Hi and this is a good question. The answer would be yes! Everyone would preserve their memories about stabbing others and getting stabbed. So, have fun!

【 Oh beloved Fairy Queen, you are already in the lion’s den. Why not dye it crimson, leave a legacy in your wake? 】

A hum reverberates from the shell of a broken throat, fingers pressing one by one ascending a melodic scale upon the exposed flesh where mother had left her kiss earlier. Not on her. On her beloved, was he what mother would call a treasure?  A black pearl kidnapped in the shadows of night. Ah, it doesn’t matter. Nothing would matter anymore except to please mother. And mother was so happy. Oh, she seemed to have rejoiced so much, nipping at listening ears, murmuring words of encouragement in that soft velvety voice which only blankets comfort.

Mother is so proud of you. A child who swallows stars for a living preens, eyes scintillating with the dying flames of her rapture. Lost nebula coat the smile on cherubic lips, there is an almost childish joviality that causes heels to dance devilishly through the corridors where the Gryffindor students wandered. Mother loves you so much. Too much.

【 Dear sweet child, don’t be greedy. Mother’s love is for all, you must share it let them know! Let them rejoice in the touches of ambrosia, gold seeping into the cracks of a waiting spine. 】

❛ oh? ❜ The strings in the symphony of her min reaches a new cacophonous frenzy at the sight of someone familiar. A lark quickly turns into the serpent of Eden, slithering words into exposed ears. Mother loves everyone. Show him. Show him how much mother loves him too.

❛ hi dane, ❜ Perhaps, just perhaps there is too much stardust caught in the voice to ebony. He wouldn’t know that though. She is used to painting the fake light on an accustomed canvas of black. ❛ what good timing, i was just looking for you. ❜

【 Nia, oh little Nia do you even know what you are feeling? A pitiful girl. 】

She takes a step closer to the Gryffindor. Little by little, playing innocent, facial features reflect a girl at war with worry. However, not too close, for that would mean blaring an alarm that there’s thunder crackling between the two of them. 

❛ i was worried after the announcement so i wanted to check up on everyone. you look fine at least. ❜ In fine condition just for mother. A tittering sigh briefly escapes, shoulders slumping for a mere second before rising even higher than before. There is no fairy, but a demon entrapped in a ravenous smile. Carnage is her name, for without it how would she show how much mother loves everyone?

Mother needs to be here. Mother is here for you. Mother will also be here for Dane because mother dearest has endless love for everyone. She knows best.

❛ mother would be pleased to hear you know that you’re doing so well! ❜Titania chirps at last, finally closing the distance between the two of them. With great ease, a dagger appears in the arm she has raised for a simple second. The percussion of her mind roar as she lays a fateful mark on the soft organs of his right side. Pulling back, she smiles at her creation. ❛ mother loves you. so much, you’re so lucky. ❜

a flash flickers from his owlphone, signaling a received message. with ease does he turn the device over in his hand, unlocking it and swiping down to see what had been sent to him. his brow quirks at seeing it was none other than the headmaster sending an announcement, and normally he would pay no mind to it and wait for someone to fill him in, but to receive something so late from any of the staff members is unusual. after all, they never fail to chew him out when he sends in an email during the ungodly hours surrounding midnight.

so he does what any good mannered student would do: opens the notification to view the full announcement. he hums as he reads, scrolling through the device without haste. when he reaches midway, slowly reading over the part that mentions a cursed dagger, he frowns. it seems like something ripped straight out of an anime, and if that doesn’t put him on edge, he doesn’t know what will. anime is meant to remain as anime, not channel the horror of it all into real life. to a degree, the announcement confuses him, but he reads on till the end. 

it’s concerning, really. the entire message contained an ominous vibe and questions as to what the students were supposed to be cooperating with exactly. but his unrest dies easy. exams are postponed, which means his cramming sessions are also postponed until further notice. he could perhaps do something meanwhile, perhaps waste time until the headmaster and whoever else finishes their business. wasting time sounds good.

he pockets his phone and turns to head to the gryffindor’s common rooms. it’s quite a walk from where he is, but he doesn’t mind. he rounds a corner and stops, confusion washing over him when his name is called out. he squints for a brief second, head turned towards the voice, and he quickly eases again when he sees in clear view who calls to him. he knows her, and he’s quick to let a smile grace his face as he brings a hand up for a lazy wave. “yeah, the announcement was kinda… concerning? anyone could sneak up on you and you wouldn’t know. it’s spooky.”

everyone’s a suspect, he muses, trust no one, not even yourself. he opens his mouth to say his farewells, but she speaks before he can and closes in on him. he jostles as a sharp pain shoots through him, followed by a sharp intake of breath. he chances a glance down and groans at what he sees. a knife impales his stomach, and he thinks he should have seen this coming.

and as quickly as he felt the pain, it disperses, leaving nothing in it’s wake other than hands hovering nearby him and a slit through his clothes. eyes trail back up to to his friend, and he gives her a sweet smile.

