You're in the middle of a forest. You have no idea about *anything* that's been going on. No recollection about your past, no idea how you even *got* there in the first place. You try and search your mind. All you find is a name. ### Era. You feel, instinctually, it is yours - and yet, something feels off about it. Is it really yours? It might have been once, but "Era" doesn't really feel like a *name*, it's more of a word. Start of an Era, end of an Era, "Oh, hey guys, check out this cool game, it's call Scrawlaxy Online Era!" You don't even know what that last thought was. Your mind can't seem to pick up anything. You pick up your two feet and walk, the trees dense as ever. You feel scared that you don't know anything, except your own name. The leaves and branches crack and crumble under your feet. You search your pockets for anything. There's a pill bottle, and... A wallet? There is an ID inside it, but some of it is scratched out... ``` Name: Era [Illegible] Responsible Parents: [Illegible] Origin: The Human Residence, The Plane Species: Human --------------------------------------- Approved for Government Benefits. ``` The back has a photo of... it might be you. It looks like anyone else, nothing notable, except for the hair - why is it green? Can people be naturally born like that? You put the ID back, there's nothing else on it, save for the info higher ups use for identification. There's nothing else in the wallet. You sure? You feel like there should be something, it's in the back of your throat. Aha! A secret compartment. You pull out a piece of paper that unfolds into a note, written on a torn piece of scratch paper. ``` I allowed you to forget, so that you may live in the light. You might have questions, and I understand that. Some of the muscle memory that comes to you might answer those questions. But I can't tell you anything without compromising your innocence. Do NOT try to remember. You are a new person. You have done nothing wrong. ``` Just who exactly wrote this? The writing seems neat - no, the two 'L's are the same, this was typed. Nobody wrote this. You therefore deduce that, whoever was responsible for this, has a lot of tech at their disposal. You then look to the pill bottle. Its label is completely scratched off, except for a couple of lines - mainly, your first name, and that you need to take it once daily. There's plenty in there for a while - but if you needed more, you wouldn't know where to get it. "What is going on...?" You hear yourself say that. Your voice comes off as... masculine, yes, but childish. It would make more sense to say it sounds androgynous, but by the scratch of your patchwork, you're definitely a guy. This rubs you the wrong way. If there's such thing as a "primal urge", it's telling you that being a guy is going to *suck*. You keep walking against the thought. You need to know what went wrong. By now, you've come across a cabin. A girl is there, who's head is probably more red than yours is green. It's covering one of her eyes while she waters her flowers. She's humming - her voice sounds deeper than you'd expect - maybe a bit more than yours, but still effeminate. You don't want to be creepy, but also, you need answers - literally *anything*. She's the closest to you, so you breathe, try to your best to shake your head and wick away the fear, and approach her. "Uh, hi! You okay, stranger?" You nod your head. "I'm alright. I understand if you don't believe me, but I... need some help." "Sure? What's up?" She tilts her head a bit, like old friends. But you don't know her - you don't even know *you*. You pull out your ID and the piece of paper. "I feel like I just landed here. This is all I have. I don't know *who* I am." She mulls them over. "Hmm... Era, is it? The name's Mako. It means 'Shark' where I come from. You seem a bit worn out, do you want some tea? I have a kettle brewing." Some tea sounds good right now. "If you're offering, yes." "Here, come inside! You look like you could use a seat." You acquiesce. The inside is nice and warm compared to the mild frigidity of the outside. You sit down at the table in front of you, and Mako provides you with a nice cup of tea. You take a sip... It's the first thing that's hit your lips in a while, you figure. It's pretty good, but just to be polite... "This is delicious, Mako! I appreciate you doing this for someone you just met." "Everyone's got a story. I rarely see anyone, so it's nice to talk to something that isn't the television." She's smiling. It's something heavenly. Maybe it's because she's a lass, or because you feel like you haven't seen anything like it, but it's adorable. She smiles with her eyes and her mouth. "Yeah, yeah, it's... no problem." She hands the ID and paper back to you. "Say, Era, was it? Your id says you get benefits?" "That is what it says." "You know, that could help me out, actually... I'm a bit strapped for cash lately, if you register in the main town, they might help us out with like, food and supplies." "And how does that help you?" "Well, do you remember where you live?" You concentrate. A complete blank. You haven't known the concept of proper housing in... you want to say years, but you also want to say "Aeons". It's like there's two different languages, and they're both... English? No... it's Townfolk. Right? The concepts mix in your head, like a warzone, fighting against each other. You can't tell what's real and what's fake. You compose yourself and answer the question. "No, not really." "Then, if we take you to register, say, tomorrow? You could be my roommate." "That's... you'd do that for me?" "Well, yeah, but it's also so I don't have to pay property taxes." "Fair enough." You breathe a sigh of relief, for not having to worry about that. "Sorry if I snore loud. I don't even know how I snore." "It's alright. Hey, there's a bathroom upstairs, your face needs washing. Maybe use the razor while you're at it, you've got a bit of a beard there, Era." You head upstairs. You look yourself in the mirror of the bathroom. You certainly don't look... horrible. Indeed, you do have green hair, but it's all scraggly and unkempt. You take a comb from a drawer that isn't heavily clogged with red strands, and try to tame it, but nothing. You yell out from the balcony. "Hey, I'm gonna take a shower, can I use your soaps?" "Sure! Just don't use the mango ones. Everything else is probably full anyways." ... You finish with your wash up, finally making yourself look presentable. You even got rid of the patchwork defining your chin, and you look... great, actually. Your hair is in good touch, but a part of you wants to pull it back into a ponytail. Hm. Not nearly long enough for that. Again, that familiar dismay - what is it, exactly? You try to place it... but nothing. You only know how to talk, and what a couple of common household items are. Best to hide that stupidity for now until you can figure things out. You put on a new pair of clothes that was put on the counter. It's nothing fancy - Jeans, a green shirt, and a sweatshirt, also green. You get a feeling this might define your look for 4 or 5 acts of a play. You walk out of the bathroom, just as Mako was coming up the stairs. "Woah, you're cute!" You look at her funny. You wouldn't exactly call yourself cute. "I mean, you look much better, Era. Sorry." "It's alright, I guess I have a charm about me." That's a lie, and you *know it*. That night, after being shown the bedroom you'd be staying in, you see if you can remember anything new. Note from before, your name... still nothing. Decayed as ever. You looked around the bedroom. It's nothing fancy - the walls are standard log-cabin-esque, built tree by tree, with the occasional circle inside of them, probably from a cut tree branch. Mako, that nice girl... did she build all of this? Everything seems so normal, and yet, you can tell it was intricately made with human... well, human-ish hands, you'd imagine. The bedspread is nice - the covers are intricate, with several flower patterns and blossoms imprinted upon a brown blanket. Wait! Something did pop into your mind. You try and look at it... The... the screams... The desert... The battles... You grip your head in pure pain and agony, trying your best not to rouse your new roommate. It fills you with fear. Pure, unadulterated, unfiltered, fear for your life and your new house and your new friend and your everything and everything you've ever owned and- You feel like you might not be able to hold a [[Knife]] in your life, ever again.