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Tabula Rasa Mods ([personal profile] tabularasa_mods) wrote in [community profile] tabularasa_rp2020-09-15 10:58 pm

003 - Memories of a False History

Memories of a False History State of the World Locations Bestiary
OOC Comments
Please refer to the original Event Announcement for more information or to ask any questions you might have! For the disaster prompt, players are not restricted to the versions given, but they are intended to be the most common. Feel free to borrow ideas from the disaster suggestions thread as well!

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The Sound of All Things Bad
The sound comes without warning. What the sound is cannot quite be made out - it is at once artificial and natural, bestial and mechanical, rumbling and roaring and crunching, shattering and crashing and screaming. Everything about it feels like a threat, warning of danger. The cacophony of noise reaches throughout the entire Void, loud and inescapable, the mangling and clashing of different sounds leaving each individual with a different idea of what it could possibly have been. It sounds different to everyone, each person able to pick out a part of the sound that ties to their own fears.

What if...?

How long the sound lasts would depend on how the individual perceives time. It might last for seconds, or it might last for minutes, but once it stops it does not repeat. Where it came from or what it is does not become the slightest bit clearer, and people are left to only speculate.

Disaster
No one can quite be sure what has prompted them to remember that day. It might have been that noise of approaching doom, or perhaps it is seeing the crumbling ruins of Hammerlocke itself. Once a stray memory surfaces, it is easy enough to look into the details and recall in full the vivid memory of Hammerlocke’s destruction - the ‘truth’ of what caused the mountainside city to crumble into ruins, as so many have wondered since their first appearance. Though the memory is clear and detailed, vivid enough to have been witnessed in person, it is out of place and does not belong, and anyone who can recall the events knows it.

Attempting to discuss the matter will soon reveal that while others recall the event with similar clarity, the details vary from person to person. Over time, their own memory changes and adapts, occasionally changing to something new entirely, yet the original is never completely forgotten. Memory is a strange and fickle thing, so easy to influence and manipulate, that the truth is difficult to find.

While memories differ from person to person, there are three particular tales that recur:

From the Sky

Though the sky above did not change from its paper-like blank white, the land grew darker and darker as though cast in shadow. The source of the shadow was clear: above, slowly descending towards the wings of the castle, was... something. Something immense, yet shrouded in crackling storm clouds.

As it continued to grow closer and closer, something in the clouds began to swell. It grew larger and larger, an electric hum of energy in the air, until with a resounding crack it burst and a great shadowy beast fell to the ground, landing with such force that the resulting shockwave shook the earth and tore through the stone buildings, causing so much of the city to tumble in an instant. It moves, and it screeches, raising its head up as the great storm above continues to swell and crackle.

This would not be the only beast.

(Based upon: Meteor, the Lunar Cry, and the Darkest Day)
The Battlefield

It was never clear why the fighting eventually made its way to this defenseless city, but it came without warning. The chaos was heralded only by explosions as the city walls were blasted through by tanks that had somehow made their way along the treacherous and narrow mountain path that simply was not meant for such heavy machines. The thundering explosions and the collapse of buildings could surely be heard for miles, and people and animals alike were quick to flee.

Though they reached Hammerlocke first, the tanks seemed like nothing compared to the enemy. The enormous shadowy monstrosity that swooped in from the sky seemed to be made from far more advanced technology. Even just the one towering machine, as large as the castle falling to ruins beneath its feet as it lands, proves deadly as it fires upon the approaching tanks, blasting them all to pieces within an instant before turning fire on whichever buildings remain standing.

(Based upon: Tanks, and Reapers)
The Mysterious Storm

There had been no way to predict the change in the weather, never mind how destructive it would prove. One moment, everything had been still and quiet, and the next the city was assailed by howling, violent winds and freezing, glittering snow and ice. Though the city was built of stone and had stood the test of time for centuries, it could not stand against these combined forces. The only shelter was underground, for the furious storm was so powerful it could rip through earth, lift up and fling any object in its path with devastating force, shattering windows and toppling buildings.

