can't live forever, can't always be

* Grooming Mirka for her role. Speaking to Mirka, in veiled terms, of the Lost Histories, and of Abel's existence. (trivial neutral)

[Game 258 - GM game - The Darkness | Day 328 | shareable 6/7 (Jasper flower; pluck petals)]

+ Taken.

* Selling tea and trinkets in the marketplace. (trivial positive)

[Game 259 - politics - Guinevere | Day 329 | shareable 0/1 (gloves; wear and hold hands w/ two others, all will see memory)]

+ Taken.

* Serving a noble rightly suspected of treason. (trivial negative)

[Game 261 - exploration - Mira | Day 331 | shareable 2/3 (gold rings, wear, tarnish and turn to ash when used up)]

+ Taken.

* Investigating the Moldova family tomb; fleeing autojaegers; Suleyman knocking her off a cliff to a temporary death. (significant negative)

[Game 263 - treehouses - Raven | Day 336 | nonshareable (magazine page w/ relevant picture; rip out picture)]

+ Taken.

* Abel rejecting her invitation to stay. "Brother...ah. That person...is still alive." (significant negative)

[Game 264 - plant/animal/food design - Maleficent | Day 338 | shareable 2/2 (strawberry tart)]

+ Taken.

* Healing factor (terrifying). (special)

[Skill Game 45 - skillswap - Hatter | Day 323 | nonshareable (incredibly sour jawbreaker; get to the center)]

+ Taken.

* Veterinary skills, botany, plant and animal care. (mundane)

[Skill Game 46 - virtues - Handless Faith | Day 336 | nonshareable (silver locket; open)]

+ Taken.

* Bordels. (trivial positive)

[Game 240 – Taboo – Hatter | Day 303 | nonshareable (guess-the-word headband; requires second party)]

Using them for undercover shenanigans; variously posing as a client, posing as one of the employees; and using them to lead people into traps or gather information.

+ Taken offscreen.

* The death of a body double. (significant negative)

[Game 244 - spring outfit design - Maleficent | Day 311 | shareable (strawberry tart)]

An assassin is successful at assassinating the Empress, except they get Seth's current trusted stand-in instead; mourning.

+ Taken.

* Opening the secret diplomatic pipeline with with Cardinal Caterina Sforza. (significant positive)

[Game 245 - penance - Lancelot | Day 312 | shareable 2/3 (leaf with three attached berries)]

More or less a montage memory, as this covers years of work: politics, hidden messages, and the slow and cautious opening up of a narrow bridge between two very historically opposed powers, all in utmost secret. Culminates in the delivery of a missive to Caterina stating that she will be sending messengers from the Empire. Quiet hope and triumph.

+ Taken.

* The fall of the Night Lords. (significant negative)

[Game 246 - truth - Eliza's Brother | Day 313 | shareable 10/11 (slightly torn teabag of nettle tea; good for one brewing only)]

The events that end the Dark Ages War. Cain calls Lilith (who left the Methuselah on the grounds of EVERYONE IS BEING MONSTERS and championed the Terrans) to a shuttle station, purportedly for negotiations. Abel and Seth accompany Cain but are delayed on the way; when they arrive Cain has already killed Lilith by tearing off her head and absorbing her nanomachines.

Seth and Abel are horrified; there's a violent struggle, chiefly between Abel and Cain, which is cut off when Seth manages to throw a switch that sends Cain out of an airlock to burn in Earth's atmosphere. Abel retrieves Lilith's head and body, tells Seth to leave and lashes out when she tries to dissuade him, and flees the station in a ship; Seth gives chase but loses him, and is forced to go back to the Methuselah alone.

+ Taken.

* Meeting Ion and Esther in the Terran quarter; guiding them around. (trivial positive)

[Game 247 - bonds - Madame White | Day 314 | shareable 2/3 + 1 free memory share (four-layer Chinese puzzle ball; shake - an inside layer will shatter with each use)]

BEING A TROLL. Manga link, from that page to page 36.

+ Taken offscreen.

* Astheroshe's report; falling asleep in her garden. (significant positive)

[Game 248 - the burning of Camelot - Mordred | Day 316 | shareable 2/3 (snake fang; stab self)]

( snip )

+ Taken offscreen.

* 'Flames of Sound.' (special)

[Skill Game 43 - problem solving gardening - Hades | Day 306 | ball of bitterly dark chocolate]

Seth's most potent special ability as Crusnik; the ability to use targeted soundwaves to reduce all organic matter it contacts into salt. An example of it being used is here.

+ Taken.

* Crowned Empress Augusta Vradica. (significant neutral)

[Game 209 – bingo – Unicorn | Day 271 | forced shareable 0/1 (stone; hold with other person)]

Being declared the leader of and establishing the country of the Methuselah officially. More detail here.

