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

[condescent]

...ah. That explains why you don't remember me and all that lovely quality time we spent together, then.

And hang on, this is all about another Player? Wow, that's so boring that I'm actually disappointed. Somebody Erased your friend - in a Game that only one person can win, no less - so now you're throwing a tantrum and killing innocent people? Well done, that'll really show them.

[His expression doesn't change at the knife - in fact, his smirk gets even sharper.]

On the contrary, I believe fully in happy endings. Just not that everyone gets one.

[psychedout]

[While Neku's expression changes, for half a second, and he pulls the knife back a bit.]

...I already told you. They took my memory. Price of entry and all that. I don't remember you, kid. All I remember is that there was exactly one shot at getting my life back. That chance died with her. We were both supposed to go back. What do you do when you run out of hope? You die or you get even.

[condescent]

Kid? [WOW OKAY RUDE not only are they the same age, but he's pretty sure he is a million times more mature than spiky emo head the delinquent Reaper!!

...that is, yes, he is super graceful and dignified and not even going to stoop to Neku's level there.]

And exactly what part of following the orders of the higher-ups like a good little dog and killing Players yourself just like what they did to your friend is supposed to be getting even? You talk an awful lot, but as far as I see, you're still nothing more than an angry little boy trying to justify his own homocidal tendencies. If you really cared about this friend of yours, you'd be gunning for the Composer, not picking off Players.

[psychedout]

[And back goes that knife, as fast as it went away.]

You think I wasn't? I was picking off Reapers. You don't get close to the kingpin without taking out his little groupies.

You're not so innocent as you look, either. If I was your friend, why are you holding a gun to my head?

[condescent]

Then it seems we may have similar goals in mind.

[He flutters his lashes.] My, you think I'm pretty and innocent? Careful, I may start to get the wrong idea here.

[And then he proceeds to give the knife at his throat the driest of looks.] You know, I just can't imagine why I'd do such a thing. I guess I must be just as crazy as you are.

[psychedout]

What the hell do you mean, 'similar goals'? You don't know anything about mine.

[Please. Neku just rolls his eyes.]

I'm sick of hearing your crap. And that's all it is. Twisted words, pretty little lies.

[That knife starts to press inward - not enough to hit anything fatal, but there's a strong chance it'll at least draw blood.]

[graffitis]

[ This, of course, is the precise moment Hanekoma chooses to step in.

He hadn't been following Joshua, specifically, but he might've been keeping tabs in a general sense -- trying not to let either kid stray too far from his notice for too long, because he liked to have a vague idea of what they were getting into, if only for this first day. He has to make up for missing senses; it feels unnatural to be left in the dark.

So he's nearby, and soon nearby enough that he can hear raised voices. The moment he sees drawn weapons, he's over there in an instant -- coming up the street from out of nowhere, moving faster than the mellow-barista act would suggest. ]

Hey! Let's cool it down, kids.

[condescent]

Wow, you are really pushing this whole me and pretty thing, aren't you?

[And Hanekoma's sudden arrival nets him nothing more than an amused glance; Joshua doesn't even act like he notices the blood slowly trickling down his throat.]

And here comes the cavalry. I'm afraid you're too late, though. He's already made the first move and broken the first rule of being a Reaper by attacking someone in the RG - the only fitting punishment to a crime on that level is Erasure.

[And with that, he finally pulls the trigger...

...and winks when it clicks onto an empty chamber.]

Just kidding.

[psychedout]

I'm not pushing jack, you just happen to be taking it that way.

[He's about to say something else, when Hanekoma breaks it up. It's good timing on his part; Neku might very well have taken it further, otherwise.

Still, he steps back, just a little.]

...what the hell was that all about?

[graffitis]

Then I'll deal with him--

[ He twitches at the click, faltering for just a moment, clearly not certain what he'd expected. But this Joshua is still a Joshua, evidently, and that's nearly reassuring; he strides the rest of the way over, willing to physically pry the two apart if they don't back down further.

He doesn't like getting hands-on, but the situation is heading from unprecedented and worrying to impending disaster. ]

We gonna play nice, now?

[condescent]

[And Joshua simply laughs, bright and unguarded, just a fifteen year old boy pulling off what he thinks was a hilarious prank.]

Oh come on, it was funny. As if I'd actually shoot a friend of mine, even if he's making an ass out of himself right now. Besides, killing you here wouldn't exactly accomplish anything when you'd just come back in a day or so.

[He twirls the gun idly in his hand, no longer pointing it at Neku.] You both need to lighten up a little. Life's fun - not that the Game doesn't have its own appeal, but why be so eager to recreate it when none of us are dead here to begin with?