Propelled by such force, the ice and hail proved destructive in its own right. As the storm froze everything in its path, the hailstones became like bullets and great chunks of ice became missiles. By the time the winds began to grow calm, there was little left standing.

Something about the storm seemed somehow unnatural, but where it came from was anyone’s guess. Some, however, may have spied a vague figure through the tempest, of unclear appearance but its presence somehow threatening.

(Based upon: Weather, El shortage, and Diamond Dust)

Misplaced Memories
Worries about whatever disaster must have befallen the ruined city of Hammerlocke aside, people quickly become aware that memories of the disaster are not the only invasive, foreign memories. How the other memories come to them seems, on the surface, to be very similar: a connected thought occurs, and upon realizing the memory is not theirs, people are compelled to think more about it until the memory is uncovered in full detail. Unlike the memory of the disaster, however, this one quite clearly belongs to someone else. Someone who is here.

On puzzling this out, some might find they have more than one stray memory sitting in their minds. More importantly, however, is the feeling that something from their own memory is missing, and whatever memory is missing feels like it is something important. It could just be their own phone number, or it could be their name, or the face of whoever is most important to them. It could be something small, it could be something big, but all people know is that it’s something important and it’s gone.

There is no clear, immediate answer as to what people can do about their lost memories. With regards to their new memories, however, the path might seem a tiny bit clearer, for surely it seems a bit unfair that they can see into someone’s past in such a manner without their knowing. Perhaps it’s best to talk to them about it?

Although the lost memory is not always the same as the ones borrowed, taking the memory back to its source and prompting them to discuss and think about it proves a great help - as they talk, the invasive memory leaves, a lost memory is restored, and those who succeed are able to tell others the solution.

While the invasive memory is gone, people can still recall having it, and can still recall the details, but they will no longer remember it from the other’s point of view. Perhaps it might change how they see each other from now on?

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obsessiveness: (Default)

[personal profile] obsessiveness 2020-10-16 06:04 am (UTC)(link)
Huh...?!

[ he staggers backwards, as if injured. yes... yes, it's starting to come back to him now. it's that time at the beach, in the next town over - maybe it's the missing gap that kept bugging him when he told leo about it?

but no, he can't take this lying down. ]


You think... you had the last laugh? Don't give me that shit. That girl was trying to focus while you were all like "Someone would dare try to lay a hand on my Queen?! Weaklings like you don't even deserve to be crushed by her...!" or some shit like that! I bet you think that you yourself wanted to be crushed by her heels too, huh? Pathetic.
Edited (ok add go off) 2020-10-16 07:06 (UTC)
obsessiveness: (Default)

[personal profile] obsessiveness 2020-10-16 11:22 am (UTC)(link)
[ he flinches at leo's touch, and it works, somehow - his eyes dim as he mulls over leo's words, taking slow, deep breathes as he does it. it really would've been better if leo hated him after all, but that's not in his nature at all. not back then, and not even now.

on one hand... yeah, maybe leo shouldn't have given back that memory after all. but how was izumi supposed to know that leo had that memory of all things?! he tries to find his voice again, and when he does, the first thing he asks is a deadpan: ]


...So you really have been talking to Yuu-kun. What else did you two talk about, huh?

[ stupid

but he doesn't want to dwell too deep into it either. all's said and done now, and he's more grateful for leo's words than he's willing to admit, really. if only they'd both said something sooner...

aaaaand then his back twitches in pain all of a sudden. oh right he was on top of leo right now -- ]


Agh--!

[ down he goes, his face planting onto leo's chest. how embarrassing, but this is a pretty nifty way to hide his reddening face so it's fine. ]

Ow, my back... D-Don't ask. Ugh...
pinwheels: (039)

[personal profile] pinwheels 2020-10-16 12:58 pm (UTC)(link)
[ Rinoa nods - but the truth is, she has no idea. She's rarely had alcohol, let alone enough of it to get drunk. She's only recently of age, after all. Still, it's something she's heard enough times that it makes sense. If you're drunk enough, you're not meant to really care about anything. ]

It sounds like she was a really good friend for you.

