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Who: Zero and YOU
When: Aeveuer
Where: by Zero's Mirror
What: Memory Share Event
Warnings: See Comments!

(( Memories will be posted below. Content warnings will be posted in the subject of each memory, so please keep an eye out for them since there are some serious subjects that are bound to come up in them. If you have a request for a different memory or would like to do something different don't hesitate to reach out to me at

cloudatlas ))

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[In the mirror, surrounded by flowers, music notes, dragons, and faceless people all in various states of agony, there is a glimmer of something in it's depths-- perhaps just enough to pull you in. Even as the display swirls, the scenery is drab and full of dull, dusty colors.

The stone streets are covered in dirt. What few people pass by as they go on about their business only serve to kick up the dirt as the murmur and mutter things under their breath. To themselves, to others-- whispers of complaints and judgments about the town, about other people. Few faces in the crowd wear an expression that could be called truly happy. Smiles are more often the twisted looks worn by those with hidden agendas.

In the midst of the quiet, dreary haze, a young woman walks into the town. Even though it's clear she's been traveling for some time; it seems as though she has nothing but the blade at her side and the clothes on her back. What few coins she has on her fit inside her pocket. It's not even really enough to live off of, but she has no intention of carrying more. Yet despite her meager offerings, she's surprisingly clean. More so than most, regardless of the amount of white she wears.

Most of the villagers are fine ignoring her entirely, the same way the ignore the others around them. Some pointedly stare, but not for any reason she's unfamiliar with. Men leer at her body only for her red eyes to make contact with them, daring them to do something about it. But they won't. They have no shame behind the four walls of a brothel, but in the open they're often little more than cowards by themselves.

Here, she's little more than a lost girl to these people. Not their problem. And certainly nothing exciting to gossip and have their fun about. Were this the dead of night it would no doubt be different. But right now, this is exactly what she'd been looking for. These people didn't know her history. Here, right now, she'd be safe. At least for a while.

Or so she thought.

"...my eyes deceiving me?"

It takes her a moment to pinpoint the voice. It's one of many that she recognizes from her days in that brothel. He's but one of many men who had called on her.

"No, no... I don't think they are. Well, well. What's a pretty 'lil flower like you doing here of all places?"

She laughs; a short, sharp sound with very little humor behind it.

"I was plucked from my roots long ago. Some things never grow back."

"Sounds like you don't have anyplace to go." He hums, a mischievous twinkle in his eye. He'd always enjoyed their little banter. Almost as much as the sex. If she was wandering around, girl like her, that meant she probably didn't have a single plan to her name. "...why don't you come home with me? 'sa little place, but it's got everything a person needs to get by."

There's distrust in her eyes. He was a patron of that place-- he'd find out what happened, the slaughter of every person in it. He could easily pin it back to her. And yet... she couldn't bring herself to kill him, even knowing that it could only bring trouble on her in the future. "...yeah? So what's the price?"

"Oh I don't know. I think you can find a few ways to make yourself useful Rose. Wouldn't mind having you all to myself." It was a conversation that made light of the situation she was really in. Not like she had a whole lot of options at this point. But it was... nice. Together they worked it out over a few drinks before he showed her to his little home. It was nothing special, but it was a roof over her head.

Those days were the most oddly peaceful ones she'd ever known. It was the closest she'd ever come to having a "normal" life. As much as she knew she shouldn't, Rose found herself clinging to those moments. Those happy moments.

But it all ended rather suddenly. Illness took hold of her. It wasn't enough to incapacitate her but then-- she was always stronger than most. However, what kindness had been in the eyes of that man turned to fear. He had to get rid of her and quick before something happened to him. So he'd made arrangements-- tried to sell her off. But Rose wasn't the foolish girl she once had been.

When her sword sliced clean through his neck, her red eyes locked with his. His blood splattered over her face and her white dress, yet she didn't even blink. Instead, she watched him.

In his last moments, he'd been surprised.

And in that moment, she was once again without a place to belong. No. From the very beginning she'd always known-- she didn't have a place that she belonged. That place... would never exist for her. She would always be left wandering as long as she lived.]

[Randy recognizes the mirror of his bonded almost immediately. It would be easy to say that curiosity got the better of him, but in reality, it's concern.]

[If there's one thing Randy has, it's baggage. He's moved on from a lot of it, but that doesn't erase the weight of his past. As much as he acts otherwise, he's perceptive when he wants to be. Which means that he's known that Zero's hiding something.]

[And honestly, after watching her memory? He can't blame her. He's not going to judge her for it, but he can understand why she wouldn't be forthcoming with the information, either.]

[So Randy is going to do what he does best. He's going to sit, quietly watching the memory, and then finish with a comment that completely undermines the seriousness of the situation.]

Rose, huh? I like that name. It suits you.

[Zero snorts. Leave it to Randy to pull something like that out of everything he just saw. She can't even say she's surprised at this point. He wasn't a fool-- he saw the rest.

And despite everything he didn't leave. Didn't even say anything about the parts anyone else would be concerned about.]

You can call me that if you want. [...] But don't get the wrong idea, that's just the name I was given when I was sold off. Needed something to call me, since I didn't have one.

[Randy is many things, but he isn't a fool. He just acts like it.]

[And he's certainly not gonna leave, not after seeing all of that. It makes his blood boil, to see anyone treated like that, much less someone he has feelings for.]

[Wait--someone he has feelings for?]

Well, I'd say it's up to you, yeah? What do you wanna be called?

[An old man with silvery-white hair narrates illustrations in his book aloud as he pens it. Yellowed parchment and inked lines cover the pages. His voice is reverential and quite serious, despite the almost legendary nature of the story he seems to tell.]

"Long ago, in an age tarnished by endless conflict, five beautiful goddesses descended upon the land. The goddesses sang mystical songs that restored peace and harmony to our broken world. The people began to worship these holy songstresses. Thanks to the efforts of the Intoners, the chaos of war became a distant memory. And as a result, mankind enjoyed an age of sweet reverie, basking in the newfound light and--"

Mid-sentence a blade pierces his body; his blood splattering upon the open pages of his book.

"Y-you... murderous savage..."

He turns his head, but he can barely see the form of the white-clad woman behind him. She pulls the blade out in one quick swipe, cleaning the blood from it with the force of the motion as it was flung from the blade onto the wall.

Before she can speak, he's already fallen over dead. And yet--

"Savage? I think you mean Intoner."]

[What a nice story, Alphys thinks to herself as she listens. She tries to imagine what five beautiful goddess might look like, and is so absorbed by her daydream that the shock of the sudden murder elicits a shriek as she throws her hands up in self-defense.]

O-oh my god!! You killed him! [She claps her hands over her mouth. Is she next? This IS just a dream, right...?]

Yep. Sure did.

[Remorse doesn't seem like something she has to offer for the situation, although she doesn't seem keen on adding Alphys body to the pile either.]

And it's only going to get worse. I have a little "date" with my sisters after this.

[It's strange, seeing it again from the outside. Of course there aren't any regrets. It was necessary... right?

Except she knows how it ends. She knows she was a fool. No matter how much she tells herself otherwise, she regrets these choices for what's to come.]

[She's so blase about it! It's just like all the stories about humans that monsters in the underground passed down. That they're dangerous killers with no remorse... Alphys knows that's not true for the most part, but she still shrinks away from the scary lady.]

B-but why? He didn't do anything!

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(( A Place I Belong )) CW: mentions of prostitution and corruption, decapitation, mass murder

tags in two days late with starbucks!

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(( Intoner )) CW: religion, death

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