Blue Lacuna — 361 of 467

Chapter - Old Memories

[ The player encounters Progue standing in the open letting the rain beat down on him. He does not respond at first, then spills out a diatribe about not being able to wayfare and being stranded here forever, even after his daughters left him. ]

[Old Memories is a guaranteed serendipitous episode. The icebreaker is citr_intro.

A condition for Old Memories:

if the affinity of Progue < 0, rule fails;

if evening or sunset or twilight, rule succeeds;

rule fails.

Table of Progue's Initial Appearance (continued)

animus episode desc

-- Old Memories "Progue stands barefoot in the surf, breakers tumbling past his ankles and ringing them with clinging puffs of foam. The sky cools through shades of burnt purple, what little light left in its scattered rays seeming to bend around or through him. His gaze fixes unblinkingly on the westward horizon, as if invisible chains still anchor his eyes to the sun."

Table of Progue's Description (continued)

animus episode desc

-- Old Memories "[initial appearance of Progue]"

OM is a thread. om_intro is a beat in OM with reaction "The sound of your tentative greeting is swallowed entirely by rushing breakers, but it seems Progue senses it somehow, for a soundless sigh escapes his lips, detectable only through the compression of his already withered frame, and the dancing tendrils of his stringy white hair." om_intro suggests om_intro2.

om_intro2 is a beat in OM with reaction "I [t]left[x] them,' he says, the words well-formed but hardly given enough voice to be audible above the surf, as ephemeral as shifting patterns the mind's eye might see in the ever-changing foam. 'I [t]never[x] wanted to be a [t]father[x], never asked... and no one told me how...' He trails off, momentarily lost in thought.". lo_intro summons lo_never.

Understand "never" as lo_never. lo_never is a beat in LO with reaction "Another breath, deeper, more ragged. 'No. And they knew it. [t]Rengin[x] was always the one they turned to, the one who put them to bed, who held them when they cried. When she was gone, they turned to me, reluctantly, hesitantly. And I turned away. I turned to [t]voices[x] in my head, new ideas, construction, art, familiar tools in my [t]hands[x]...' He holds up his hands, finally blinking and breaking his gaze on the horizon, and looks at them, held claw-like and blue-black in the dying light, and he for a moment seems lost, as if unsure whose they are or where they should be put.". lo_never summons lo_hands, lo_rengin.

Understand "rengin/wife/mother" as lo_rengin. lo_rengin is a beat in LO with reaction "'Oh, my Rengin, my sweet,' Progue moans, clutching himself and rocking back and forth, 'Forgive me. I can never visit your grave. Your soul and body both have gone where I cannot find them. Oh, my Rengin...'[paragraph break]Progue staggers forward into the surf, sinking to his knees in the sucking tide.". lo_rengin enqueues lo_explosion.

Understand "hand/hands" as lo_hands. lo_hands is a beat in LO with reaction "He looks at you wild-eyed, his red-rimmed eyes half-crazed. 'How, then?' he says, gripping your shirt feverently, 'how do we stand it, this wayfaring? Where every step forward erases your entire past?'[paragraph break]He staggers forward into the surf, sinking to his knees in the sucking tide.". lo_hands enqueues lo_explosion.

Instead of hugging Progue when last beat is lo_intro or last beat is lo_never, force discuss lo_tryhug.

lo_tryhug is a beat in LO with reaction "You stretch a hand out and put it on the old man's shoulder, but he savagely twists away and staggers forward into the surf, sinking to his knees in the sucking tide.". lo_tryhug enqueues lo_explosion.

lo_explosion is a beat in LO with reaction "'They left,' he shouts, suddenly furious, smashing his hands into the surf, sending splashes of foam in tiny explosions swallowed instantly by the breathing tide, 'when I [t]needed[x] them, left me, left. I would have [t]recovered[x], would have loved them, held them, been there for them, but they weren't there for me, for them... we...' he trails off, on hands and knees in the surf, staring down into white foam whirling past his head.".

Instead of hugging Progue when last beat is lo_explosion: say "You wade out and kneel down next to him. Gently, you lift him up to a kneeling position, and he looks at you for the first time."; force discuss lo_outtro.

lo_outtro is a terminal beat in LO with reaction "The purple above still deepens towards black, softening and swallowing his features more in each moment.[paragraph break]'We left each other,' he says, looking into your eyes. 'We left, and now we are alone.'". After discussing lo_outtro: begin the next chapter; now the time of day is two hours after the time of day; say "Progue lies in his bed again, muttering; you returned him there, dried his clothes, after his collapse. You hope he will stay put for the night, but he seems restless, tossing and turning and resisting your efforts to soothe him even in sleep. There may be few long nights left for him."; try looking.

[Instead of ignoring Progue during Loss: say "You look away, indifferent. Progue's back stiffens. He takes a few paces forward into the swirling foam, then turns suddenly and fixes you with a look of hatred."; force discuss lo_lashout.]

lo_lashout is a beat in LO with reaction "'Why are you here?' he shouts, a white rush of rage mingling with the surge of foam. 'Memories, the memories you've brought back, that I thought I'd forgotten forever... hoped, dreamed... you brought it back, my girls, my wife, decisions, waste...' He breaks off into a sob[if the posture of Progue is not sitting], sinking to his knees in the foam[end if].". After discussing lo_lashout: now the posture of Progue is sitting.

Instead of attacking Progue during Loss, force discuss lo_attackouttro.

lo_attackouttro is a terminal unaffinitive beat in LO with reaction "Furious, you wade out into the surf and hit Progue. He cries out and falls back, momentarily submerged, then sputtering, crawls back, away from your blows.[paragraph break]'Monster,' he shouts, 'get away, leave, go, go, like all the rest, and let me die alone!'[paragraph break]Scrambling, slipping, he gets to his feet and sprints off up the beach towards the rise." After discussing lo_attackouttro: Progue likes you less; Progue likes you less; continue the action.

]