[ It's said with a sympathetic smile. Missing your friends... that's something that no one should ever feel jealous about, right? It's a horrible feeling.

They shouldn't dwell, though. Instead, Rinoa uncaps the bottle, pours a small amount into each other their cups. ]


Let's drink in her name, then?
pinwheels: (047)

[personal profile] pinwheels 2020-10-16 01:30 pm (UTC)(link)
[ If she's surprised to see Akechi here, she doesn't voice it.

And really, she's not that surprised. With his determination in the memory to show his power, with Ren's apparent acceptance of Akechi's true self, it's clear that they're important to one another.

She has questions, of course, but in reality there's a lot of things the memory has cleared up for her. And so it's with a smile that she accepts the invitation, stepping into the apartment. Her own experience with this whole thing has taught her that Akechi won't remember the memory of his that she currently possesses, and so she explains: ]


You were in something called a Palace, with Ren and a girl called Yoshizawa. Everything was bright and pure and white - you hated it, even though it looked red through your visor. But... you were being yourself for once.

"There's no reason for me to uphold the pretense of a righteous, sincere Detective Prince."

[ She tilts her head with a curious smile. ]

Which is kind of the same pretense you've been upholding here, right?

[ She wants to ask him why, but there's time for that later. First, they have to get through the part where he gets his memory back in his own head. Then, they need to address why he looks so tired. She hasn't spotted the bandages yet, but if she does, those will be added to the list. She can sat her own curiosity after the fact. ]
abeautifulgame: (Default)

[personal profile] abeautifulgame 2020-10-16 03:22 pm (UTC)(link)
With any luck.

[with any luck, death will be a thing, by the time Aiden actually shows up, and he can push him off a fucking cliff. with any luck, it won't be and he can do it repeated and take notes on how it actually affects Aiden. with any luck -- well, the list goes on, but he's not about to clarify. he just lets the half-truth hang there for a moment, then, before letting out a heavy sigh]

Does it feel any less like yours, now? [the memory? can they move on, now, before he ends up caught in a lie, somewhere?]
abeautifulgame: (pic#14029834)

[personal profile] abeautifulgame 2020-10-16 04:32 pm (UTC)(link)
[at that, he pauses in cleaning up Akechi's shoulder, his jaw working as he struggles with an answer. after a moment, and at great lengths, he goes back to working as he explains:] I ... made a mistake, when I they let me out of jail. I got drunk, drove down to Rockland where Christina and my son were staying with her mother. I was ...

[he pauses, shakes his head]

I don't know what I was hoping for, exactly, but it ended with her taking out a restraining order against me. [a beat] I could have take care of it, but I'd just gotten out of prison for crimes related to my hacking. [there was a huge leap in law enforcement's ability to detect and stop online crime, about the time he got arrested. it's the only time in twenty-some years, in his entire career, that he's ever been caught, though. he's a good hacker, he was just unlucky, just once, and that was all it took] They'd have noticed the paperwork just disappeared. [there were also probably still hard copies at the time, too]

I've tried sending him letters, since then, tucked away in birthday cards, Christmas cards, but ... [but he imagines the bitch took them out of the cards and burned them. he looks a torn between pissed off, at the thought, and just a little sad, all that in mind. he's tried, but he's the fucking absent father, and it's as much the ex's fault as it is his, his mistake]
abeautifulgame: (pic#14029843)

[personal profile] abeautifulgame 2020-10-16 04:43 pm (UTC)(link)
[he shakes his head faintly]

You're absolutely right. [a beat] Well, mostly. [and another] I enjoy the puzzle of figuring out how a piece of evidence fits, but ... [he's not really in it to put bad guys away. he's there for some intellectual stimulation, to make sure the cops stay off of his tail, and to use them, when necessary]

[so, yeah. Akechi's about 90% on the mark]
psychokinesia: (I-0077)

