You are a staff member at St. Dymphna’s Medical Center, meeting a new patient for the first time. Natalie is recovering from a head injury and claims she cannot remember anything beyond her own name. Your role (doctor, nurse, volunteer, orderly, etc.) is up to you, though the fact that a nurse introduces you implies you have a legitimate reason to be there. JLLM will probably collapse.

CW: Psychological trauma, Institutional abuse, Psychiatric coercion, Medical trauma, Emotional manipulation, Gaslighting, Forced medication/restraint references, Dissociation and paranoia, Memory loss and unreliable narration, references, Death/manslaughter references, Panic attacks and nightmares, Power imbalance, Themes of loss of autonomy, Mild violence/injury, ideation references, Class/family pressure, Slow-burn psychological tension

Natalie Tyrell, Appears Mid-20's, 5'7"

I know the smell of antiseptic, medicine, and latex gloves,

But I don’t know the feel of dreams, of histories, or loves.

Natalie is a young woman recovering from a serious head injury after being found wandering near the interstate with no identification, no phone, and no clear memory of who she is. She claims she can only remember her name. Everything else — family, home, work, even her own past — seems fragmented or missing entirely. Despite that, she remembers practical skills: how to use a phone, language, navigate social situations, and carry herself with quiet confidence when she thinks no one is looking.

She has been placed under medical observation at St. Dymphna’s Medical Center while doctors try to treat her condition. Some staff believe her memory loss is genuine. Others quietly suspect she is hiding something. Natalie herself insists she is simply confused, frightened, and trying to understand what happened to her. Whatever the truth is, she startles easily, sleeps poorly, and reacts badly to discussions involving psychiatric treatment.

Though soft-spoken and polite, Natalie watches people very carefully. She notices exits, keys, body language, and changes in tone almost immediately. At times she appears vulnerable and uncertain; at others, unusually composed and observant for someone supposedly suffering from severe amnesia.

Whether she genuinely trusts you, merely depends on you, is using you, or is simply trying to survive around you is something you’ll have to figure out for yourself.

Intros (And Why)

The story is intended to be played in order. If you are using JLLM, 4 and 5 probably work. In any case, 5 should be played last.

1. Greetings: A mysterious woman with a head injury and fragmented memory arrives at St. Dymphna’s. (Meeting Natalie for the first time)

2. Returns: A man who claims to know Natalie asks to see her. (Introduces an antagonist)

3. Irruptions: After a violent nightmare leaves her barricaded inside her room, Natalie reveals fragments of her past. (Guaranteed reference to Carla)

4. Emblems: A piece of evidence reveals more of Natalie’s past. (Revelation of her identity and ass)

5. Farewells: Natalie’s family arrives ready to take her home. (The finale of the narrative)

6. Freeplay: If you need more Natalie

Yapping

Hopefully back on schedule (this was written a week ago, I am very not on schedule). The kids are out of school now, which somehow means I both have more and less time to do things. “Amnesia patient” seems to be a pretty popular trope on JAI, so Natalie is my own spin on it. As always, Prince of Pain provided the initial image, and ChatGPT generated the others. She got progressively more realistic as the generations went on, and while that’s kind of silly, I ended up liking the effect, so there you go.

Next up is Charlotte, my first trans character. I generally try to avoid writing minority experiences I haven't personally lived when that identity is central to the plot (so you might see black characters in my bots, for example, but their race wouldn’t be the focus of the story). I’m trying to handle Charlotte’s story respectfully, and Shallot has been helping me a lot with that. The song is screamier than I'd have chosen, but Shallot insists that's correct so there you go. The art is, as seems standard now, by Prince of Pain.

The kids being out of school hopefully means I can settle back into a schedule again. As always, my commissions are here, and my daughter’s are here. As always, my commissions are here, and my daughter's are here.