003 - Memories of a False History

[tabularasa_mods]

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!

▲▼▲▼▲▼▲▼▲
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?

back to top

code bases by tricklet

Comments

[anciently]

Yeah. [ "Confused and concerned" sums it up pretty nicely. She'll step inside, if Tifa indicates she'd prefer her own room, and stands, wringing her hands a little as she finds herself at quite a loss for words. ]

Um... Hmm. [ Aerith furrows her brows, still deeply puzzled over the memory that...she doesn't remember, which...doesn't belong to her. A new, bizarre experience in this new, bizarre place.

Finally, the flower girl sighs softly, looking up to meet the other's eyes. ]

I...think I saw something, or - I feel like I was there, but...it doesn't belong to me. [ Kinda like how they'd all seen flashes of the alternate future, back in Midgar, but...not quite. ] Cloud was there, and...Jessie. [ A young woman she'd never met, but whose death she'd witnessed. Somehow, it'd felt - invasive, for her to be there in that private, awful moment. ] She was...hurt pretty bad.

[starshower]

[Tifa waits, the smile that's sat across her expression now fading with every passing moment, while Aerith tries to find the right words to express what she saw. And then, she hears Jessie's name, and the pit of her stomach drops.]

Oh... [is all she says at first, finding her knees suddenly weakened under her weight, and she drops down on the bed, gaze turned down to her hands clasping together.] You saw that, huh?

[Not exactly what she was expecting, especially when she had seen Cloud on stage through Aerith's eyes, but... it's probably better that she holds off on that for now.

She remembers every last word of that moment, while Jessie lay in Cloud's arms. Her whole world had turned blurry through tears, and the sounds of gunshots and explosions turning to nothing but muffled background noise in her head. "Tifa's crying," she'd pointed out, and when she tried to speak, she could only sob. She can easily recall the distraught look on her face at that, thinking that she'd done something wrong. She had. She did. She was reckless.]

Jessie is... [A friend. Family.] We lost her that night.

[Her head finally lifts to look up at Aerith.]

After I left you and Wedge, Cloud and I found her buried underneath pieces of the tower. I don't know how it happened, but by the time we got to her, it was too late.

[ ... ]

I'm sorry you had to see that, Aerith.

[anciently]

[ Aerith...just nods gently, lost in thought with what Tifa tells her. She'd seen the memory, but with the explanation, it's put in more context: this had been part of the attack, when the plate fell. When she'd been down on the ground with Wedge, and then Marlene.

She swallows the lump in her throat. ]

I'm so sorry, Tifa. [ She says quietly, hands curling into fists. ] Maybe if we'd gotten back more quickly from the train yard, then...

[ There are always so many "what-ifs." She certainly doesn't ask if Tifa had been sure that Jessie had really passed away, but it's also in Aerith's nature to hold out some hope that their having beaten the Whispers...could maybe save her, still. Change the destiny intended for not only Jessie, but Biggs, too. And Wedge.

For all of them. ]

I'm sorry that I saw something so private. [ She says after a pause, now relaxing her hands. ] And...that it happened at all. I hope that we're able to...make her proud, in the end. That we can help the Planet, and make it so her sacrifice wasn't in vain. [ ... ] No, we will do it. We'll make sure to reach the end that Jessie fought for. Okay? And I'll do everything I can to help to get us there.

[ Whatever the cost. ]

[starshower]

[She's already come to that resolution, long before they left Midgar, but having to relive that moment even so briefly made her forget. Hearing Aerith say that... it reminds her that they still have a long fight ahead of them, and that letting it keep her down will do nothing to honour Jessie's memory.

It allows her the room to smile, lifting some of that weight off her shoulders again.]

Jessie fought hard, did a lot for the cause. It shouldn't have ended that way, but I'm not going to let it be for nothing.

[They'll all get what's coming, in time... but Tifa keeps that thought to herself, opting for returning Aerith's positive sentiments with her own.]

You two would've liked each other. She was strong but kinda reckless... a lot of fun to be around.

[anciently]

She sounds really great. [ Aerith asserts softly, nodding. ] I'm glad you got to know her so well. And...a little jealous, too.

[ Jessie had been a really incredible person, from all she's heard. Aerith lowers her gaze in reverence, expression still twinged with sadness. ]

We all...only have the time that we have, and it sounds like she made every moment count. And I'm sure you all meant the world to her, too.

[starshower]

I'm sure we did. She was like family to me.

[Jessie was the only one that had a family waiting for her back home on the plate, but she still made it feel like they were all just as much a part of it. She was an important part of the group, and always will be.]

Bet she'd tell us to stop sulking so much if she could see us right now. [She'd punch Tifa on the arm and tell her to stop being such a downer, and the image alone draws a laugh out of her.] She'd also say "hey Tifa, didn't you come here to talk to Aerith about a different memory?"

[anciently]

You did? [ The memory of Jessie had been...understandably all-consuming, so Aerith perks up a little in surprise when Tifa mentions it. ] I guess...you got one of mine, huh?

[ Hopefully, nothing too bad... ]

It's weird, isn't it? [ She speaks up again, tilting her head to the side a bit. ] This is...not really a great experience, but...it's bringing people together. I've met even more people who live here with us that I'd never seen before because they had a memory of mine. It's...kinda nice, if you think about it like that.