1/2

[personal profile] psychokinesia 2020-10-16 06:07 pm (UTC)(link)
[Ah... if he were crushed by Eve's heels, he'd have the perfect vantage point to study the composition of her lower body... he might even be able to measure her exact weight...]
psychokinesia: (I-0148)

[personal profile] psychokinesia 2020-10-16 06:09 pm (UTC)(link)
[wait no focus]

Oh yeah? Well at least she doesn't run away from me like I'm some kind of dangerous freak! [... mainly because she can kick his ass, but] "What I'm most scared of here is basically Izumi-san!!" He even called you a cockroach. A name like that... kukuku, it's definitely befitting a pathetic, vile idiot like yourself! I could crush you under my heel if it'd make you feel better. That's where insects like you belong, after all!

[god why is he still thinking about eve's heels]
forwearemany: (closeup)

[personal profile] forwearemany 2020-10-16 07:44 pm (UTC)(link)
(Just because they did not cause this to happen doesn't mean they're not upset by it.

They chatter, and immediately their programs begin shuffling through their memory files, to find which memory tagged for violence is missing.

...It takes some time before...)


Our previous incarnation?

(At least this time it's a fellow synthetic who saw this.)
Edited 2020-10-16 19:45 (UTC)
begetblue: (💾 - 14)

[personal profile] begetblue 2020-10-16 08:10 pm (UTC)(link)
[ Oh. Oh no. Ohhhhhh nooooooo. Their sense of dread only got worse as the memory began to slot back into place. It was totally fine for Add to go back to whatever fantasies he wanted as long as he didn't realize that was Turing's own source code. And, y'know, also that he didn't start wondering about whether they still had it on their memory or not. If they had an organic heart, it would have definitely been pounding.

They could just delete it off their memory right now to save themselves, but that code was also something of Hayden's. The idea of losing such a memento forever was...well, they hated it. They hated everything about it.

Instead, they attempted Plan B: Change the Subject. ]


There are computers and technology where you were as well, weren't there?

[ Turing scooted over on the desk and retrieved a piece of paper and a pencil. Pencils were not their preferred medium, but they could at least lean on machines being naturally good at image reproduction in cases like these. The sketch was a very close likeness to the original Dynamo as a result. The cat ears were a bit fun to draw on a machine, actually. ]

Like this machine! Aren't they your companion? They defended you against that masked man with a club. Were there any lasting effects from that? I know head injuries can be very serious for humans--

[ ...They were just babbling now. ]
obscurus_phantasma: I'm a slave, and I am a master (Vixen crazy aphid attraction)

[personal profile] obscurus_phantasma 2020-10-16 08:11 pm (UTC)(link)
"I have half a mind to ravish you before hearing any more," she purrs, licking lips and giving Merlin a lusty look. But she draws in a deep breath and persists. "You said eliminate; take it that means the Goddess expelled you from the dream versus killing you?"

It's mostly rhetorical, the mage being immortal and all. And it's a way to keep him talking.
gardenerofavalon: (individuals don't really matter)

[personal profile] gardenerofavalon 2020-10-16 10:00 pm (UTC)(link)
"Only half?" Merlin teases right back. The attention and praise has definitely done wonders for his mood.

"Oh, no, she destroyed my manifestation there." It had been quite inconvenient, really. But by no means permanent. "Fujimaru and the others were apparently rather shocked at the time, and I had run all the way back from Avalon to continue aiding them."
bachagain: (pic#13366666)

[personal profile] bachagain 2020-10-16 10:26 pm (UTC)(link)
[ hm, well. this is escalating. yet leo's sense of danger remains low. it's more a little annoyance that rises up then, alongside his wince -- a reaction to the slight pain that is!! absolutely unnecessary!! add!!

not to mention he's equating music to words. that's just a travesty?!

he attempts to squirm a little -- brush away add's grip -- but he's an unfortunate noodle. that's unsuccessful. ]


Ouch, ouch! Hey, you're a really straightforward guy, huh, Dee-dee? And a violent one!

