LOADING...

[recollecters]

[ At 9PM on the 1st, all phones or Retrospec-enabled devices will show flickering screens, until a static-filled image appears. It seems to be a security camera shot, in black and white from a high angle, of a simple computer room. Inside is Joanne Wiseman who many of the users may recognize - she looks young, blonde curls loose around her shoulders, and she also looks tired still. A young man who looks only slightly older than her comes in. He's dark-haired with a sweater and glasses, but a white labcoat that matches hers as well. Maurice comes over to stand nearby, watching the screen Joanne is looking at. Neither of them seem to realize they're being recorded. Joanne looks up, and speaks first. ] Did R and D know anything? [ Maurice shakes his head, says: ] No. They can't track them down either - it's almost as if... [ Joanne: ] They have to be somewhere. [ Maurice: ] Jim's trying to figure it out. You know we don't have anyone better at...ah, "creative" solutions? [ Joanne: ] No, I know, just...what if their souls are just, just - [ Maurice: ] I don't think they're gone. I mean - well, they're gone, but I don't think they're gone? You remember August, the one before last. They're, uh, pretty tough? [ Joanne: ] We're usually able to at least try to help them when we can, though! [ Maurice: ] Jo - look, we're doing everything we can. We'll find them. [ Joanne: ] Before they do? [ Maurice: ] Right. I mean...we have to, don't we? [ They both look worried. Before they do was said with a certain inflection - and hey, Retrospec. It looks like the employees have lost track of you for the month. How do you feel about that one? ] As of this post, character usernames are back to being their own names - or rather, characters will be prompted to put in their name as a boot screen loads. Now's your chance to change your preferred name, Retrospecters - but it appears whatever you put in will be locked in as your choice. Hope you didn't put in something ridiculous! Please feel free to use this post as a network mingle. Every toplevel can be considered a new post, and threadjacking is permitted. No NPC response will be given. As a friendly reminder, you may also claim one of this month's freebie by submitting a thread from this mod post. This thread must be 10 comments from you and submitted before AC closes.

Comments

[fabrefactions]

[ Oh Hiro. ]

It's a little harbour town about three hours South of here? I've been there a few times since we were first sent out of the city, but... yes, never in moments of peace.

I'd quite like to if I can though. It's very charming, and I'd enjoy painting the scenery without having to hunt down an item, or placate mythical creatures.

...

I didn't mind that second one though.

[zerotohiro]

I have a lot of questions about everything you just said, but I am going to limit myself to two.
1.) What mythical creatures??
2.) Have you tried painting it at all yet?

[fabrefactions]

Hippocampi. I think they count as mythological - I certainly didn't realise they existed until I met them.

And no, not yet. It's on my to do list, if things remain a little more on the quiet side.

[zerotohiro]

Hippocampi like. The seahorse things? Please tell me you got pictures or something even if you haven't had a chance to paint the area yet.

[fabrefactions]

Yes, like sea ponies.

And... unfortunately not, I only seem to have met them in rather dire or intense situations.

[zerotohiro]

That sucks then.
Too bad you can't just head out on vacation and try to bribe them into showing up again.

[fabrefactions]

I could do! But it feels like whenever the chance comes up, it's gone or something else comes up.

I should put a reminder on my phone. But regardless of whether I go or not, you should try and make it there someday soon. There are some beautiful places around the city.

...

But I do not recommend Magatus.

[ Can text look super flat and unimpressed? ]

[zerotohiro]

I'll have to check it out. I might have to bargain with some people to go that far, but it sounds like it'd be worth it.
...should...I even ask what or where Magatus is?

[fabrefactions]

Head north about seven hours and you'll find it. It's cold, and I had a less than pleasant experience there in February. And indirectly in April.

Again, I don't recommend it.

[zerotohiro]

You get sent to a lot of places involuntarily don't you.
But if it's really that cold, I think I'll pass.
...what happened in April? And February, I guess. If you don't mind sharing.

[fabrefactions]

I was assigned a mission back in February. It was very cold, and intense... I would rather not go back there, as one of the people I worked was very badly injured during one of the missions.

And in April my boyfriend went back and apparently whatever strange thing was occurring then involves the trees being able to speak to people and pick at all their worries and insecurities.

... I'm not especially impressed with the location in the way I am by other locations.

[zerotohiro]

It sounds like Antartica maybe. I hope your teammate turned out okay. Do people still get assigned missions for stuff like that?
The whole place kind of sounds cursed.

[fabrefactions]

He recovered, yes.

No, not recently. Our... well, the person who gave out the missions to other locations is no longer here. So if you find yourself in Magatus it will be of your own doing, rather than by way of mission.

[zerotohiro]

Good.

...you mean that guy who died? Or was it someone else?
I'm not sure I'll find myself out there anytime soon. Mostly because I think Rei would kill me if I went somewhere 7 hours away without telling her.
But it's good information to have, so I appreciate it.

[fabrefactions]

Yes, the guy who died.

[ The sentiment. The respect. ]

The journey is very long and can be quite dull. We travelled in a group so it was a little more enjoyable overall, but... no, I wouldn't recommend it at all.

[zerotohiro]

It kind of sounds like he might have had some mixed up priorities anyway if he was sending you guys to those places.
I'll keep all of that in mind though. This is way more helpful than some of the other information I've been hearing.

[fabrefactions]

... What other information have you been hearing, if my ramblings have been the most useful?

[zerotohiro]

You're the only one who's really given me facts so far. Mostly it's been "you MAY get powers" or "you MAY get items" or "you MAY find monsters if you look" or "you MAY remember really terrible stuff."
...I like facts.

[fabrefactions]

To be fair to them, it depends on the person. The other you might have had a simple life, or have lived in a world of magic and fantasy. Until you start remembering it, it's difficult to say for sure.

You will get memories and items from your other life though. What they'll be is the tricky part.

[zerotohiro]

I remember a few things already, but I can't tell what kind of world I'm from. Does it ever get easier to figure out?

[fabrefactions]

It does seem to be random what triggers a memory. But I suppose... if you have more memories you may have more of an idea what your other memories might be like, and you could engineer situations likely to trigger more?

As an example, if you had a lot of memories set around the ocean, you might make more trips to the beach to see if it kickstarted a memory, no?

[zerotohiro]

I guess that makes sense, yeah.
But I don't know a lot of ways I can trigger memories about glob people besides what just happened.
You're right though. If it's a trial and error kind of thing people could make this work.
None of the memories I have so far are really that connected anyway.

[fabrefactions]

There is no connecting theme between them? People who show up in your memories who also show up here, or similar locations, themes, and the like.

As an example, two of my housemates are also from my world. A lot of our memory triggers have come from us sharing memories or accidentally sparking one by general discussion.

[zerotohiro]

No. None of my memories have other people in them. Just a cat. And wherever I am looks kind of like a city, but not a city here.
But that's pretty lucky that you have people from the same world. If you count that kind of thing as a good thing.

[fabrefactions]

A cat? Some of my memories have a cat as well... I wonder if cats are just a common thing among us all.

I would, personally. I am honoured to know them here as well, but I found a number of them before I knew their connection to my memories. So, I do tend to separate them.