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!

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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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code bases by tricklet

Comments

[rotomphone]

You're right - I thrive in it! What's the point of being popular if you aren't going to make the most out of every moment?

[ even if she had meant it in a more malicious way, Raihan would be taking it as a compliment - it's not wrong after all, and he's been called worse things from trolls in his comment sections. you learn to build up a thick skin when you're internet famous. ]

You didn't even see the best parts. If you climb up to the top of the castle walls at twilight, you get this amazing view of the horizon... totally takes your breath away. [ but he trails off. it's not like she can take a peek into his brain again, unless the void decides to start swapping more of their memories. ] But I'm glad you saw that much, at least. It deserves more than being remembered as a pile of rubble.

[ he'd trade all of his notoriety and fame if it meant giving the city the glory that it deserves. centuries of preserved history have a lot more significance than fleeting likes on a social media post.

but now that he has his memory back, it's about time he gives Tifa her's. hopefully it doesn't hurt too much - he can sympathize, at the very least. ]

How'd you come about owning your own bar, anyway? The one from your world, I mean.

[starshower]

[Tifa's sigh is as whimsical as the look in her eyes while she tries to picture that imagery in her head. Sitting on top of those enormous castle walls with a silent, sleepy world down below, and seeing the sunset, and the stars that follow... She can picture it just as easily as he can describe it, and it makes her wish that they had something like that here.

One day, maybe.

Raihan's question pulls Tifa back down to reality, and it takes her half a second to realize what he's talking about while she shakes the image from her brain.]

Oh, you mean Seventh Heaven... [He must have seen something about it, but what?] It was already built when I went to Midgar, five years ago. They needed someone to run it, so I offered to help. Just kinda fell into my lap after that, but I loved every second of it...

... You saw something, didn't you?

[rotomphone]

[ seeing her imagine it for herself makes him smile - softly, and not like his overly-whimsical grins. whatever this world is doing with memories, he hopes that it'll have some understanding about what makes them memorable.

he doesn't mean to pull her out of the daydream so promptly, but it feels like this is a band-aid that needs to be ripped off somehow. ]

That checks out. When we met, I was surprised at how easily you worked behind the counter - like it was home. [ but at her question, his smile drops a bit; it's more somber. ] Sort of. Didn't catch what happened exactly, but I saw the aftermath of it.

[ needless to say, he knows the feeling. he won't press Tifa if she doesn't want to talk about it, but he wants to at least give her the opportunity. he pauses to sip his drink, waiting for her response. ]

[starshower]

[The aftermath was the hardest part. Having to walk through the ruins, and seeing Seventh Heaven buried under the collapsed plate... it only fueled Tifa's hatred for Shinra and everything they represented, and she had no idea at the time how to deal with it. She's doing better now, but it still leaves an ache in her chest to think about it.]

Well, now you know the reason I'm not at Heavenly Blanc anymore...

[She says it with an air of forced humour to her voice, trying to keep the conversation light despite the subject. There's some explaining she needs to do first, for it all to make any sense.]

Midgar's made up of sectors. Eight of them in total, if you don't count the tower. There's the ground-level, and plate-side and in the middle of it is Shinra, the electrical company that powers the city... you know, the big corporation that owns everything.

[Every place has that, she's learning...

Tifa carefully considers the next part.]

There's a group of people who don't like how they do things. To make a point, Shinra dropped the Sector Seven plate on the slums... where Seventh Heaven was. It was my home for five years, and they just—destroyed everything. That's what you saw.

[rotomphone]

[ though Raihan had a lack of anyone to blame but himself for Hammerlocke's current state, he can understand the difficulty of having to walk through the ruins of a place you called home. thinking about it now, that must mean that the reciprocal has been true this whole time... Tifa knew what he was going through, too.

except for the fact that a ruined Seventh Heaven was her reality, anyhow. having it in one piece (more or less) here must hurt in its own way... it's no wonder she stopped coming around. he can also sympathize with the woes of a large, monopolizing corporation influencing people's lives, but he keeps that tidbit to himself. ]

That's mad... [ he grips his bottle a little tighter. dragging innocent people into a greedy show of power is low. ] I'm sorry.

[ he looks around the bar, immaculate and free of any of the destruction that he'd seen in the memory, then turns back to Tifa. he offers her a small smile, unsure of how to cheer her up but determined to do so anyway. ]

Do the good memories outweigh the bad, at least?

[starshower]

You mean of the bar?