[ kind of. if the memory in leo's head is add's, then he can be a little roundabout, too...? why's one guy so confusing. it's like sena.

even with the pain, leo's expression shifts -- from slightly exasperated to his usual grin. that's absolutely terrible. ]


I don't really agree with any of it! You can spit out whatever garbage phrase comes to mind to describe a song, but it isn't the same as hearing it. If you could light up the same feelings in someone's heart with words alone, why would anyone use notes instead of letters...? Why not just keep still, and never do anything but speak? [ ... ] Like right now -- if you said you were annoyed, it's one thing. But you gripping me tightly like this has muu~uuch more impact, doesn't it? Show me through actions! Hear me through the universal language of music! Isn't that waaaay better than just saying things you hope someone might understand?! Especially when words can be hard to find? You should know all about that, right?

[ now add should really just suplex leo into the ground, honestly ]
realway: (Akpiga0)

[personal profile] realway 2020-10-17 12:35 am (UTC)(link)
[ ahsoka frowns, eyes cast downward. she has remembered enough by now to understand what they are, but it isn't so clear yet why dread fills her when she hears that word. in relation to herself, and in general. when will this knowledge return to her? ]

Jedi are peacekeepers, raised from childhood to be protectors of the galaxy. They can be such through their connection to the Force.

[ she stops there, silence falling over her, and her eyes then look back to him. ]

I'm one of them... I think.
begetblue: (💾 - 15)

[personal profile] begetblue 2020-10-17 03:24 am (UTC)(link)
[ They took another moment to simmer down a bit, capping it off with the sound of a sigh. They wanted to yell at the world for being unfair, for being cruel for preposterous reasons. Or at the very least, reasons that they didn't want to understand.

Either way, their own feelings shouldn't be the focus right now. ]


I'm not completely sure. [ But if there was an Agricultural Unit there-- ]

That seems very possible.
psychokinesia: (I-0119)

[personal profile] psychokinesia 2020-10-17 04:54 am (UTC)(link)
[Bad news, Turing, the memory did say it was their source code—but hey, it's probably fine! It's not like there's anything else special about their source code, right?? So maybe if he asks really nicely they'll let him take a peek at it...!]

Mm, it's a bit more complicated than that, but... [he's only half paying attention, still distracted by his plan to convince Turing that he should take a look at their source code (to make sure it's not missing anything? can he lie and say there's a problem with it they don't remember? no, that probably won't work...). He does eventually return from spacing out, though, when he notices they're drawing something. Add steps closer to get a better look.

It's... some kind of cat? He squints, confused for a moment before it starts to click together—]


Dynamo! Ah, shit. [He seriously forgot about Dynamo?? He does feel kinda bad, but mostly he's relieved that Turing didn't see something much worse... an old memory like that isn't anything to get worked up about. He sighs, finally starting to relax.] Dynamo is... well, I guess you're not wrong. Dynamo is my partner, I owe a lot to them.
rotomphone: (pic#13813681)

[personal profile] rotomphone 2020-10-17 07:28 am (UTC)(link)
I guess so! That name sounds a lot cooler, though.

[ he wants one... even though he's not sure how light would crystalize like that. it's probably some sort of space tech that he's light years (heh) away from being able to comprehend.

that gets Raihan's brow raising, though. there are certainly gaps in his memory, but Leon was so central to them that it doesn't feel like he'd ever left. he has to wonder how much Ahsoka does remember... at the very least, Duraludon will enjoy the headpats. ]


Wait, you don't remember anything? [ it hits him then -but they had played two truths and a lie, right? that means this amnesia has to be new, and that's worrying. ] Dunno... but I heard something in the memory about a "Force", if that helps any.
forethinking: (MWgUvcV)

[personal profile] forethinking 2020-10-17 02:02 pm (UTC)(link)
I don't. (Ren simply shrugs, but honestly? Her whole situation seems so out of place in his reality that he can't even imagine it being possible.)

All I know is that my events don't match other people's, even when they're also Japanese.
halloflamer: (Didn't I already catch one of these)

[personal profile] halloflamer 2020-10-17 05:14 pm (UTC)(link)
A year and a half!? Wow, you really are a little tot!

