nebulochaotic | memory share! levity edition!

[ Caleb is grinning a little. He can only assume these are dreams rather than actual memories but, shit, it beats the fuck out of seeing that fucking clown for what it really was. The Paul Bunyan statue was bad enough. This? This he can deal with. He's even had dreams where he's sung with Adam before, so this is familiar, and seeing this dude's dreams isn't actually that weird. Rose can literally walk through dreams, so maybe he's just...unwittingly doing that right now. ]

She's cute, man. Is the redhead your girlfriend?

Edited 2020-07-14 12:58 (UTC)

[ Max doesn't recognize Caleb from any of the very sudden, and VERY GRIM visions he's suddenly been searing of totally random people. But, because Caleb's first, and Max hasn't put it all the way together yet: ]

Who?

[ He looks ... just ... very confused. ]

[ It takes a second for Caleb to respond. At first, he just looks a little confused as to why this dude might be confused. ]

The...like, the redhead in the food court (and wherever else, I don't know where you were before that). You know, with the singing and the flash mob and shit. Nice song choice, by the way. I'm into it.

[ At the beginning, Max still doesn't follow. Has he been to a food court lately? What redhead? But then Caleb mentions the singing and the flash mob and yeah, shit. ]

If I can't have you? By Shawn Mendez?

[ He just wants to confirm one last detail, to do what, Max doesn't know. To help him preserve his sanity? How in the world did Caleb know about that??? ]

( ooc: I'll give Max his first other person's memory between tags so you don't have to explain literally everything to him )

Edited 2020-07-19 13:42 (UTC)

Yeah, that's the one.

[ It sounds like the kind of song Adam would've picked if he'd wanted to spring something like this on Caleb, so that's kind of endearing. ]

Sorry that didn't go the way you'd wanted it to, man. I'd have been wooed, in her shoes, for whatever that's worth?

[ Max is having a lot of trouble processing, but when Caleb follows up with that comment, his face goes blank for a second before he chuckles. ]

Uhhhh. Hm. Thank ... you? That does make me feel somewhat better.

[ After that, Max seems to go away for awhile. Or maybe like he accidentally dropped his phone or just swiped away from video chat.

He's experiencing the memories of others on his own now, where he literally feels as if he's someone else, and it's ... unbelievable. Indescribable. IMPOSSIBLE.

Aaaand yup well, at least his first one was pretty mild.

Then, immediately, he back: ]

HOW IS THIS HAPPENING? [ It's almost like the audio equivalent of him bursting into a door. ]

[ Caleb almost disconnects because it takes a minute for the other guy's face to come back on the screen, but then Caleb's assaulted with the very same hysterical question he's been asking himself. ]

Dude, if I fucking knew that, I'd feel a hell of a lot better about it because then maybe I'd know how to stop it. I don't know. How the hell should I know?!

[ Assaulted is a really great way of describing it. ]

I don't know how you'd know! I just thought maybe you'd know??? [ None of this is coming from a rational place, so there's no real uh ... thoughts going on here. ] But this is— HOW IS THIS HAPPENING???

[ Uh, Max might go on like this for another few seconds before he calms the fuck down. ]

[ His expression goes flat and Caleb gives an indignant huff. ]

Bro. I don't. fucking. know.

[ Caleb takes short breaks between each of those last three words to punctuate them. ]

It just is, man, I don't fucking know how, I just know it is.

[ He brings a hand to his forehead, before wiping it down his face and then bringing it back up to rake through his hair.

This is so ridiculous that he can't even remember how he and Caleb starting talking in the first place. For a moment, he just stares at the video screen, not really knowing what to say. ]

[ For a long moment, the other guy says nothing and Caleb waits. Until he doesn't want to, anymore, at which point he sighs and clears his throat. ]

Okay, well... good talk, man. I'm gonna go.

( Admittedly, her initial reaction is to be upset with the girl in the memories because she reminds Lydia entirely too much of herself and now Max really reminds her of Stiles and, look, she just doesn't really want to think about all of that right now, okay?

But it's cute that he went to all that trouble to make her smile. It sucks that she didn't actually smile for it. )

Um, I don't know if you'll be upset to hear this but there's something weird going on and I think I just remembered something that...happened to you instead of me... For the record, it's really cute that you sang to your girlfriend.

( Clearly, that was not his girlfriend. Clearly. But she's still going to say that because Lydia's smart and Lydia's fishing. If he corrects her, then she can prod a little further. If he doesn't, then she doesn't have to waste her time trying to figure out his availability status. )

[ Oh hi Lydia. He hasn't seen her memory yet, but Max will be experiencing it, later.

So right now? Lydia's just the cute girl he talked to the other day about superpowers. There are a lot of cute girls in Eglaf, apparently. She also has the benefit of contacting him after Caleb. ]

Oh my god.

[ A beat. ]

Oh my god, I thought maybe it was just Caleb. But clearly now it's EVERYONE. [ Exaggerate much, Max? ] This it the cost to having superpowers isn't it? Just— random bits of your memories leak out of your brain.

[ At least what people seem to be seeing is something that, while embarrassing, is also fine in the grand scheme of things. Max looks at Lydia's face on his screen, his own expression showing some mild embarrassment. ]

Mmmmm. She wasn't— isn't, my girlfriend. It's ... complicated?