Among one another, those infected would sort of act as if they’re all part of the same wavelength and sit around and chitchat about mother dearest all day and how wonderful she is, etc! Essentially it would be much like a creepy occult meeting between two zombies. Mombies? Anyone?

Hello! Thank you for your questions! First in regards to the brainwashing, nobody is able to overcome it nor ignore it. It is basically as suggested, mind control. The person who has been stabbed will be hyperfixated on the idea that they must spread mother's love to whoever they have strong attachments for and hasn't been infected as of yet. Mind you by strong attachments we don't mean simply just friends or lovers, afterall they do say that things such as hate is just a differents side of the same coin as love! 

In regards to the stabbing, the dagger is aware that doing it in the open would certainly cause a lot of chaos so we could say that in the beginning when there are still few people it would be easier for them to do it secretly. But as more people are infected and the dagger has to travel further in order to find a victim, it might become a bit more rash! For the time being though, we prefer the asks/submit to imply secrecy. 

Hope that helps! Feel free to message us if you have any more questions.

This is the only choice.

he circulates down to the main floor where the great hall lays. briefly perseus wonders if he should make a detour towards the hall where there must most certainly be people hovering around. but they would not be his best friend, his curious best friend who understands him so well. mother would love to see liam, mother would be able to help liam. mother would be the best thing to happen to liam.

down another flight of stairs he walks a bit more closer to the hearth that is the kitchen. it’s cozy down here, unlike the area near the slytherin common room. he would take the time to appreciate it, but his attention no longer focuses on anything in his surroundings. just a one track mind all in the name of mother.

“liam,” he calls into his phone after the other boy picks up. “liam can you come outside? i’m waiting right outside the door. i found a good hiding spot for the two of us. we’ll be safe from the announcement.”

his voice does not contain the excitement which otherwise thrums in his veins, straightforward and serious perseus hopes that mother is proud of his acting skills. all for mother, a smile drawing on his face when his best friend comes out. immediately the ravenclaw holds onto the hufflepuff’s hands and gives him a gentle tug. “this way.”

perseus leads the other boy to a quiet corner away from both the slytherin and hufflepuff common room. “it’s just over here.”

but he knows it’s a dead end because he once had a feline lead him down here and perseus has seen the lonely wall which greets him. liam wouldn’t see that wall though, perseus makes sure of that as he slows his step until he is behind the other boy, excusing it to fatigue while coaxing them along. 

one hand behind his back, allowing the dagger to slowly apparate he curiously turns towards the hufflepuff. “liam i have a question for you. what does love mean to you?”

the ravenclaw doesn’t wait for an answer when he whips out the weapon, only a second passing between now and the stabbing as the blade sinks into the hufflepuff’s back tearing apart sinews as if they were only in the way of his goal. what was his goal in the delicate expanse of the body? perseus doesn’t know but mother is happy with him and he feels the pride well up in his chest too.

“you will understand now too how much mother loves you. she will protect you.”

All was quiet. Strangely quiet, but Liam didn’t mind. He enjoyed the fact that there was no one around. The boy had heard a lot about what was going on around the school and he thought maybe not leaving his bed for few days was a safe choice. 

The silence broke when his phone buzzed, and the boy carefully scanned who was calling him. It was Percy, and his best friend was the only person Liam would trust right now.

The Hufflepuff picked the phone and listened to his best friend’s words, a bit of hope growing inside of him. Finally, he would feel safe again, it was great news. So the boy picked his blanket and a package of sweets, and carefully walked his way towards the corridor where his best friend was waiting for him. 

Liam allowed himself to be pulled, eagerly following the Slytherin through the corridors, careful not to drop his sweets nor his blanket. He trusted Perseus so much, he just kept on running as fast as he could, without question to where he was going.

The only moment when the race was interrupted was when his best friend made a question. One that had the boy slowing down, slightly confused from where that came from. Unfortunately, Liam didn’t have time to answer. 

He felt a sharp pain in his back, so strong that made him lose control over his own body, stepping on the blanket he was carrying and falling on the floor. Tears fell down his face, the feeling of betrayal and confusion washing over him.

“It’s ok, Liam... I am with you now... Don’t be scared, my child....”

The voice in his head was loud and clear. Louder than Perseus’ words. As a warm feeling spread over his body, Liam slowly laid on the ground, tired.

Blood still dripping from his back, tears still falling from his eyes, but he smiled. 

( ... )

“why would i dream about you?” it comes off like his regular snark at first, though his tone is much softer. and then, even more unusual, a faint, calm smile appears on his lips as he tilts his head slightly. “i only dream of being with mother...” 

malcolm doesn’t know what he expects. doesn’t know what he’s looking for from ichigo. most days, malcolm’s content with acknowledgement: knowing that ichigo remembers he exists, knowing that if there’s one constant in his life he can rely on, it’s ichigo’s biting hatred (and even that is better than nothing). maybe it’s stupid—no, it’s definitely stupid to find some kind of comfort in your nemesis—but malcolm likes knowing that he means something to someone he car—uh, has a complicated relationship with. sure.