+ Taken.

-

* Sitting for a royal portrait. (trivial neutral)

[Game 210 – Guess Who – Eliza’s Brother | Day 272 | shareable 1/3 (sticky candy wrapper; lick)]

It's a watercolour. She has her veils on. Thinking back to how all portraits of Her Imperial Highness were systematically destroyed over a span of years, until only the faceless ones were left.

+ Taken.

-

* Explaining the ‘coexistence’ of the Empire to the bedridden Esther. (trivial neutral)

[Game 211 – foodbaskets – Gingerbread Witch | Day 273 | nonshareable (loaf of bread; eat it all)]

This page, going into the next chapter up to page 4. Seth outlines to Esther that coexistence in the Empire is achieved by all subjects, Terran and Methuselah alike, being seen as belonging to the Empress and equal in her eyes. Esther listens to this and then says that it's not true coexistence, as neither side perceives the other as equal to them and the system will collapse if the Empress ever disappears. Seth tells Esther she's very perceptive.

+ Taken.

-

* The last attack of the Dark Ages War. Temporary death and mourning the casualties. (significant negative)

[Game 213 – deaging – babbysonae | Day 275+ | shareable 3/5 (tomato candies)]

While traveling into the lands which will become the Empire, the camp is infiltrated and attacked by a Terran assassin converted into a biological bomb, which triggers when Seth's bodyguard kills the assassin. Her bodyguard is killed, a couple of other bystanders are killed, and Seth does die in the memory, though Crusnik puts her back together good as new in an hour or so.

+ Taken.

-

* “Out of the waste, a paradise.” (significant positive)

[Game 214 – Battleship – Snow Queen | Day 278 | shareable ∞ (frozen aurora; hold until numb)]

Using pre-Armageddon technology to start getting the land which would become the New Human Empire clean and habitable again.

+ Taken.

-

* “Is this what you meant, Lilith…?” (trivial neutral)

[Game 219 – masked ball – Odette | Day 282 | nonshareable (jasper-red cloth mask; wear)]

Seth having an introspective moment on motherhood.

+ Taken offscreen.

-

* Crusnik: Activation up to 40% + healing factor.

[Skill Game 38 – I’ve Never – Dorian Gray | Day 275 | nonshareable (shot glass of water)]

Activating Crusnik up to 40% allows Seth to use most of her special abilities when she earns them back (they are now unlocked on her registry.) 40% activation can be done twice in a day/sustained for up to fifteen minutes, and using any particularly powerful moves requires her to take a dose of blood beforehand. Crusnik as a headmonster is now also stronger.

Healing factor means that she will under normal circumstances recover from even extremely serious injuries within a few IC days -- but she'll be hungry afterwards.

+ Taken.

-

* Blood weapons.

[Skill Game 39 – prisoner’s dilemma – Three | Day 283 | nonshareable (knotted piece of twine; untangle/break)]

One of the special abilities she can now use at 40% activation. Seth can manifest her blood into forks and tridents and stab people with them! She can do other shapes, but they don't come naturally and are heavier power drains.

She usually uses blood weapons to channel other abilities rather than as weapons in and of themselves, but those other abilities are still unearned.

+ Taken.

* Count Kourza goes missing from the prison ship without a trace. (trivial negative)

[Game 187 – villain kitchen - Professor Endboss | Day 245 | shareable 1/3 (water gun; spray teammate)]

Receiving a report about Count Endre Kourza. Capture successful, but when the prizon ship arrived Kourza was gone, with no leads as to what happened to him. Case still under investigation.

+ She doesn't have the rest of the context for the Kourza case, so mainly this will be confusing and disquieting.
+ Taken.

-

* Drinking her first assassin's blood. (significant negative)

[Game 189 - problem solving - Hua Mulan | Day 247 | shareable 1/2 (bag with palm-sized lion statues; break)]

Basically a lot of people have tried to murder the Empress for various reasons; she got into a fight with the first one, overdid it, killed the terrified assassin brutally and drained their blood dry.

+ HOW DELICIOUS.
+ Mild self-loathing.
+ Taken offscreen.

-

* Crusnik 03: initial activation. Almost going on a rampage. (significant negative)

[Game 192 - anon confessions - Hatter | Day 251 | shareable 0/1 (party cracker with a giant warning label; pull with someone who will also see the memory)]

Activating Crusnik at too high a level initially after going through the long, grueling process of absorbing it into her blood; it didn't go well. Terror and heat and hunger, coming back to herself in a bed, having lost some hours. Wreckage outside. Lilith sitting by her bedside and explaining that no, she didn't hurt anyone, but yes, Cain and Abel had had to forcibly restrain her. That they'd be more careful; that they should all take more precautions while learning to handle the changes the nanomachines wrought. Telling Lilith she understood. Crying once Lilith left the room -- none of them had problems with it; why did she lose control? Was she weak?


