guess we got lucky, huh? Having our families here, I mean.

action

[spiritwalks]

Aw, Billie. You still remember that.

[wapples]

[Billie looks up at Vyng and nods, still beaming at the memory.]

Yeah! I remember that! And the restaurant too!

[spiritwalks]

[Yyyyeah, the restaurant was less of a pleasant memory for Vyng. But no reason to dwell on that.]

I'm glad. Those kinds of memories, they help us hold onto ourselves.

[wapples]

Yeah. And the spa was a lot of fun. They had good cucumbers too.

[spiritwalks]

[Warmly:]

They did, didn't they.

Maybe they're growing some at the farm.