[ Max doesn't seem upset. If anything, even though that memory seems to cut deep, he seems pretty open to talking about it. ]

( Her eyebrows lift slightly. Maybe not everyone is experiencing this onslaught of memories that don't rightfully belong to them... Maybe it's just a few of them and she happens to be one of the unlucky ones. So Lydia hesitates for a minute. )

Maybe not everyone? I don't think so, honey. This hasn't ever happened to me.

( That she knows of. Yet. )

Besides, trust me when I say there are way, way worse things than this that could be happening. Or you could have had a worse memory leak out. These were cute.

( Not his girlfriend, but it's complicated? All the good ones are gay, taken, or get sent home. God, she misses Ben Hanscom...

Lydia nods a little, a soft sigh escaping her. It's an intentional show of slight disappointment, just in case she's reading it wrong. )

So she's not your girlfriend but you wish she was, or...? At least you have good taste. Redheads are the best. I might be biased, though.

( She drops a wink and smiles a little. )

[ When Lydia mentions that he has good taste and redheads are the best, Max's lips curl into a bashful smile as he raises his eyebrows in surprise for a moment, then averts his eyes. It's not like he doesn't think Lydia's cute, and it shows. ]

Redheads are pretty great. [ He says before looking back at Lydia, his smile settling into something that pairs with okay, brace yourself. ]

Her name is Zoey. She and I are both programmers, and she's been my best friend for a few years. Soooooo— [ As Max drags the word out, he tilts his head. ] You could say that maybe I told her that I wanted her to be my girlfriend and then she kinda just ... ran away? That's probably what you saw.

[ He brings his free hand to rub at the back of his neck out of embarrassment. But Max has never been a closed-off person, so he shares the rest of the story pretty easily. It helps, of course, that Zoey isn't literally in this world. ]

Some stuff happened. We stopped talking. She started dating someone else and then still decided to kiss me? So, I definitely care about her, but she's definitely not my girlfriend, and I'm— not sure what I want there, anymore.

So um, I suppose that means it's complicated in a very confusing kind of way?

[ Max looks back at her with a resigned sort of smile. Whatever's going on with Zoey, he's definitely not crushed about it anymore. Time heals all wounds and all that. ]

( Lydia's quiet as she listens, her eyebrows lifting ever so slightly every now and again when something of particular interest grabs her attention, but largely she just lets Max speak. The rambling, too, everything about this guy screams Stiles at her and she's not entirely sure if that's a good thing and a sign or if it's a bad thing and she should abort mission immediately. She's still on the fence about it when he finishes and she gives him a little smile. )

Yeah, I'll say. That's definitely complicated.

( And she decides, fuck it, why not? Stiles was always good for her, anyway, right? )

I should note that I think it's adorable that you appear to be completely oblivious to the point of my asking that. Is that intentional or are you genuinely missing why I was asking?

[ She's a good listener. He appreciates that.

And then she asks her question and Max is— well. Now he's just very embarrassed. ]

Definitely intentional. [ He admits it. But with a kind of hopeful, eyebrow-raising look on his face, he adds: ] But maybe we could chalk that up to ... me getting a lot of feedback lately that I've been misreading signals?

[ You know like when he sang a whole song to a woman and apparently he had no idea she just wasn't interested? ]

But uh, now the signal is totally clear.

[ Another few awkward beats pass before Max realizes that maybe if he's actually interested he should do something about now. ]

Hey um. Any chance you wanna turn that Wednesday after work meet-up into a ... dinner?

[ Please don't crush him Lydia. That would REALLY validate his theory that he apparently has zero skills in reading signals anymore. ]

( Giving a facial shrug and looking a little impressed that he'd had that foresight, Lydia nods. )

That's fair enough, considering what I just saw.

( He says the signal is clear but he doesn't give her any clear or immediate indication that the interest is reciprocated, so Lydia lifts her eyebrows in question, as if silently prodding him to elaborate. )

Dinner sounds good.

( She might or might not look a little smug about that. )

I'll meet you at Lando's as planned and we can have a drink and discuss where to go for dinner. They don't have great food. Do a little research so we can have a few options.

I'll see you then.

Edited 2020-07-20 23:52 (UTC)

[ When Lydia confirms, Max smiles in relief. It's good to know that he hasn't totally lost his ability to tell whether people are into him.

And uh, well played Lydia. ]

Oh okay. [ Both his raised eyebrows and his tone communicate an "I-see-how-it-is" kind of sentiment around Lydia assigning him homework for their first date, but Max's persistent smile makes it clear that he doesn't mind. She just wants him to show a little effort right? He can do that. In fact, he's great at doing that. ]

See you then.

I have no idea why the cute redhead was singing her feelings to you, or if it was real, but that flash mob was a big gesture - and it's kind of adorable. Also, kudos because your voice is fantastic.

[Laura is grinning as she says it - her way of, at least in a nice and calm way, sharing that she's seen Max's memories - both of them.]

[ Oh my gosh. This is the first time anyone's said anything about seeing Zoey sing to him and Max is already terrified to know which of his other memories might be leaking out there in the universe.

Laura, on the other hand, seems very nice though. ]

Thank you. [ He managers, first, because well, he definitely hasn't had anyone compliment him on his singing before — at least for a long, long time. ] Uh- yeah. We had this ... thing, back home for a while, where Zoey, that's the girl you saw, where Zoey and I were really into singing to each other for a bit. Definitely real. Also, definitely bizarre.

memory share! levity edition!

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