+ :'|
+ Taken.

-

* "We cannot go on this way." (significant neutral)

[Game 193 - roles and stories - Nimue | Day 253 | nonshareable (small crystal you breathe on)]

A slow buildup of memories of DEEP THOUGHT, mostly, analyzing, calculating . . . realizing that the Seth who unconditionally hated Terran had disappeared at some point, and that it was time to put the past aside and start working towards opening up the Empire and closing the distance between Terran and Methuselah.

+ Taken offscreen.

-

* Analyzing samples of Martian soil. (trivial neutral)

[Game 194 - causality - Butterfly | Day 253 | nonshareable (small, strangely sweet steak pie)]

+ SCIENCE!
+ Remembering more of her genuine interest in science! Also, spaaaace.
+ Taken offscreen.

-

* Reviving extinct species. (trivial positive)

[Game 196 - treasure hunt - Peter Pan | Day 255 | nonshareable (palm-sized golden treasure chest)]

+ MORE SCIENCE! Genetic engineering this time.
+ A memory of her grand palace gardens, filled with several carefully species no longer found anywhere else on Earth. Undoing a little of the damage of Armageddon.
+ Taken offscreen.

-

* Allowing Terran refugees into the New Human Empire. (significant neutral)

[Game 197 - Hikaru's heart - Dream | Day 257 | shareable 7/9 (miniature macarons in a box)]

A followup from 'we cannot go on this way.' A super highly controversial decision by the Empress, making speeches and etc. etc. and basically getting it through. A sense that a long time passed between those two memories for it to be made possible. Worry.

+ Taken.

-

* Superhuman strength.

[ Skill Game 34 – castles - Hansel and Gretel | Day 244 | stale bread ]

+ Taken offscreen.

-

* Stealth, spywork, lockpicking.

[ Skill Game 35 – skillswap - Mr. Right | Day 251 | bay leaf ]

+ Taken offscreen.

* Confirmation that Abel lives.

[Game 179 – JabberQuest - Jabberwock | Day 232 | shareable 5/7 (small hand mirror with dark grey casing)]

+ Receiving a report on a certain agent from the Vatican's AX Division: an inordinately tall priest with blue hair and silver eyes, and confirmation that said priest addressed himself by the name 'Abel Nightroad.' Writing the agent a return letter ("You have done well.") and then just having to go collapse in her personal garden for a little while, with everyone ordered not to disturb her. "So I'm not alone after all . . . after nine hundred years you've learned to live with the Terrans too, haven't you? Big brother."

+ SIBLINGS!
+ FEELINGS!
+ Knowing her age, roughly.

-

* Giving Ion his appointment to the Outer.

[Game 180 – cabin design - Gerda | Day 234 | shareable 0/2 (palm-sized teddy bear; squeeze)]

+ Appearing veiled before Ion Fortuna in person, noting that he's very much the image of his grandmother. Appointing him "Bearer of the Empress's Sword." Entrusting him with the task of traveling secretly to the Vatican, along with his companion Radu Barvon, and opening communications with Cardinal Caterina Sforza to finalize a treaty. Thinking he is very young for this, but that she has precious few people to trust. "Ah, what times we live in."
+ Fortuna feelings.
+ Titles.
+ Oh so she was doing something re: world peace! Good to know.

* Visiting the Fortuna household undercover, and getting a look at baby Ion.

[Game 170 – scales - Three | Day 221 | shareable 0/3 (brass feather) ]

A memory of Seth (her name's not apparent in the memory) posing as a human servant in a fancy vampire noble mansion! 'The Fortuna household.' She cleans around the place and finds a pretext to wander out into an enclosed central garden; there, without being seen, she observes child versions of Radu and Ion -- I forget their exact age difference but they're perhaps six and eight years old. They're playing, sparring clumsily with wooden swords. She observes them carefully, is pleased to note that they're happy and healthy, and withdraws back into the house. The memory ends.

+ Fortunadere.
+ First time seeing Radu in her memories.

* The Returners begin to mutate in Earth's environment.

[Game 124 – the rebalance - Three | Day 157 | shareable 9/10 (jasper-red drop spindle)]

( snip )

+ Really, what makes a monster?
+ Has enough back to realize they didn't find a cure – that this is part of the origins of the Empire she rules now.
+ More awareness of herself as someone who grew and developed into who she is now rather than someone who has always been the current 'Seth' or 'Eve.'
+ Knows her real name -- will continue not to use it.
+ Not fear/dislike of sunlight precisely, but more likely to catch sleep in catnaps during the day and be up at obscene hours during the night.

-

* Leaving Earth for Mars.

