Memory Corrupt General Log

[ourlittlehelpers]

Who: Everyone
What: Memory Corrupt Event
When: Friday, June 1st to Tuesday, June 5th
Warnings: Please put any and all warnings in subject headers.

[It's strange. You can't quite put your finger on it, but there's something different about today. Not only might you feel different but your families, your friends, practically everything is different.

Can you remember a moment more peculiar than this? Actually...

What do you remember?]

Comments

[truffulacide]

[aaaaand the irritation comes back in full force. his voice grows very, very soft.]

What are you trying to say, Audrey?

[treefetish]

I'm just saying that maybe they're not as happy as you think they are.

[truffulacide]

[he laughs derisively.]

What would YOU know about happiness? You just said so yourself; I bet you've never been happy a day in your life, have you? Coming from you, this is rich.

Let's hope everyone else isn't as big of a sadsack as you are. Otherwise, what's the point of even saving Thneedville?

[treefetish]

Saving it? All you're going to do is the same old thing under new management!

[she's getting to her feet now, clearly angry. meet the new boss, same as the old boss.]

[truffulacide]

What, the same old thing I've already been doing? The same old thing that's been working out just fine for years?

[he's balling his fists up now, looking down at Audrey with the most bitter, frustrated expression. sure, you wouldn't be wrong in thinking that it's intimidating but there's an unmistakable air of petulance about it, too. he looks like a child on the verge of a meltdown.]

[treefetish]

It's not working out! It's wrong!

[emphasizing her words with a hard stomp of her foot, audrey is acting like a child as well, but that's understandable considering she actually is one. his tone frightens her (has he always been so tall?) but she isn't backing down. she's been up against worse and lived. for now.]

[truffulacide]

Shut up! You're just a kid! You don't know anything!

[or maybe she does. maybe the problem here is that she knows more than she should. either way, she's hitting his base insecurity - inadequacy - and she's hitting it hard.]

All you know how to do is - is whine and mope! Did you ever think to ask about how I feel, or what I gave up to make everyone happy? You didn't, did you?

[this is your fault, Audrey. you're the bully here, not him.]

You're only upset because there isn't any trees, aren't you?!

[treefetish]

[sure, she's upset about the trees. she's always wondered what it would be like if they were still there, how much harder they could fight if they had clean air to breathe and didn't have to worry about getting sick. but everything, her grief over ted's death, her furious hatred of O'Hare, her frustration with what Bob has revealed himself to be, finally comes out in one near-scream of a sentence.]

I'm upset because you're a monster!

[truffulacide]

[wrong answer.

his fists, by this point moving of their own accord, clench and unclench tightly. he takes a step forward, eyes narrowed furiously. from any outsider's perspective, they would be forgiven for thinking that it looks like he's about to strike her.]

You don't know what a real monster is.

[real monsters act purely for themselves. they're selfish and their selfishness has no limits. like he said before to her, she has no idea how much he sacrificed...at least, from his own perspective. he's the good guy here. everything he's done from day one has been for someone else's benefit, not his own. and hasn't it all worked out for the best? aren't the people that really matter most happy?

Mom could attest to that. that's all the confirmation he needs by this point.]

[treefetish]

Don't talk to me like I'm a child! I know more than you think!

[And she does know more, more than anyone else in Thneedville, about the past and the present and how you can't change the former but the latter is up for discussion, about hope and better worlds. And monsters. She knows about monsters.]

You've been lying to me. Only monsters lie.

[truffulacide]

Correction - you know nothing. N-O-T-H-I-N-G. [he punctuates each letter with a tap on the head.]

Take this for example. I'm a liar? Nope. Ever hear of the old saying, "the means justify the ends"? How many times have you lied to protect your friends? How many times have you lied to get what you wanted, thinking that it was totally selfless and noble because it was all going towards a "happy" - [fingerquotes.] - ending?

Calling me a monster is like calling a teddy bear a maneating vampire. It's ridiculous! And do you know why?

