Palace Game 6/3

[fujimaru]

The Dreamer In The Grand Temple
Humanity Foundation Value: ????

What has been will be again,
what has been done will be done again;
there is nothing new under the sun.

Comments

THE GALLERY OF MEMORIES

[fujimaru]

You have entered on the left end of a wide-open white-walled gallery, full of framed paintings of various sizes and shapes. Your footsteps echo, as does the door as it closes behind you. There is a sense of buzzing tension here, like you're holding your breath.

Immediately in front of you, a young woman kneels before a painting labeled as The Flame-Contaminated City. She is weeping, her face buried in her hands. The closer you get to her, the more you can see that while she appears mostly solid, there's something a bit of: a slight transparency, like she isn't entirely there.

Further down the hallway, you can see two other figures standing at certain points. One of them might be familiar to you, depending on how well you know the members of Sphinx. They have the same sort of odd near-transparency to them.

The gallery looks as-depicted, except there is one additional painting at the far end: that of a a young girl, bright-eyed and hopeful, her hands clasped as if in prayer.

Re: THE GALLERY OF MEMORIES

[eudaimoniac]

[trying to catch the attention of the weeping woman]

Hello?

Re: THE GALLERY OF MEMORIES

[fujimaru]

She does not appear to hear him. If anything, she seems to be just at the edge of calming down from a fit, tearing at her hair, breathing in deep, horrified gulps. At least the worst of it seems to be over...

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[eudaimoniac]

[going to the painting at the far end, then, to inspect it. what happens if he touches it?]

Re: THE GALLERY OF MEMORIES

[fujimaru]

As he approaches it, if he looks at it, he can see that the girl does begin to move. It's sort of like the five-second preview that plays over video clips, her lips moving in a soundless prayer.

If he touches it, though, it fades into this image. The title of the painting, blank before, slowly fades in letters to reveal Family Portrait.

There is a sense of deep regret here--a wistfulness that this scene surely can't be real. This is not how the story ended. But even so, for just a moment, this is what you want to believe. You can imagine it.

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[eudaimoniac]

[:(

he lingers before the family portrait for a few long moments before trying to approach the figure from sphinx]

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[fujimaru]

Surprise! It's Da Vinci!

She smiles at him when he approaches, giving him a little wave. "So! You've made it here, huh? I guess I shouldn't be too surprised."

Re: THE GALLERY OF MEMORIES

[eudaimoniac]

There didn't seem to be any alternative. I suppose you're not actually yourself? Some sort of mental phantom?

Re: THE GALLERY OF MEMORIES

[fujimaru]

"You could call me a memory, if you like," she says brightly. "I'm not real in the way that the one you've spoken to is, but I'm real in that I'm part of what Ritsuka remembers. I can't move around as freely as I once did."

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[heartlands]

[well, he's immediately concerned by the crying woman, coming over to kneel carefully next to her.]

What's wrong? Did something happen?

Re: THE GALLERY OF MEMORIES

[fujimaru]

She's still crying hysterically, like she hasn't heard--it does seem like whatever fit she's having, she's at least on the tail end of it, slowly coming down.

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[heartlands]

[she's slightly transparent, but he's still going to carefully reach out to put a hand on her shoulder, lightly.]

Hey...

Re: THE GALLERY OF MEMORIES

[fujimaru]

The moment he touches her, there's a flash--

You can see the exact moment she understands what is happening, the way her confusion and anger give way to a genuine terrified panic. She claws at the arm of the smiling man who is slowly pushing her into what appears to be a fiery self-contained globe, screaming. No, no, I can't die like this! Not here! I can't--

You want to run for her, your feet scrabbling at the ground for a second, but your arm is held in an inexorable grip; you are locked in place by someone far stronger than you are.

But then she disappears, and the sound of her screaming cuts off abruptly.

The memory is over, and the woman jerks back, falling over even in her seated position, staring at him in horror.

"You-- who the hell do you think you are, just touching me like that?!"

Re: THE GALLERY OF MEMORIES

[heartlands]

Don't—

[fun! he gives a sharp noise of surprise as he comes out of that memory. he doesn't answer for a long moment, horrified, before he realizes he's been addressed.]

You - you were crying, I wanted to make sure you were alright.

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[fujimaru]

"All right?" Her voice is high, incredulous, her hands pressed to her face. "All right?! How am I supposed to be--how dare you see what happened! How dare you! What are you even doing here?!"

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[heartlands]

No - no, you're right, that was a stupid question. It's just - is there anything I can do to help? That's what I'm here to do. To help.

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[fujimaru]

"Help? Help?!" She scoffs at this, but draws herself up, pale and shaking. "There's nothing to be done here! If you wanted to help, why couldn't you have helped me? What do I care about anyone else?!"

Re: THE GALLERY OF MEMORIES

[moonlit_knight]

[oh it's people. they'll get a closer look at the paintings and the other figures in a bit, giving the room a quick glance over, before heading to the crying girl]

Hey, are you okay?

Re: THE GALLERY OF MEMORIES

[fujimaru]

She does not appear to have heard. She's crying hard, though one might have the impression she is at least coming down from the worst of her hysteria. As of yet, she's still too worked up to hear.

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[moonlit_knight]

[...Digs into their pockets to offer the possibly ghost woman a tissue?]

Can you hear me?

Re: THE GALLERY OF MEMORIES

[fujimaru]

She finally looks up, confused for a moment, then snatches at the handkerchief, burying her face in it. Despite the gallantry of the action, this woman is far more focused on her upset than anything else.

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[moonlit_knight]

[considering how distraught she is that seems fair]

Is there anything I can do for you?

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[fujimaru]

"No!" She spits it like a curse, still into the handkerchief. "If you'd wanted to save me--where were you years ago?! When I was, when I was...!"

There's a couple of seconds, and then she breaks down again.

Re: THE GALLERY OF MEMORIES

[moonlit_knight]

[is this a ghost i have to help move on is that what's happening here]

Ah... I'm sorry. I'm sorry I couldn't help you, and I can't change the horrors you experienced, but whatever happened is over now. It doesn't have to still shackle you.

Re: THE GALLERY OF MEMORIES

[fujimaru]

"I can't!" she wails. "I'm stuck here! This is the gallery of dead things! I'm stuck here with him and her--" she points down the hall at the other two, who are watching, but have not (yet) left their posts. One of these is definitely Da Vinci on Sphinx, for some reason. "--and I can't go anywhere! Every time I leave, I just wind up back here!"