DEPLOYMENT 11: When Blue Turned to Gray

[walking_nuke]

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[DREAM - DECEMBER 16 (Early Morning)]

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[answerer_sword]

[Bazett has just retuned from the general store, a bag filled with cans of instant coffee in tow. She stops when she sees the man's armband.]

Are those some kind of runes?

[She has never seen runes like those before. She wonders what sort of effect they are meant to have.]

[walking_nuke]

[(2/2)]

[And now Balin looks mad.]

-oh those sons of bitches! I'd been spendin'a last few days lookin' at my notes wonderin' who'a hell all those people were an' why I couldn't remember anything I'd written about 'em!

[answerer_sword]

Yes, it took me several days as well to figure out the truth. However, I do not think attacking town officials in rage will solve anything.

[It would probably get him droned...and subjected to 24 hours of ceasless caroling. She supresses a shudder at the thought.]

[walking_nuke]

Not with what I heard'ey can do it won't. But I ain't gonna take'eir shit. These fuckers don't deserve any mercy for'a shit'ey do to us practically every damn month.

[answerer_sword]

So what will you do now? Go off and get droned and make an embarrassment out of yourself singing all around town?

[walking_nuke]

No. Not yet.

[A beat.]

Wait, is that what all'a caroling was about?

[answerer_sword]

Yes, many of the carolers, especially the overly cheerful ones, are actually drones being punished from some indiscretion. Apparently, the town drones you and makes you sing carols for 24 hours. You cannot stop and you can only communicate through lyrics.

[walking_nuke]

Well, shit.

[His expression sours again.]

Always findin' some way'a torture us. Gotta give 'em'at.

[answerer_sword]

Yes, it almost seems like this town is playing some sort of game with its inhabitants.

For now, I would suggest finding a more constructive outlet for your anger. Being droned will help neither you nor your forgotten comrades.

[walking_nuke]

'Course. I ain't ready to go takin' 'em on.

[He looks a little disgruntled now. Maybe inwardly annoyed at some unspoken complication.]

'Sides, I already know enough about what'ese fuckers can do. Any kinda move against 'em's gonna end badly. But'at ain't what it'll be about.

[answerer_sword]

I am trying to find a way to undo the town's enforced memory loss. Perhaps you could help me in this endeavor?

[walking_nuke]

[Balin considers that for a moment.]

Memory modification ain't somethin' my MOS deals with, so I dunno how much help I'd be.

[answerer_sword]

It has never been my specialty either, unfortunately.

[She had only ever been on the giving end of it, not the receiving end.]

Perhaps we could just investigate different ways to reverse this effect?

[Though she doubts any non-magical methods could work.]

[walking_nuke]

[Balin rubs the back of his neck in thought.]

I dunno-like I said, I'd been writin' notes on'a town in a journal I've got at home. You'd think havin' somethin' like'at on hand would jog your memory, but I can't remember a thing about'a people I wrote about in'ere. The "fakes" anyway.

If you're lookin' at a way to "edit" our brains, well-shit like'at wasn't even possible before'a Bane invaded, back in 2007. An' with'a tech around here ... I think we're better off tryin'a find, like, a magical way of fixin' our memory.

[answerer_sword]

I suppose I will look for magic users then. Hopefully, if we meet each other again, it will be under better circumstances.

[walking_nuke]

[Balin nods, looking a little glum.]

Yeah. I know at least one guy in town who's a magician, but I don't think'is kinda shit's his forte.

An' another, last I saw he got droned.