Event Eleven.

[awashmods]

"Four ducks on a pond, A grass-bank beyond, A blue sky of spring, White clouds on the wing; What a little thing To remember for years -- To remember with tears!"

he day is normal. It's a bit chillier than it's been, the nip of fall in the air, but as the new people in the Town settle in... things have gotten peaceful. And yet. When everyone goes out to greet their neighbors, to hug their friends, to shake hands or make eye contact or who knows what -- they'll realize very, very quickly that nothing about today is normal at all, actually. Hopefully nobody minds a little extra sharing today. Welcome to Awash's eleventh event log, everyone! Further information on this event can be found here at the OOC post. You are welcome to start your own posts or logs for this event as well. If there are any questions, please ask them here. Thank you!

Comments

[allweather]

[Well, that's obliquely the point of Reim's experiment here, as much as it's working maybe half the time. He nods.]

Yes, that's what I've experienced, myself... I had thought perhaps there was a way to influence which memories were shared, but I'm shelving that idea for now.

[thinshadowed]

[ Reim seems very smart! Ari is glad to help him with his experiment, if it puts some order to all this crazy mess. ]

> "It seems to happen mostly when other people look at me. Or grab me. But mine don't work like that."

[ As far as he can tell, anyway. He's been across the street from another person, not even looking their way, and suddenly shared one of his memories. It's very puzzling. ]

[allweather]

[He's diligently keeping track of all this, if only so there's some kind of record even if it never happens again! The life of a nerd.]

What causes yours to happen, then? Have you figured it out?

[thinshadowed]

[ Ari shakes his head. Even if he tries to add up all his past encounters, it's hard for him to see any connection between them.

Indeed, there is one, but it's something most people usually don't pay much attention to. ]

> "I know there's probably something, but I don't know what it is..."

[allweather]

[Ah.

Now it's a challenge. They don't need to talk about Reim's memory at all anymore, he's already figured out he just has to touch somebody to make it happen. So.

So!!!!]

Let's figure it out! Here, try and do— something.

[thinshadowed]

[ Now it's time... for science.

The boy is caught off-guard by Reim's sudden excitement, but he's more than willing to go along with anything the older man suggests. ]

> "Um, all right..."

[ Do... something. That's a very vague command, but he'll do his best to abide by Reim's wishes!

Ari has no idea what would qualify as a good something to do, so he just ends up leaning down and touching his toes through his shoes. He's a little awkward about it, but he's limber enough to accomplish his goal.

Is this... something? Predictably, nothing happens. ]

[allweather]

[Well— well, that is something, Reim has to give him that. He waits, briefly wonders just how often Ari must be touching his toes if that's truly the answer, annnd... it's not, anyway.

One thing down.]

Ah-- perhaps something that you'd do ordinarily...? Without thinking about it.

[thinshadowed]

[ Oh. That would make more sense, yes.

Ari stands back up and nods, slowly. What does he do ordinarily? Like saying a word over and over until it sounds strange, the more he tries to dissect his own behavior in his head, the more he fails to come up with anything particularly notable. Does he do... anything? Normally??

As he frets about his own boring existence, his hand raises to his mouth. It's a nervous tic, hovering whenever he gets particularly uncertain or anxious. ]

> "Um..."

[ Nothing happens. ]

[allweather]

[Perhaps this is... harder than it looks. Reim isn't sure he'd be able to pick out all the little things he does without thinking during the day.

Hmm.]

Alright. Er. One more try, and then I suppose we'll just have to spend some time together without trying to make something happen.

[Friendship for science!!]

[thinshadowed]

[ They've already made eye contact several times without effect. Shaking hands led to one of Reim's memories, not Ari's. What else is there? ]

> "I've been introducing myself a lot lately..."

[ But could that seriously be the trigger? He may as well give it a shot, so he decides to introduce himself all over again. ]

> "Um, I'm Ari. I live near Tenel Village with my parents and younger sister."

[ And... nothing.

Friendship for science it is! ]

[allweather]

[Nothing... amazing. Reim gives it a few seconds, then shrugs. They'll just have to hang out!!]