[Game 126 - teamness – Cheshire | Day 162 | nonshareable]

( snip )

+ The same note of awareness as in the previous memory; since she'll be taking both at the same time, they reinforce each other.
+ More interest in the physical reality of other worlds (space travel! etc) rather than only in the magic nexus thingermajibbet Aather has going on.
+ Family feels.
+ Generally no outward change, just . . . perspective.

-

* Receiving Crusnik and almost dying.

[Game 128 - trials – Queen of Hearts | Day 166 | shareable 3/4 (heart-shaped jam tarts)]

( snip )

+ fjrk;slflkdfl##@@#22kljd
+ G...getting on that Methuselah blood quest ASAP!
-

* Flawlessly acting in roles.

[Skill Game 23 - two truths and a lie – Kitsune | Day 165]

+ The ability to slip 'into character' as her various personas and hold it indefinitely; the ability to switch between one persona and another without any clumsiness or hesitation; the ability to hide.
+ Generalized acting etc. etc. if she has to act a part for a game or something and she's sufficiently motivated (not always the case, she can be kind of lazy) she will play that role to the hilt.
+ Includes costuming and general disguise knowhow, though she doesn't see a lot of point in Aather and might not do much with this part of it except maybe in games.
+ It is now . . . ridiculously hard to tell she is lying unless she wants you to know she is lying and/or you have superhuman abilities to tell. All the accidental slips/tells she had are either gone or no longer accidental whups.

* Holding public court behind the emerald curtain; the 'Great Mother' and the 'All-Knowing Goddess.'

[Game 116 - elevators - Three | Day 146 | shareable 7/8 (gold smiling/frowning coin)]

( snip )

+ 100 false identities, covert operations.
+ Knowing she is the Empress; the 'Augusta Vradica' role.
+ HA HA OH I AM A RULER AND THIS SYSTEM IS MY FAULT 8'D
+ What makes the 'Terran' so different from the 'Methuselah?'
+ 50 what am authority . . .
+ 50 what am religion . . .
+ 50 responsibility.
+ 50 sneaky tendencies.
+ ffffancytalk, court systems.
+ resonance with 'mothering' on a symbolic as well as personal level.

-

* Drinking from Mirka's grandmother.

[Game 117 - flower symbolism - Mother | Day 148-149 | shareable 4/5 (edible wood sorrel flower)]

( snip )

+ What is she?
+ Awareness of a headmonster that is not yet awake; will eventually quest discreetly for Methuselah blood against the day it does.
+ Fortuna dere . . .
+ Tendency to be . . . a little bitey when she forgets herself . . . this was the memory she went into the kissing game with, ftr. Teeth happen.
+ 80 value of self-control.

-

* The nature of Countess Shahrazad al-Rahman's death.

[Game 120 - Hakuren's heart - Dream | Day 152 | nonshareable]

( snip )

+ 50 responsibility.
+ 50 regret.
+ 50 loneliness.
+ INTERNATIONAL POLITICS!1
+ I guess Scheherazade's name will ping her now?

* An assassin is successful.

[Game 114 - sandcastles - Automaton | Day 144 | shareable 2/4 (metal gear)]

( snip; gory )

+ This is the first memory Eve's gotten back where she dies! It is also an intense one so chances are she will pass out momentarily and slap teammates away from trying to look at it. Probably the only time such a memory will openly faze her in Aather, too.
+ Drastically less affected by harm coming to herself in future games; a drastically greater tendency to act as a meatshield for the rest of Jasper.
+ A lot of confusion! Is she actually permanently dead at home or what? If not, why not? What exactly was she doing that made people want her dead?
+ She identifies the assassin as a Methuselah; sometimes Methuselah have unusual abilities.
+ Confirmation that she is in a position of great power at home, though the specific nature of that power/just how ridiculously far it extends is still unclear. Suspicions that she was abusing it, though.

* A day posing as a university student.

[Game 112 - imagination - Three | Day 142 | nonshareable]

( snip )

+ Universities, dormitories, classes, general knowledge that 'Terran' and 'Methuselah' learning is artificially equalized by the system; no solid knowledge yet of what 'Terran' or 'Methuselah' are or why blood donations are a thing.
+ 20 SURE IS A LOT OF SCIENCE WHERE I'M FROM! Actual science/medicine details are blurred because those are skills.
+ Also she already knew what was being taught to her(?)
+ Byzantium is the city where she lives! Quiet sense of proprietary pride in Byzantium's facilities(?) Awareness that the city is veiled against the sun.
+ 20 false identities, established cover stories, costuming . . .
+ 20 sense of only being free under false identity.
+ The 'young, hardworking, educated Terran student' role! Comes with a false name Eve will not bother revealing or using in Aather.
+ 10 secured in fakery now that she has one of her detailed false backgrounds back, as well as one of her real responsibilities.