005. Text // my world is unaffected

[manufactured]

It's been some time since Retrospec has properly dropped some sort of identity crisis on us, though I suppose it's good to know that we're getting a bit more information out of them now than we were in the past; I'm in no way looking down on small favors and silver linings. Just the same, I wonder for the time being where that leaves us - I know I've asked a few of you about this in the past, and I'm sure that a fair amount of you have made your decisions regarding it since.

I suppose what I want to hear is your thoughts on these people you're receiving memories of, whether you consider them "you" or otherwise - do you still think of them as a separate person from yourself or do you consider them to be the same as "you", and why you've come to feel that way. I'm not going to argue for feeling one way or another on the matter, I'm just wondering how you've come to see these people that technically don't exist anymore.

Of course, if you reject this entire matter completely and just consider this to be an example of some corporate entity you hate ruining your life for no apparent reason, that's likewise fair.

I've formed my own views on this fairly recently; I tend to find it calming, having some sort of conclusion that I can accept as reasonably true for the time being. It's not always convenient, but it's calming.

Comments

[livingimpaired]

Hm?
Why am I being thanked?

[manufactured]

[mnnnnnngh...]

It's appreciated.

[manufactured]

For making me aware of it.

It's good to have reminders like that, sometimes.

[livingimpaired]

You've had to deal with my emotional constipation and so it seems we are 1/3rd even.

[manufactured]

I like to believe that this life has given me the opportunity to not make the same choices that were made back then. A fair amount of my life came down to circumstances beyond my control, but my decisions and my actions were ultimately my own. In the end, several of those actions ended up being unforgivable.

While I may not be able to properly atone for what was done then, I want to ensure that those choices won't be made again, especially now that circumstances are different for me here. To prove that it was a choice in the first place, in a way, and not just an inherent trait of who I am as a person.

[manufactured]

[...kei, oh my god.]

I suppose that's fair.

[livingimpaired]

[ He is a menace in his own way. ]

But it's good I can support you, finally.
Or rather let you know the support you are getting is being received well by yourself.

[feistytrader]

Those memories are mine. I don't know exactly when I went from contending with that to being comfortable with it, but understanding my past motivations was definitely a deciding factor. I've always wanted to surpass the guy in my memories. Now it's a different framing, and with a better understanding that I was a stupid, frustrated kid and not just some intense and fearless cool guy.

But regardless of my opinion on the matter, I want that world in my memories to exist again. I don't want all the people in it to disappear forever, even if they wouldn't be the same and probably wouldn't like me.

[manufactured]

Something similar to what you're describing is a large portion of the reason I can't hate my past life fully; knowing the circumstances I was dealing with back then doesn't make any of what happened easier to handle, but it does make it understandable. Which has led into understanding my past motivations as well, which - until fairly recently - were incomprehensible to me.

I'm not surprised that that's your stance, however, concerning the world in your memories.

[feistytrader]

Maybe it's easier for me to say this because I've had less of a rough time than others, but I wish I could just remember everything. There's so much that I still don't understand, and I'd rather know the outcomes than being left to speculate and piece things together.

[...Not that he doesn't do plenty of that, of course, but-]

I wonder how many others would take a stance like that. I wouldn't blame anyone for wanting their old memories to stay in the past where they belong.

[He says, while talking to mister Zombie McVillain-]

[manufactured]

I can't say for certain. I do know that I want my own world to be restored as well, however.

[...So yeah.]

I can't agree with wanting to know everything at once, however. It's been difficult enough getting it in increments, in my case.

[feistytrader]

If not all at once, then at least more in order or with more context. I finally learned more about the first person I ever remembered this month, which left me with way more questions than answers.

[At least he can call him something other than spiky cape man.]

I didn't think you'd want your world back, but the more I think about it, the more that makes sense.

[manufactured]

My hope for it is that it can be brought back to a better state - the way it was before I interfered with it. It still wouldn't be perfect, but it would better, at least.

[parodeity]

the dude is me just a little chronologically earlier
as the dude in charge of bullshit time travel my opinions of my own chronology are probably a little unique though

[manufactured]

Understandably so.

I haven't worked out my own timeline of events outside of vague indications I've gotten of what goes where; it's something of a headache without the possible complications of time travel involved.

[parodeity]

one of my "powers" although i dont know if youd consider it that typically
is a really exact sense of time
which helps with chronology to some degree
assuming it was active in whatever memory i had
or well
i guess its even less that
and just i remember enough to piece the bizarre story together

either way this seems like a fairly expected continuation of that bc it makes little to no sense
and also people got reset a few times back then so like
this may as well fucking happen

[manufactured]

...Honestly, "this may as well happen" has been something of a recurring theme lately, Retrospec or otherwise.

[parodeity]

i think its like the main theme of life in general
it just takes some people a little longer than others to hit that point of truth

[manufactured]

Not for some, in my experience.

[parodeity]

what do you mean

[vitis]

i don't view him as "me," not really
he's more just an example of how i could've been if my circumstances were different

[onemillion]

The memories all feel too real to be dismissed so easily, but I'm not sure I'd call the person in them "me". I know they're supposedly our past lives, but it's hard to reconcile that sometimes, especially considering how different the world the other me came from seems to be.

But in all fairness, I haven't remembered all that much yet, so my opinion's bound to change at some point.

[destiny_key]

idk about other people but
i guess i dont really see a difference between him and me at all

that other me is just a past life
or at least thats how i think about it
its still me
just a different me

[thesettingsun]

You're welcome. Say hi to him for me the next time you see him.

[sivard]

You'd think it'd be strange, but I know for a fact there's at least three people like me.

Apparently we're invisible to most people. I'm still not sure how I feel about that.