I didn't know you had a sister. You have only one sibling...? I have three brothers.

[thinshadowed]

[ Who could have guessed he would end up trying to trigger one of these memory swaps today? But it's important! For science!!

Ari nods. ]

> "Her name is Annie. She has a bright pink shadow."

[ Due to... reasons. ]

> "Are you the oldest too?"

[allweather]

[She has a WHAT-- Reim's relationships with his brothers are all storied and they are going to have to wait, because what.]

No, I'm the second son-- I'm sorry, a pink shadow?

[thinshadowed]

[ Oh yeah, most people aren't completely desensitized to that the way he is. ]

> "Her shadow is bright pink. Think of, um..."

[ How did Rosalyn describe it again? She went on a big rant about it once, because she has a pink shadow too. Also due to reasons. The same ones, in fact. ]

> "Not a tasteful pink. Fluorescent pink."

[allweather]

Yes, I know what pink is, that isn't the problem... Why pink, of all colors?

[Leaving aside that there shouldn't be colors, it's a shadow, it doesn't even-- look, why is it pink!!]

[thinshadowed]

[ Why pink? Why pink indeed... Ari has no idea.

He tries to remember Stan's response to Rosalyn, after she ranted that he'd ruined her life with this stupid pink shadow nonsense. ]

> "He said... my master, I mean, said it was his sign of influence on someone's being."

[ And absolutely not something he did completely by accident. Nope. Not at all. ]

[allweather]

I see... [No, he doesn't, not really. It sounds like Magic, and he doesn't get any of that nonsense.]

It isn't a problem, is it? For her, I mean.

[thinshadowed]

[ For her? No. For Rosalyn, yes. ]

> "She likes it. Somehow, it made her more popular."

[ Ari literally does not understand how, but then, he is not popular. He's pretty unpopular, in fact. Unpopular enough that getting possessed by the spirit of an Evil King actually raised his social stature, somehow.

Maybe the people of Tenel just have weird standards. ]

> "My friend Rosalyn said her pink shadow ruined her life. She carries a parasol around, so no one will see it."

[ It's a pink parasol, too, but a tasteful pink this time. ]

[allweather]

[Is this something the youths do? Talk about their shadows all the time?]

Well, I... suppose everyone has preferences when it comes to appearances.

[A pink shadow, though!! He's completely out of his depth. Don't mind if he just kind of tilts his head to look down at Ari's shadow, like perhaps it's been technicolor all this time and he just didn't notice-?!]

[thinshadowed]

[ Reim is technically, unintentionally, so very close to discovering Ari's memory trigger. If only he knew.

Ari notices when Reim's attention shifts to his shadow, and he awkwardly shrugs to the question Reim is surely silently asking. ]

> "My shadow isn't like that. I guess because Stan used to live in it...?"

[ Yes, Reim heard correctly. In it. ]

[allweather]

[He needs about 80 cups of tea and a long think about life to process this, but he'll start with:]

Such an ordinary name for a creature living inside someone else's shadow.

[Stan. He's never met a Stan in his life. Ari said "used to," but Reim is still glancing at it like maybe it's going to talk to him. Hmm...]

[thinshadowed]

> "His full name is a lot longer."

[ Ari offers, helpfully. Normally he would never remember the whole thing, but thanks to the whole memory sharing thing this week he's had ample opportunity to re-learn the full title. ]

> "It's... um, Stanley Hihat Trinidad XIV. But most people call him Evil King Stan."

[ That's reasonable, right? ]

[allweather]

[what kind of a name]

And he took up residence in your... shadow. I see. I suppose that's not the most outrageous thing I've ever heard of.

[But it is close!]

[thinshadowed]

[ Only the most Evil of names, clearly. ]

> "Yes."

[ The boy nods, then his expression turns uncomfortable at the reminder. ]

> "I guess... my shadow is good? For that sort of thing?"

[ There's nothing living in his shadow right now, at least. But it's still something he should keep in mind, with weird stuff happening around town. ]

[allweather]

[None of this makes sense.....]

Is it...? I wonder how that's determined. My shadow has only ever been... there.