[starshower]

Yeah, it is kinda strange that way, isn't it? [Aerith's words remind Tifa a little of something Parsee had said, too.] We're all understanding each other a little better too, I think. What makes some people the way they are...

[Because sometimes, it does come down to environment... Tifa is spending less time at Heavenly Blanc for a reason, and some people have seen why.

As for what she's learned about Aerith through all of this... Well. The smile that had Tifa knocking on Aerith's door in the first place makes its triumphant return.]

I did get one of yours, but I'm... not quite sure what to make of it. [Hopefully Aerith can shed some light on the situation, considering it had been from her point of view she'd seen it from.] I had no idea Cloud knew how to dance...!

[anciently]

That's true... I didn't realize it at first, but I've seen a lot more of some of the people here. I think I've spent more time in their memories than I've ever talked to them!

[ Only for some, but it's been enlightening enough that she not only wants to return those memories, but also to get to know the others. After all, they're all stuck in this place, right? It makes sense to try and spend some time at least introducing herself as much as possible.

At what Tifa says - and at her mischievous smile - Aerith smiles more broadly herself, face lighting up with the memory. ]

Surprising, right? [ And she laughs, too, as the pieces of the memory begin to come back to her. ] Was it the Honeybee Inn? Andrea Rodeo?

[starshower]

No other place could put on a show quite like that, could they?

[The Honeybee Inn was famous throughout Midgar, and Andrea even more so. He was just as showy as Tifa imagined he would be, so of course the Honeybee Inn was that way too. It's pretty impressive, and she has to give props to them where it's due.]

Real surprising. Cloud doesn't seem like the type who would know, right!? [Tifa can't stifle her giggles now as she tries to recall the exact moves he does, and even mimics one of them from where she's sitting.] How'd you convince him to do it?

[anciently]

Not that I know of! [ The Honeybee Inn is famous for a reason, after all! It'd been like nothing she'd ever seen before, and like nothing she'll ever see again, or so she assumes. ]

He definitely doesn't...but, it just goes to show that you can't judge a book by its cover! [ Even someone as stoic as Cloud can be surprisingly silly, if and when he wants to be.

The question elicits a curious little smile, and Aerith cocks her head just slightly as she studies Tifa. ]

It was for you, Tifa! [ She answers, brightening. ] We knew we needed some advice on Corneo's tastes so we could sneak in, so we got some tips about local figures who might be able to help out. Andrea had his eye on Cloud from earlier, and we knew this was our chance to win him over, so...Cloud just had to do his best!

[ And, clearly, he did a bang-up job of it! ]

[starshower]

[So that's how they managed to get on Corneo's radar... The dress had made sense when she thought about it, but the lengths that he had to go to get it? It’s a shame that she doesn't think he'll ever do it again.]

Pretty sure if I asked him to dance for me now, he'd never do it. [She frowns, mimicking Cloud's usual grumpy expression, perhaps overdoing it a little for dramatic effect.] "I don't know how to dance!" [She waves a finger.] But now I know he can swing his hips as well as he can a sword.

[If not better!]

I'm so sad I missed it. Think we can convince him again?

[anciently]

Oh, I don't know. In the right time, the right place? I bet you could convince him.

[ There'd have to be absolutely no one around, for starters. Then again, he'd danced for a big audience, so...who knows! ]

Wow! Your Cloud impression is pretty spot-on! [ Aerith laughs, then makes a grumpy expression of her own, planting her hands on her hips. ] "I'm a SOLDIER. You think they taught us to dance in basic training? Forget it."

[ The prospect of getting him to do it again, though, has her smile softening. She lifts her brows and shrugs, expression definitively mischievous. ]

Dunno... But, it's worth a try! And if anyone can convince him, it'd be us!

[ Maybe they could even get Zack in on it...though, that might be too dangerous, all things considered. She isn't 100% sure yet what their interactions have been... ]

[starshower]

Next time I've got him alone, I'll be sure to give it a shot.

[There's a beat while she presses her lips together, a thought occurring to her.]

As long as I promise there'll be no dresses involved on his part this time around. Don't think he was too happy about me seeing him in that.

[anciently]

He didn't seem happy about it, did he? [ Aerith chuckles, moving her hands behind her back. ] I guess that'll have to be a once-in-a-lifetime event...even though he did look pretty great.

[ Don Corneo and his men had been fooled, at least...somehow... ]

[starshower]

I'm just glad I was there to see it.

[The dress. She's still a bit bummed about the dance, but that's fine—there's always next time, and she's pretty sure she can convince him to do it again... if there's something in it for him.

But that's besides the point. There was a reason that Tifa had come here, and now, she feels as if a weight's been lifted, and it's probably safe to say that it's from both of their shoulders. She sighs, and slumps even further.]

Thanks, Aerith... for talking through all this with me.

[anciently]

Hey, of course! You helped me out, too, you know? [ She'd gotten her memory back, and...truthfully, any time she's able to spend with Tifa, and to help her friend, is valuable. Aerith nods encouragingly, looking back at her friend with definitive resolution. ] Whatever this place throws at us, we'll get through it. We all have each other, after all!

[ Plus, they've been through...much worse. All of them. ]

In the meantime, if you find out you have any other strange memories that might be mine...let me know?