Mission 25 [Voice]

[redhairedknight]

 [This is something that's been on her mind for a while, but she hadn't wanted to express it.  Still, she figures that she should probably bite the bullet and ask - what harm could it do?]

How do you deal with someone who has amnesia?  ...Not here - at home.  A friend of mine doesn't remember anything about his life, whether it's good or bad.  Whether I meet him here or back home, I don't know whether I should tell him about his life, or let him start fresh.  Having a fresh start would be better for his conscience, but... some of his actions were particularly cruel, and if he doesn't know about them, he'll be targeted for acts that he doesn't know he did.

Comments

[hasnobeats]

[Mmm... That's a good question. And of course, having had amnesia before and even being called 'Amnesia Guy' by a friend, Otonashi's totally pinged by this..]

Does he know he has it?

[redhairedknight]

Yes, he knows that much. I didn't manage to tell him much else, though - the situation that we were in was hardly ideal for conversation.

[hasnobeats]

Alright. [Hmmm.] Did he say whether or not he actually wanted to know about his life?

voice - LOCKED

[novelist]

... As someone who has once found a stray cat who once had a case of amnesia...

I may be of some help, hmm?

voice - LOCKED

[redhairedknight]

How could a cat get amnesia? [Then again, she supposes that Happy could just as likely develop amnesia as anyone else.] ...Sure, if you think that experience will help any.

voice - LOCKED

[novelist]

A metaphor. ... The man I found one day in the rain really could be compared closely to a stray though, heheh... Though, I ask that you keep this between the two of us.

... Overtime, their memory may return to them.

[voice]

[notreesplease]

Is there no way to let your friend decide?

[A relatively long silence.]

I have never suffered from amnesia myself before coming to this village, but... perhaps your friend would rather not learn. Even when you only mean well, words have... consequences.

[voice]

[redhairedknight]

I could let him decide, yes. And I can see why I wouldn't tell him - he seems... happier this way. It's just... he committed some horrible crimes when he had his memories - if I didn't tell him anything, he could be thrown in prison or killed without having any idea why it was happening.

[voice]

[notreesplease]

I don't believe that knowing knowing why he would be killed would make any difference to him. Death is still death. If your friend does not remember for himself, he might think his attackers justified. He might... let himself die.

[Another silence.]

Perhaps... just stay with him? Or - or someone else he is close to. Then when he remembers, or when you have to tell him, he will at least know that one person found enough good and hope in him to judge him worthy of forgiveness.

[voice]

[perplexme]

Try not to confuse him, first of all. If you're going to be the one to tell him about his life, start off with small facts instead of bombarding him with the heavy stuff. Maybe...maybe he'll remember the bad things on his own if you ease him in with the good stuff. What's the likelihood of that?

[voice]

[redhairedknight]

That makes sense. I'm sure that, even if he remembers the bad things that he did, it won't change who he is. I just don't know if he'd be able to live with himself if he knew what he did.

((OoC: Just re-read that part of the series (haven't read it in a while), and I realized I had made a mistake. Sorry about that.))

[voice]

[loveandevil]

Hmmmm...in my professional opinion as a doctor...what's easier for you?

[voice]

[redhairedknight]

...Neither one seems ideal. He was... a friend of mine, and if I didn't tell him about his past, if he had no idea who I was, it would be unbearable. However, I would inevitably have to tell him about some of the crimes he committed, and I don't know how well he'd take that.

[ voice ]

[etudes]

[ oh, this is something she's familiar with, even if her own case was a much lighter kind of amnesia her friend had, but still.. ]

I think.. it's better to not tell them. Having a fresh start from everything is much better than having them remember, right..?

[ voice ]

[redhairedknight]

Yes, I can see the reasoning behind that. It's just that, before he got amnesia, he did some terrible things. I don't know why - he was always so nice when we were kids - but I wouldn't want him to be hated by so many people without knowing why.

[voice]

[frost_jewel]

If he does not remember but he wants to know...maybe you should just let him ask. Unless he will be dangerous without some of that knowledge, I think it should be up to him.

[Erza is not obligated to listen.]

[voice]

[redhairedknight]

...I suppose so. It's just that... there are some things that I don't know how to tell him. I don't know if he'll even believe me, and I wouldn't want to alienate him.

[bloodypocket]

Would you happen to know the circumstances that led to the amnesia? [He has a similar situation to this, sad to say.]

[redhairedknight]

...I'm not entirely sure. Until I found out about that, I had thought that he was dead - he sacrificed himself to stop a tower from collapsing. I don't know how he survived, but if I had to guess, that would be what caused it. [It's slightly more complicated than that, but Erza decided to keep it simple. She doesn't want to re-live all of that anyways.]

[voice]

[fourteen]

... why not just ask him what he'd prefer? That seems like it'd be fair.

[ It hits a little close to home, this question - she's not entirely sure how to feel about it. ]

[voice]

[redhairedknight]

Even if I did, it would be difficult to deal with either way. If he doesn't want to know, he'd be in danger, and if he wants to know, I wouldn't know how to break some of it to him.

[ voice ]

[laceratings]

Some things are better off forgotten.

[ voice ]

[redhairedknight]

But there are some things that are worth remembering.

[risingwinds]

[...Ah, Ven can definitely relate, in a way.]

I think it depends on what he wants, like if he wants to know about his past. Sometimes it's better to start fresh. I feel like, even if you lose everything, you can always build new memories.

[But that last bit... hmm.]

But if people are gonna be hard on him, maybe it wouldn't hurt to tell him. You've just gotta be careful and make sure it's at the right time.

It might be tough to break it to him, but if it's important, then I think he deserves to know. It's no fun being left in the dark.

[Which is exactly what happened to him.]

[voice]

[redhairedknight]

Yes, he wouldn't want to be left knowing nothing, and timing is certainly key. ...But haven't you answered already? [Though with a bit more thought, Erza supposes that Ventus and Roxas being twins couldn't be ruled out. Still, her immediate reaction is confusion.]