It's surprising how much of memory is built around things unnoticed at the time.

[glass_beddau]

[Fifteen minutes past amnesia, January 13 (day 227)]
[Miskatonic Café]I'm on the road. On a street, rather, neat cobbles and scabs of snow and buildings (in fine enough repair, low-built, a storey or two; lived in, like enough) under the grey air. Sun's overhead through dim clouds and I'm guessing it to be midday

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[sapphira_ststep]

"Perhaps if you were to walk back to your house..." Silence says, then looks out at the street. "Perhaps if we try to find your house together, walking through this town will jog your memory?" she offers.

"Could do," I say, glancing towards the street. "I'm pretty sure I live alone..." I glance down at my feet, and the stains of slush and mud on my boots, layered and drying. "It might be a bit of a walk, but I suppose we could run into something interesting along the way."

"As far as I know, I've just arrived," she says. "Nothing here is familiar as a whole, but- " She gathers herself and takes a breath, and out come lines that could have been written. "I think, maybe, I'm here for a reason. To help you, & this town." And a counterpoint, a touch of humanity to it, "At least, that's what I feel."

"A calling," I say thoughtfully, and I look at her again. I don't think she's wearing a mask, and I usually have a decent sense for such things. Of course, that doesn't mean she isn't someone worth listening to. I've found that most interesting people are people, at heart. "You're rather brave, to say such a thing," is what I settle on. "Do you know if you've done this kind of thing before?"

[silence_excolo]

"I'm pretty sure I live alone..." she says, taking a moment to check herself over. "It might be a bit of a walk, but I suppose we could run into something interesting along the way." I nod my head in agreement. "I know you don't know me from Adam, but- well, safety in numbers & all that." She seems together enough that maybe she could take care of herself in a fight, but there's too much going on, too much vulnerability in everyone right now. No one should be dealing with this crap alone.

Her eyes seem to focus hard on me, & while I do not feel anything magical it doesn't mean she isn't seeing something. I just wonder what it could be. Besides, my senses have been wrong before. "You're rather brave, to say such a thing," & I pause in lifting my water to my mouth. "Do you know if you've done this kind of thing before?"

"Brave?" I say tentatively as the waitress plops a plate down in front of me. "I wouldn't exactly- I mean, it just has to be done, right?" I sure as heck wouldn't consider myself brave, the way I've acted in the past. I have a quick memory of an old friend's face, smiling as I leave her behind to her fate, unaware, & I know I'm not brave. I look away as I shovel a few fries drowned in gravy in my mouth & damn but they're good. "And as for doing this kind of thing before... well, kinda." I think of some of the past trials my cabal has had to face. "But I've always had help in the past," I say as I chew & realize the second part of my test. How did I not notice it before? I swallow the fries down hard. "This time I'm alone." I think that scares me a little.

I go to grab some more fries when I notice I'm eating with my gloves on. Nice manners, jeez. I wipe my fingers on the napkin before undoing the wrist strap on my left & stop. "What the-" I whisper when I see it - a mark, or tattoo, on my inner wrist, just covered by the gloves. It looks to be a feather, black & elegantly scrolled- & I do not know how it got there.

Could it be I've lost a memory as well?

[sapphira_ststep]

Silence seems a bit startled by my assessment. "Brave? I wouldn't exactly- I mean, it just has to be done, right?"

"Oh, not to do it," I say, trying to explain. "To say it, to put yourself forward that way. People..." I take a quick glance around the room. "People can get cruel if they're disappointed, and I'm sure this whole situation is already frightening enough to begin with. I mean, granted, you're only saying it to me--but as you said, you don't know me from Adam. I might turn into a hysterical gossip..." Silence looks a little distant and a little upset, and I stop and shrug, smiling at her. "Although I like to think that is unlikely, even if I'm not very used to this kind of thing," I admit.

"And as for doing this kind of thing before... well, kinda," she says, and an unpleasant realization crosses her face. "But I've always had help in the past. This time I'm alone."

"What kind of things did you and your friends do, before?" I say, curious now. Silence is taking off her gloves, and she looks down as she does, and there's a sudden bright spike of shock in her face. She's staring down at her wrist--at a tattoo that's been there at least long enough to heal, I can tell that much. It's quite an elegant scroll of ink, but I would swear she did not expect it there.

"Maybe you're not as alone as you think?" I say, trying to put a kinder spin on things. Because if she has forgotten something, then she'll certainly find people around who have shared the experience.

[silence_excolo]

"Oh, not to do it. To say it," she says, clarifying. "To put yourself forward that way. People... People can get cruel if they're disappointed, and I'm sure this whole situation is already frightening enough to begin with." Huh, I'd never really thought of it that way, but she has a point. Heightened emotions can change quickly from one to the next; I need to be careful. "I might turn into a hysterical gossip..." she pauses & smiles again. I don't get the feeling she would be the type & almost say so when she shrugs & continues. "Although I like to think that is unlikely, even if I'm not very used to this kind of thing." "Well, at least you know that, right? That you're not used to it," I shrug back with a small grin.

She asks about my friends & I wince a little. "I wouldn't say they're my friends. More like... classmates." A few of them I might consider friends but some of the others? No way. But how do I explain without telling too much? "We... we usually study separately, but sometimes we study together, & sometimes our Ma- our teachers will send us on- uh, on an excursion. A test." Man, I am no good at this. I rub the back of my head in frustration & there's another small shock. My hair is shorter than it's supposed to be! Used to be past my shoulders but now it's shoulder length. Master, what have you-

Of course! He's put me not just into the test but in the test. I am a part of my own test, & to save my memories I must also save theirs. That has to be it. I wonder if my cabal-mates are also having a similar test, each on their own. I also wonder what else I've forgotten...

Marrana has noticed my reaction & there is sympathy in her eyes, behind her mask. "Maybe you're not as alone as you think?" I'm more grateful to hear that than I thought I'd be. I sigh a bit & look down at my hands for a moment, then refasten my glove. The less surprises, the better, for now. Gotta focus. "We should probably head out soon," I say, downing more of the food. "If it is winter, as it seems, we'll have less daylight. And you said your place has no electric, so..." I leave the sentence hanging. I don't know what else to say. So I just shove more fries in my mouth & chew hurriedly. As much as I'd like to sit & savor it, I just know there's not enough time.