scratching the tips of his ears, malcolm waits for the retort to hit him. gimmie something that’ll make me cry, ichigo, he thinks, the corners of his mouth lifting in glee. but something is off about his rival almost from the moment he turns—something missing in his eyes. not ire, not frustration, not even exhaustion at having to deal with malcolm’s bullshit. ichigo looks almost at peace; it’s an expression he’s never seen on the slytherin’s face before. and as if that isn’t strange enough, a smile appears on his lips slowly.

for a moment, malcolm forgets how to breathe. how long has it been since—how long has he seen ichigo smile, much less at him? and not when he’s in pain either, but—

@wescrx

    his heart was beating fast against his chest as he waited for her at the usual spot. the spot where everything happened and everything ended. it was always him who waited, waited until she arrived like the calm before a storm, mind always brewing, but never shows. maybe it was this about her that had intrigued him all those years ago. as calm as ever, she now approaches him and he holds out the bouquet of flowers to her, in the spot where everything happened and everything ended. 

    if anyone were to have taken snapshots of the two of them over the years and overlayed each image one on top of the other, they would notice that nothing ever changed. only the steady shifting of the seasons would be the proof that time even moved for the two of them. it was always the same. the two of standing still face to face, only mere steps away from each one another.. yet the distance always felt so much further. she was always unreachable. 

    maybe if wes had realized the thing that stood in their way before was so easy to fix, things would not have ended the way they did. had he tried harder to save her before, would they still be together? but now… equipped with the means to save her, to free her, he wanted to make sure that happened between them before would be something she’d never have to experience again. 

    “it’s uncanny how beautiful you can still look even when the whole world is going up in flame like this, dear isla,” he greets her, his tone always playful, ever so playful when it came to her, “but doesn’t this world also feel so… suffocating to you? there’s just not enough love." 

    ( give her my love, sweet wes. ) 

    at mother’s beckoning, wes takes a step forward, closing the distance between them that always seemed to foreboding to him, one he always felt so powerless against, but not anymore. not now when he had plunged the dagger into her chest, unblinking as he gazed into her eyes which shimmered with obvious pain. pain that he knew would subside and her world would then be filled with love, mother’s love. 

    he liked this spot, the spot where everything happened, where everything ended. where he had ended her suffering for her. 

    "isla, i’m sorry,” he murmurs softly, caressing her cheeks gently with his hands as teared brimmed in his eyes, “i’m sorry i wasn’t able to love you enough before, i’m sorry i couldn’t protect you… now though, now mother will love you. mother will love you so much, isla." 

there are many unsteady factors in isla’s life caused by the chaotic temperance of her mother. but wes had always been an anomaly to the constant spinning pinwheel, a chrysalis encased untouched by her mother’s stained finger now. isla had once attempted when juvenile essence still gripped the two of them. a foolish girl thought she could sneak in a relationship with a halfblood away from mother’s all-seeing eye. there was no such thing as being way, she unfortunately comes to learn once again the familiar taste of frustration and despair.

with it, isla also comes to learn how to build herself away from it all. find a loophole in the unexpected. though the slytherin’s heart no longer beat quickly around the gryffindor, she’s gained a lifetime friend. he knows her well and she understands him. for a girl who has never had many choices, it was something important. he was her hope.

isla’s false hope. they had landed in an unfortunate timeline. busy creating notes for an upcoming exam, isla had failed to thoroughly read the details in the announcement. a few words had flickered through. a dagger. a curse. danger. she should be fearful, but it’s almost child’s play for a girl whose own parents had tried to force her into eternal sleep so often.

she should have paid more attention earlier. eagerness is replaced by an alertness, the hem of her ruffling skirt brushing against her calves as isla comes to a halting stop. she knows what he’s like. isla knows his present life with her roommate and she hears snippets from her darling gryffindor friend. she knows things about him that don’t reflect what he’s like around her. it should be kept like that.

not this.

“yes wes...i suppose,” isla words herself carefully as mistrust enters her features, fingers fidgeting against the bouquest placed on her stomach that she had taken from him. the scent is so sweet. it drowns out her nose.

and he in turn drowns isla in red a second later. there is no pain, no nerves around the heart but there is something sticky and warm spreading across her chest. some splatter down on the bouquet which has now dropped to the ground left to be forgotten.

( hello there my sweet child, mother is here for you. )

❝ -- no! no, no, no, no, no! ❞ wes is saying something to her but isla can’t register it as panic settles into her being the moment a familiar feeling creeps over her. except stronger, reminding her of her feeble position.

she drops to the ground, clutching her head as painfully familiar words infiltrate her mind. numbing her. controlling her.

( what’s wrong my dearest? mother can help. )

her mind flickers to a distancing memory of the same exact words being spoken to her. there’s a hand, her hand, reaching out. but then there’s more pain. so much pain, a cry for help. but is this cry coming from her? or from little isla who trusted her mother and got burnt in return?

( you’re one and the same. )

on cue, her hands let go of her head and she slowly stares up at wes between tear filled eyes. slowly she stands up and reaches out forward to grab his hands carefully and shake them. it is interesting how the floral scent of earlier is replaced with iron.

( one and the same. )