You laugh until you cry; you cry until you laugh

[sailorgenerous]

Who: Virgo musicians - Ghost Quest people and their friends
What: When eight musicians go missing, what happens to those left behind? What happens when those eight come back far worse for the wear?
When: Feb 1st-3rd and after
Where: Virgo HQ
Warnings: Talk of torture, violence, brainwashing, etc. It's ugly in here, folks.

The past three days have not been kind. The hauntings were odd, yes, but when your friends went missing without warning or a trace - well.

How have you been coping? Have you been coping?

And then they came back just as suddenly, and...it looks like your worries were not unfounded.

This isn't good, is it.

Comments

[panspermia]

That had been his tactic, the first time this had happened. He'd put his all into the music, the knowledge that at least performing made him happy. And while he'd been trying not to think about it, his band vanished around him.

Greg watches Rarity for a moment, considering, before giving a weak smile. "Hey. Would you tell me something about yourself?"

[sailorgenerous]

That's a change in direction that Rarity did not expect, but if it helps Greg... "Of course. What would you like to know?"

[panspermia]

"Anything." He folds his arms on his knees, giving her a weak smile. "Your record on skipping rocks, the weirdest food combo you like, what you'd hoard if you were a dragon. Whatever you think is interesting."

[sailorgenerous]

Ah.

Well, this is a nice change, or at least the beginnings of one. "Let's see," she starts. "Two, escargot on cheese toast, though I do not recommend it cold, and-"

She admires the heart-shaped fire opal she's just been given. That was very generous of Spike, and she'd know a thing or two about that, wouldn't she. She kisses the little purple dragon on the cheek in gratitude-

-and snaps back to reality, slightly dazed. Honestly, why do these things seem to happen around Greg? "And to be quite honest, I think I'd rather hoard the dragon," she finishes after a few moments.

[panspermia]

His eyebrows go up. It could have been a pause for thinking, but the follow-up is weirdly specific. Sounds like it happened again.

"Gotta say, that's the first time I've ever heard an answer like that." There's an unspoken question in there, for her to answer or ignore as she wishes. "I was thinking vinyl records, myself."

[sailorgenerous]

"Yes, well, that may be the first time I've met a dragon," she replies faintly - except she is very familiar with little Spike, or at least it seems that way in that...memory?

"You know, this is the second one I've had around you," she says, wishing she felt steady enough to head to the couch. She could do without the unsteadiness that seemed to come with each memory. "I'm starting to think you cause them." She's only partly joking.

[panspermia]

"Woah." He can't stop the awed murmur. Even if he gets twitchy around the various strange and magical things that happen in person, there's always a fascination with whatever mystical business people seem to have lived through in... whatever these memories are. This is the first time dragons have gotten involved.

"Uhhh." His eyebrows raise at the joking accusation. "That's definitely one I'd never think up. Could explain why I keep getting so many, ha."

[sailorgenerous]

"Really." She knows he's been here for quite a while, but she hasn't really pried. Between the importance of secrecy that Greg had impressed upon her and basic manners, she'd left questions unasked.

Well, now is as good a time as any. "If you don't mind telling me, what have you remembered?"

[panspermia]

"Hmm..." He leans on his knees, looking off into the middle distance. They're alone, it ought to be safe to talk about here.

"All kinds of things. Mostly pretty good stuff, I think, but there's been some... weirdness. Some pretty wild magical junk. My family."

[sailorgenerous]

There are so many things she could ask about, so many open ends in that answer alone, but there's something about the last one that sticks. "What about your family?"

[panspermia]

She would zero in on that. It's the hardest one for him to figure out, so of course. "Seems like I'm some kind of family man in my memories. Weird to imagine, right?" Greg huffs a tiny laugh. "I had a kid, and... a wife...? It's... not all super clear. But it seems like we were... pretty happy."

[sailorgenerous]

It's more that it's easier for her to ask about family than it is about magic, as magic is still a completely foreign concept to her. "Honestly, I can see it," she replies gently. "You do care about everyone, after all." She pauses, trying to put the pieces together and not quite managing it. "But how do the memories fit in with all of this? Is your family here?" There certainly weren't any dragons here - but if that was the case, why would she remember meeting one, and know his name?

[panspermia]

It's not like Greg was looking at her anyway, so his avoiding eye contact isn't as easy to pick up on this time. "I don't know. The more I learn about me, or the me in my memories, the less it adds up." Whenever he thinks too hard about it, it feels like he's chasing his tail. "I think it's people we could have been, or might be, or something. And for whatever reason, that wigs the bigwigs bigtime."

[sailorgenerous]

"Greg, I seem to have met a dragon, " she reiterates with a wry smile. "Nothing is adding up."

She falls silent as he continues, thinking. She knows who she is, so why do these memories feel so familiar? Why is she only getting them now, when she hasn't had them before ever in her life? "I wonder why," she says quietly, almost thinking out loud. "A few days ago, you said there were odd things occurring. Do you think it's connected?"

[panspermia]

"It's gotta be, right?" His face screws up. "I just can't figure out how. Like, all sorts of weird stuff goes down around here, I guess there's gotta be something to it." The biggest part that's baffled him for the longest: Why them?

"Have you talked to anyone else about it?" He sure hopes he's not her primary source for weirdness updates, because boy, he is as lost as ever.