tabularasa_mods: (Default)
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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mightdoriya: (Yoroi Musha)

Izuku Midoriya | OTA

[personal profile] mightdoriya 2020-09-16 02:43 am (UTC)(link)
A) The Sound | Merlaut Apartments (Outside)

[Izuku is just outside of the apartments when it happens. That deafening, awful sound. It hits Izuku so suddenly, all around him with no relief, that the only thing he can think to do is cover his head and duck. It feels very much like something bearing down on him, and Toshi- the Thunderbird companion who appeared back to him earlier in the month- screeches with alarm in his own right and covers Izuku with a massive wing.

As soon as the sound began, it feels, it finally stops. Izuku lacks any real sense of time in this place, so he couldn't say how long it lasted...only that it's overwhelming presence reminded him of something he thought he left behind in another world.

War.]


What...what was that?

B) Disaster(ish, it may come up in conversation here!) | Chicago L Station

[It comes to him eventually, and it's about what he had envisioned had happened. The destruction of Hammerlocke, previously a mystery to everyone, now a reality with such complete clarity it makes Izuku's heart ache to think about it as he heads toward a location he hasn't seen before: the Chicago L Station. He's on toshi's back, but the bird trots on foot instead of flies. It's not as fast this way, but that sound from earlier has left them both uneasy. Best to stay low, for now.

They make it eventually to the station no matter how long it takes, and Izuku instructs Toshi to stay behind whle he takes the line himself. At first the bird is reluctant, but eventually has no choice but to stay. It's not like he can take the train...so he takes off, intending to burn some restless energy with hunting.

It seems Izuku isn't the first to come by this way, though, as someone else is at the station with him.]


Where do you think this leads?

C) Shibumenosaki Underground Academy | Open to Memory Sharing

[At least this place is a little less ominous for exploring, and way more familiar to Izuku besides. Still though...the fact it's so empty is a little concerning? Spooky, even. And he can't even really focus on anything since he keeps getting the nagging feeling he's...forgetting something. A lot of somethings, actually. Things mundane, but also things incredibly important to him.

But what?

By the time he finds the shops proper is when he starts being struck with flashes of things he's only just now remembering, as vividly as if he were there, but with people he's never met....faces he doesn't initially recognize, and some that he does. And that...is worth investigation too, no matter how odd it makes him feel.

So maybe you're looking through the school-shops as well when Izuku approaches you, looking...conflicted, somehow.]


Hey, um...do you have time to talk? I think there's a cafeteria nearby we can sit at.

D) Wildcard

[My plotting comment is here! If you haven't swapped a memory with Izuku yet and still would like to, I'm game for some last minute swaps! Or just giving some of his to you if you'd rather not give one in return, I'm not picky. Otherwise you can catch me on [plurk.com profile] winterbolt for plotting!]
gardenerofavalon: (clairvoyance)

Merlin | Open

[personal profile] gardenerofavalon 2020-09-16 07:25 am (UTC)(link)
[I. An Ominous Sound]

Being who and what he is, there are few sounds indeed that Merlin would have reason to fear. Even so, there's something about the strange and sudden noise that gives him pause. He freezes when he first hears it, and when it's gone a moment later, somehow a certain sense of tension lingers.

"What in the world..."

He's witnessed many, many strange things in his life, but this one somehow climbs to near the top of the list.


[II. Underground Exploration]

Of course, the appearance of new things always requires investigation, sooner or later. Which is why Merlin is inevitably found wandering around the underground mall/school complex, looking for anything interesting to note and generally taking in the whole place.

Although, the clothing stores and their massive supply of school uniforms do give him pause.

"Are all of these generic Japanese highschool uniforms...?"

He's sure he can think of at least one person who'd have fun in a place like this.


[Wildcard/Memory Sharing/Notes]

Individual prompts for memory swaps that have been discussed will get their own starter comments! And if anyone wants one of Merlin's memories and/or for him to wind up with one of theirs, feel free to hit me up. My plotting comment with a few sample memories is here, and I can also be reached by PM and at AC#7235 on Discord.
gardenerofavalon: (locked in a tower)

Memory: The Sword in the Stone (for Seto Kaiba)

[personal profile] gardenerofavalon 2020-09-16 07:27 am (UTC)(link)
You watch as yet another strong-looking young knight tries his hand at removing the enchanted sword from the its resting place in the stone, but his straining and grunting are to no avail, and the blade doesn't even budge. Frustrated that none of those assembled had succeeded, a call is made to use a tournament to settle the matter of kingship, and the knights and the crowd quickly drift away with mutterings questioning whether the prophecy had been wrong.

That is, all but one. The squire to one of the knights, youth barely more than a boy--no, girl--stands there, gazing intently at the famous sword of selection. You recognize her, know her well, and watch in mild anticipation as she steps forward. Soon, the culmination of years, decades of plans and schemes will come to fruition, the one the enchantment you placed on that famous sword was meant for ready to fulfill her destiny. She reaches out, her hand closing around the hilt, and--

"Before you draw that sword, you should think this over carefully," you suddenly speak up, unable to resist the urge to stop her. And the girl does indeed pause, turning to look at you in surprise.

"You surprised me. This is the first time I've seen you outside of a dream, Merlin."

You have her attention, now all you have to do is to convince her. To talk her into giving up this path. To avoid a terrible fate.

