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

[anciently]

[ She does follow, but she's lost in her own thoughts. Fortunately, Raihan needn't worry about her opinion of him: she's seen enough of the world to know that it isn't always easy to project a strong front, even for the people who want desperately to do so all the time. As she walks, Aerith turns the fresh memory (?) over in her mind, keeping to herself for much longer than normal before finally speaking up: ]

Can I tell you something? [ She says, glancing sideways at Raihan and his Pokemon in an almost furtive way. ] I've seen something like this before. Or...really, I saw a vision like this, where...everything I knew was going to be destroyed.

[ Meteor. She swallows. ]

I know how hard it is to see. [ On a smaller, but no less horrifying and tragic scale, Cloud, Tifa, and Barret had seen the annihilation of their home, too. ] And I know we don't really know each other, but I hope...you feel like you can be sad about it, if you want. It's okay.

[ Not that he should feel ne needs permission, of course, but...sometimes, people have to be told things like that in order to give themselves a break. ]

[rotomphone]

[ being concerned about how he's perceived is going to be a tough habit to break, and continues to be as he spends more time in this strange world. he's still not used to people not knowing who he is - it's both jarring and a relief, looking at it from different perspectives. in this case, it's the latter.

he listens to Aerith quietly, meeting her gaze for a moment. he's surprised at first, but thinks a little more about her words in self-reflection - you're not the only one going through a hard time, Raihan. quit being selfish. but the way she continues feels much gentler than how he's being on himself, like a hand extending in empathy. it's a kind gesture, and one that he appreciates more than he thought he would. ]

Sorry you had to go through it, too... it kind of sucks, doesn't it? [ he chuckles, a bit wryly. until he can figure out exactly how to cope, being facetious feels about right. ] I dunno. I thought it was kind of dumb to take it seriously - I mean, I know it's not real. It can't be.

[ there are things that are different about this Hammerlocke - things that don't belong. it's the one thing that's keeping him grounded, and yet it still hurts. that much is readable from his expression alone. ]

[anciently]

It's okay. [ She asserts gently, offering him a little smile. ] And it's not dumb! You never know what is and isn't real in this place, and...sometimes, the things that aren't real really feel like it.

[ Like they'd happened, or would happen. It's enough to be...pretty terrifying. ]

But you have your memories of Hammerlocke: what you know is true. Even if there was something bad that happened to the copy from your memories that's here, in this world, that doesn't mean your home is in danger.

[ Not definitely. She's a believer in the idea that the familiar locations within the void are separate - duplicates, but ultimately unrelated entities. Set dressing for a world made entirely of the influence of its residents.

Or, something like that. ]

We'll get this figured out. All of us, together.

[rotomphone]

[ it sure doesn't feel good, "real" or not... but Aerith's words are oddly reassuring. it's the first time he's more or less broken down in front of someone about this - his other attempts at talking about it had been cop-outs that hadn't revealed the extent of how much he was hurting, but she's now seen the closest he's come to a breaking point.

he knows everything she's saying already, but it's hard to believe until he has the confirmation from someone else. he sighs, but the smile that accompanies it is an indicator that she's helping. ]

Quit making so much sense. How's a guy supposed to be depressed when you're talking like that?

[ he meets her eyes with a brighter, more joking grin. he's not quite back to his carefree self, but he's definitely starting to shake off the shock and its resulting funk. it'll take a little more time than this, but he can at least put on a good face for the person trying to help out. ]

Geez... I'm usually the one giving the sunny outlooks and pep talks, so this is pretty weird!

[anciently]

Sorry to make it so hard! [ No, she isn't Aerith looks reassured at his reaction, relieved to see that, at least outwardly, he's...picking up the pieces, if not feeling outright better about it. All she can offer are her words at this point, with no real solutions or answers to be found, so she'll keep providing whatever kind of verbal assurance she can until he's at least a tiny bit cheered up. ]

Hey, maybe we can take turns! If I'm feeling down about something, next time you can give it your all and cheer me up. [ She offers him an encouraging grin, along with a thumbs-up. ] Besides, it's way too much for one person to be the cheerleader all the time! It's important to let other people help out sometimes too, you know?

[ Says the pot to the kettle, probably. ]

[rotomphone]

[ words can mean a lot coming from the right person; though they're from entirely different worlds, Aerith's empathy and reassurance resonates with him. maybe it's the fact that she doesn't know much about his world that makes it feel more genuine - she's speaking only from what she knows, without any prior biases other than the experience of having lost something important to you. ]

You've got a deal - just don't be as dumb as me and try to isolate yourself, alright? Come and find me the minute you feel a frown coming on, and I'll take care of it.

[ if he's got the capacity to flirt, he's clearly feeling better... but he's not joking! he wants to return the kindness that he's shown her somehow, though he hopes it doesn't necessitate her feeling down in the dumps. ]

[anciently]

The minute I start frowning? Okay...you've got a deal. [ Aerith offers a grin, grateful to see that he seems to be feeling a little better, or is at least making an effort. ] You're lucky it's me that we're talking about! I know some professional frowners, okay?

[ Not naming names or anything..... ]