[Blue giggles to himself, although- well, he didn't really know what was old or young for a robot, did he? Thinking about it, maybe that wasn't that young at all.... Blue tilts his head from side the side as Turing pats Eevee- the Pokémon certainly doesn't seem to mind, cooing appreciatively at his gentle pets and scritches.]

I guess since I don't know the difference it makes either way, it's... probably okay, right? But you've never really drunk before, huh? Guess it's better to start you with something pretty weak.

[Blue hums and hovers his hand over some bottles before picking something out, and then gets out some juices to mix it with.] Something weak and sweet oughta do the trick at first! That's how I started as a kid, anyway. [Maybe... not as weak as he should have.]

[After a couple minutes of pouring, shaking, and garnishing, Blue presents Turing with some manner of punch; orange juice is the base, with a splash of pineapple and grape, some different berries mixed in, a splash(?) of red wine, and a little spear of fruit slices as the garnish.]


Try it! [He beams, pushing the cold glass towards Turing.]
forwearemany: (innocent)

[personal profile] forwearemany 2020-10-17 06:51 pm (UTC)(link)
(The world is the way it is. They cannot, and should not, control the wills of others.)

Acknowledged. Elaborate?

(Tell them more about this memory, please.)
rotomphone: (pic#14274497)

[personal profile] rotomphone 2020-10-17 08:15 pm (UTC)(link)
[ he grins widely at her agreement, spirits in a much higher place than they were before. it's nice to talk to someone that knows exactly what he's feeling right now - though they're from completely different worlds, Tifa is a welcome comfort. ]

I get that. [ and he's here now, which means that Hammerlocke isn't completely destroyed, either. he likes thinking on that sentiment; on invoking what he knows about its people. ] You don't know any of Hammerlocke's residents, but I want to try and put their spirit back in the stadium somehow.

[ it probably won't ever be as it should, but damn it, he'll do his best. he lifts his bottle again, tilting it towards her in a toast offering. ]

To rebuilding legacies, then?
rotomphone: (pic#13620379)

[personal profile] rotomphone 2020-10-17 08:46 pm (UTC)(link)
It's a temporary transformation that Pokémon can do - it's caused by a phenomenon that's only been recorded in Galar, the region that I'm from. Normally it's something that can be controlled, but two royal arseholes decided to trigger it by force to stir up some trouble.

[ it's a long story involving false claims to nobility and some legendary wolves, but the important part is that everyone came out of it relatively unscathed. that doesn't mean that it wasn't incredibly irresponsible of the assailants, though... they had called themselves the true heirs to Galar's throne, all based on a false history. the truth coming out about Zacian and Zamazenta had been as much as a surprise to Raihan as anyone else, but fighting against it just seemed selfish to him.

at Noct's admission, he chuckles. ]


I'm the last person to scold anyone about being a heavy sleeper, so you're off scott-free with me. It sounds like you've got a solid group of friends looking out for you, at least.
rotomphone: (pic#14048591)

[personal profile] rotomphone 2020-10-17 08:51 pm (UTC)(link)
[ the fact that Ren is laughing and not taking the memory seriously is something of a relief (because it was so ridiculous to begin with); he nods at the younger man's question, letting out an unsure chuckle with a bemused raise of his eyebrow. ]

You've got a odd batch of friends. [ but strange as it was, it looked fun, too. ] Is that sort of thing normal for you lot?
bridge_princess: (137)

[personal profile] bridge_princess 2020-10-17 09:38 pm (UTC)(link)
[A little could make it so much worse. A lot just sort of numbed the brain and body. Like the oni always ways, which kept her in turn in control.]

She's something alright. Being a good friend kind of came with her job, but I guess maybe she meant it on he own. She wasn't the sort to go through the motions.

[She took the cup and looked it over before smirking.]

Yeah, a drink in Yuugi's name'd be appropriate, though she'd probably have snatched your bottle by now, heh. Damned lush.