[treefetish]

[Of course she's lied-- but there's a difference between lying to save someone's life and lying just to hurt someone. She's never done that last one. Never.]

Why?

[truffulacide]

Because it could always be worse.

See, a real monster would've booted you out ages ago. So what if you don't have anywhere else to go? Doesn't matter. Real monsters are selfish; one wouldn't even consider putting food on your plate. More for them to eat, y'see.

[he crosses his arms and turns away from her.]

I'm not a liar, but a real monster would have no problem making up some good ones when they go to the big, bad police to complain about how awful and uncooperative their daughter's acting, and don't they have ways to handle that? Isn't there any way she could be more like Mrs. So-and-so's kids from next door?

[he smiles lightly, tilting his head at some drone children playing jump rope across the street.]

I bet she doesn't have to worry about them.

[treefetish]

[Something in her turns cold. Did he just... threaten her? She reaches for his sleeve and grabs hold of it tightly. Her voice wavers as she speaks.]

You're not going to do that.

[truffulacide]

[he blinks owlishly.] But...didn't you just say that I was a monster? I don't understand.

[he looks - and amazingly sounds - concerned. confused. even hurt. the worst part is, it's convincing enough to look genuine.]

Shouldn't I start acting like one?

[treefetish]

You're not going to turn me in. [There's something in her eyes, a flash of the fight or flight response she's honed over her fifteen years. The grip gets tighter.]

[truffulacide]

[when did his hand find her shoulder? oh well, it isn't important. just ignore it.]

Who said I was going to? I swear... [just ignore it. ignore the way his fingers are digging, hard enough to be felt through the fabric of your shirt.] It's like you lost all your confidence in me overnight. I thought we were friends.

[treefetish]

Friends don't lie to each other! [She tries to back way, tries to break free, but he's too strong for her.] Who are you?

[truffulacide]

[he laughs warmly.] What kind of stupid question is that? You call yourself a Thneedvilly - Thnee -

[he frowns. did he just make up an unpronounceable word?]

- Thneedvillian, but you can't even recognize your own mayor? Pfft.

[siiiiigh. finally, he takes his hand off her and takes a step back, gesturing to himself.]

The Once-ler? Does that ring any bells?

[it's a wonder that she never recognized him before. what's up with that? whatever reasons he may have had for giving that transparently fake name are long gone; so unimportant he can barely remember.]

[treefetish]

[She remembers the history everyone else tries to forget. She's read all the old books, collected all the fables and old wives' tales, the myths and legends of their world. Of course it rings bells. It rings alarms.

This is the one that started it all.

Which is why she's going to step forward and give him a hard push.]

[truffulacide]

[oh. that's not how you were supposed to react. lot less awed gasping than he would've expected, that's for sure.

of course he stumbles and of course his eyes widen, shocked and, yes, even hurt. it's the kind of expression that just begs what's wrong, Audrey? we were having a nice chat. I was letting you off the hook, wasn't I?

but that's gone in an instant the moment he falls flat on his butt, and then he's aware of the pain. then he's aware of the grass stains that he's 99% sure are smearing his pants now. he just ironed those this morning, darn it.

that's why he has no qualms with springing right back up and stepping forward to push her back.]

[treefetish]

[Audrey falls back as well, though she manages to catch herself on her hands before she hits the ground. She stays there and glares up at him.]

Why didn't you tell me? Why did you lie?

[truffulacide]

[he stares down at her, gaze cold, devoid of anything remotely close to sympathy or understanding. his voice is equally empty and uncomprehending.]

I didn't lie about anything.

[treefetish]

You lied about who you were, Mister Bob.

[truffulacide]

I don't know what you're talking about. [he crosses his arms again. it's true, too. he doesn't know what she's talking about. after all, what reason would he have to hide from her? if he had it his way, everyone would know his name. and they will.] But you better stop calling me that. It sounds stupid. You should know not to waste my time with stupid things by now.

[if you know what's good for you. that goes unspoken.]