[Tifa takes a look around Heavenly Blanc too, pausing on all the small details that belong to the bar. Her bar. The jukebox, the dartboard, the stools at the counter, and even the bottles lining the shelves behind it. She tries to remember the good times, and it does bring a smile to her face.]

I think so.

[She does try to remember that there had been a lot of good memories in the bar, too. There had been fun, laughter, tears, anger, and everything in between...]

Anytime we were there, it really was like we were family. It might've just been a bar and an AVALANCHE hideout to some, but it was home for me, too. You know? I still remember every single regular, some more than others. A lot of them would bring flowers around once in a while...

[rotomphone]

Yeah.

[ the answer is good to hear, and has his smile slightly upturning. he's similarly tried to recall his good memories about Hammerlocke when traversing its ruins - it's helped him to cope with the visual, and to inspire him to help it get back to its proper state. ]

You don't have to tell me twice. The stadium was like a second home for me. [ his gym trainers were the younger siblings he never had, and he strived to keep the stadium as a place that not only Hammerlocke could be proud of, but the Galar region as a whole. an establishment can mean a lot of things depending on the person asked, but for those intrinsically linked to them like Tifa and Raihan are, they're special, irreplaceable places.

he's a little curious as to what "AVALANCHE" is, but that's probably a conversation best left for another day. he sighs, thinking about what he wants to say. ]

It's rough seeing it the way it is... [ he sounds like he's going to continue, but stops to chuckle and shake his head at his own thought. ] Arceus, this is gonna sound ridiculously cliche... But the relationships you made there are what keeps the place alive, right?

[starshower]

Only a little cliché.

[Not cliché at all, in fact, but she appreciates the sentiment all the same.]

I agree. As long as we keep those memories close, and the people even closer, it'll never really die.

[Seventh Heaven will always have a place in her heart, and just because Shinra's destroyed it doesn't mean she's going to let it fade from existence. She can't, or else she wouldn't be honouring the memories of the people who sacrificed themselves to try saving it and the rest of Sector Seven.]

When I get back, I wanna rebuild it... Seventh Heaven. Bigger and better than it was before.

[rotomphone]

[ 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?

[starshower]

[Tifa happily clinks his bottle against his.]

To rebuilding legacies!

[She is a little curious to hear his thoughts on the Stadium, though, given what they had talked about before with Cloud.]

You planning on doing something with it then? Turning it into something we can use?

[rotomphone]

[ hell yes! he'll drink to that, though he makes sure to mind his manners with his company. ]

I think so. The only thing stopping me is a lack of muscle, really... Lance already has Dragonite pitching in, but I don't want to lean on him completely. They've already done their fair share of work.

[ he drums his fingers on the bar, thinking. ] The bulk of the cleanup work will happen once we can call on the rest of our teams. Other than that, I'm just picking stuff off of the beach that I can eventually use. Did you see that there's stuff that's washing up in full packaging now?

[starshower]

[If Raihan didn't have Tifa's full attention already, he certainly does now.]

Really? What kinds of things? Could really use some new stuff for the food stands... No idea how old the cookware is, but... if I could get some newer ones, that'd be great.

[She's practically glowing with excitement. There never was a chance to go shopping for Seventh Heaven back in Midgar, so maybe this is her chance to finally commit to decorating something.]

[rotomphone]

All sorts, really! It doesn't seem to have any rhyme or reason to it... Duraludon and I found a toaster down there the other day, but I've seen stuff like chairs and tables, too.

[ he can see the excitement in her eyes, and it's hard not to smile along with it. her enthusiasm is infectious! ]

Not a bad idea to take a look if you're thinking about redecorating. We can pitch in if you need some extra hands!

[starshower]

[A TOASTER... she wants one.]

Same goes for you too.

[This is a two-way street, Raihan! If he's going to help her with some extra hands for redecorating, then she'll be right there with him for collecting tools and decorations for a new gym, too.

With a hefty, happy sigh, Tifa stretches her arms out before propping her chin up, elbows on the counter.]

It's kinda nice, you know? Seeing people find things they wanna do around here.

[rotomphone]

[ he doesn't have much to say in reply to that, but his smile is enough to tell Tifa that he appreciates it. it's nice to have someone that he knows he can rely on here - not that his fellow Trainers were unreliable, but it's a little different to have that sort of trust in someone that's from a world completely different than your own. ]

I know what you mean. For a place that started out pretty much empty, things are starting to get pretty lively! [ which isn't a bad thing in the least, when you consider the fact that everyone is trapped here. ] Everyone's finding a way to contribute. If that's not heartwarming, I don't know what is!