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

[activatingcombatmode]

Not a whole lot. Just that they were monitoring you for it.

[Zack tilts his head. They were monitoring a lot of people (him included ha ha ha) so it's not really a surprise they took an interest in her. All in all, it was probably Tseng that kept Aerith safe more often than not.]

I always knew you were special. [He smirks a bit.]

[anciently]

Hmm... [ She smiles sideways at him, tilting her head, braid spilling over her shoulder. ] You did? How perceptive of you!

[ Does she want to get into it more than they already have? Not especially. Not if he doesn't press her. ]

Tseng wasn't...terrible. [ Aerith says lightly, glancing away as she thinks back to her memories of the man. ] But...he's still a Turk, you know? He was a part of...some other really not-great things.

[activatingcombatmode]

[Zack won't press her about it at the moment. Maybe later when they've figured out the other list of things between them. Right now he trusts Aerith enough to know what she needs to know and that it doesn't hurt her. But he is still curious.]

Yeah, I get it. [He shrugs his shoulders.] All of the turks are morally gray but they tend to lean on the bad side of things more often than not. I'm not saying he was great either.

[...]

But he was my friend.

[anciently]

[ She watches him closely, noting that he's clearly torn between his friendship with the turk and the information he has about Shinra. As such, Aerith's expression softens, and she nods gently. ]

I know. [ And then she collects herself, trying to appear a little more encouraging than gloomy. ] Well, who knows, right? Maybe he'll come through, and we can all get to know each other again outside of Midgar. Without their missions and their leader, I bet the turks would be okay to be around.

[ Most of them, anyway! ]

[activatingcombatmode]

[That makes him snort, letting out a short breath of laughter as he nods and paces on his feet.]

Tseng easing up and relaxing enough to get along? I'd pay good gil to see that.

[He looks back her, waving one hand.]

But enough of that, if I saw all that with you did you see anything about my memories?

[anciently]

Sure did. [ Aerith replies quickly, face brightening even more. ] In fact, I wanted to ask you about it...

[ It's pretty different in tone from the memory of hers that he'd seen, after all! ]

You were fighting on a beach, and...using an umbrella as a weapon. [ At that, she laughs a bit, recalling the memory as if it had been her own as it starts to flow from her back to him. ] I've never seen anything like it!

[activatingcombatmode]

Wait, what-?

[Hold up-!!!]

When did I...?? An umbrella?

[It takes a hot second but the memory comes rushing back to him in a flash. He'd been on a forced vacation only to be interrupted from his beach time by some Genesis clones.

He snorts and laughs, looking positively amused at himself.]

Look, there were these bastards attacking at the time so I did the best I could with what I had! You'd be surprised how strong beach umbrellas are, maybe I should permanently swap my weapon of choice for one.

[anciently]

I think you might get tired of it pretty quick. [ She laughs again at the mental image, though, grinning from behind her hand. ] I mean, I know your sword's pretty big, but an umbrella is...kinda unwieldy, right?

[ Imagine walking around with that thing strapped to your back! ]

I guess I'm glad it worked, though! Who were you fighting in that memory?

[activatingcombatmode]

[Zack laughs a bit more before he shakes his head.]

Yeah, guess you're right. But it was Genesis clones that were attacking at the time. Basically just monster husks. So the umbrella did the trick at the time.

[Geeze, he hasn't thought about Genesis in a while.]

[anciently]

Genesis? [ A story for another time, maybe? ] Well, I'm glad you were able to fight them off, at least...

[ Whatever the case may have been... ]

This memory stuff has been pretty weird, huh? Having experiences in your head that aren't yours...

[ Well, to be honest, the whispers of what might happen (what did happen?) in their own lives that she'd gotten from the Planet were...kinda similar. ]