"I won't speak ill of you for it, but you'd be better off stopping right there," you say. Calmly, matter of factly. Surely she'll listen to her teacher's reasoned argument. "Once you take that sword, you will cease to be human. Not just that, but you'll be resented by all kinds of people, and you'll meet with a gruesome death."

The girl does not step down, however. "I won't."

This calls for a greater measure, then. "Are you sure?" you ask, and without another word, you weave for her an illusion. A vision in her mind of the future you've divined, both for this kingdom and for her. She watches wordlessly, and when it finishes...

"Many people were smiling. I believe there's no way that could be a mistake."

To your shock, she pulls out the sword without hesitation.

"Ah, you've drawn the sword!" you exclaim, perhaps more to yourself than anything. "You've chosen a harsh path. However, a miracle does require compensation. O King Arthur, you will give up that which is most precious to you."
gardenerofavalon: (charmed I'm sure)

Memory: A Night in Uruk (for Melinoë)

[personal profile] gardenerofavalon 2020-09-16 07:28 am (UTC)(link)
The route down the bustling streets is familiar now, one you've traveled many times over the past several months. You're mildly looking forward to your destination, but it's a small, faint echo of a feeling, perhaps as much simple anticipation of sating a hunger as any actual emotion.

Of course, the thought briefly crosses your mind, this all could have been much easier, had someone not sabotaged your chances with the ladies of the palace. And then laughed about it and said that now you'd have to pay for your meals the same as everyone else. And him knowing full well just why you needed to expend so much energy in the first place!

But you aren't truly annoyed, not in the way humans would understand it, as such emotions are largely beyond you, much though you may try to play-act at them at times. And so you continue your way along the streets toward one of Uruk's brothels. Occasionally the passerby recognize and call out to you, to which you smile and nod and give a polite reply, but think nothing in particular of it or them. These are simply ordinary humans, after all, and nearly all virtually doomed not long from now, if the king's prophecy is correct. Each may have a purpose to serve, but the specifics aren't your problem.

(Although, even so, the sheer resiliency of the people as a whole, their bright smiles and indomitable spirits in the face of a hopeless battle, is certainly a thing of beauty to be admired and treasured.)

In any case, you have a particular task to see to, and so you do, with a young lady whose looks and personality have lately struck your fancy. She'll doubtless feel a bit tired and drained later, but nothing that some rest and a good meal or two won't cure, and you gave her quite the pleasant experience yourself, anyway. Perhaps, you think, you'll even ask after her again next time... Or perhaps not, if something else strikes your whim before then.

It's never mattered terribly much to you the individual people you take your 'meals' from to begin with, after all, and given the sheer amount of magical energy you've needed to burn through lately and the situation in the Singularity as a whole, well, not being very picky is probably for the best right now. No point in getting too attached.
gardenerofavalon: (our little secret)

Memory: Live from Avalon (for Izumi Sena)

[personal profile] gardenerofavalon 2020-09-16 07:29 am (UTC)(link)
Ah, it's about that time, isn't it? Your blog is due for an update, and you can't leave your biggest fan waiting! Of course, even if this is just a text-only update, getting into character first is a necessity. Fortunately, it's only a moment's work to alter your appearance and outfit, going for an especially perky look today, and ta-da! Magi☆Mari is ready for showtime☆

Casting your gaze to your homepage, you read through the latest comments posted by a certain dedicated fan. It's more of the usual complaining about overwork, praising your cuteness and smarts and going on about what a delight seeing your updates are, and self-doubting questions about the latest developments his work has been dealing with.

You can't help shaking your head with a fond smile and a sigh at all that; as if he thinks you don't know what's really going on, despite his efforts to color the narrative a bit. You have been keeping an eye on all the latest happenings, after all!

Still, the poor guy clearly really is stressed and worn out, and could use something to perk him up a bit. So, after spending a moment or two thinking it over (and in a cute thinking pose, of course!) you get to work on a personalized reply. A sympathetic initial reaction, some quaint but useful advice, and just a bit of encouragement. Though not too much, of course! After reading over your response to make sure the tone and wording is just so, you post the reply along with your latest update. There, a job well done, now to think up ideas for your next big post.

Even if you're admittedly also rather looking forward to seeing his reaction~
gardenerofavalon: (it's smug not bashful)

Memory: A Halfbreed's Purpose (for Bowser)

[personal profile] gardenerofavalon 2020-09-16 07:31 am (UTC)(link)
It's a chance encounter on the night before a fateful battle. You were taking a stroll along the wall, when by sheer coincidence you happen across Ritsuka Fujimaru, the Master of Chaldea. The young, altogether third-rate mage whose journey you've come to admire as you've observed it unfold. Somehow or another, you get to talking, and in a fit of some impulse you can't quite name, you offer to answer honestly any one question posed to you.

Perhaps needless to say, your audience is unimpressed with the answer, which only begs further response.

"Well, of course," you explain, pointing out how you're not actually human, despite your reputation as a sage. "I'm a mix between an incubus and a human. Incubi are spirits that feed on the minds of humans. Usually, they don't have an 'identity'. That's because they copy the personality of the human they're feeding off of. Incubi just take human mental activity as a source of energy.

"However, I'm half-human, so I have half an ego... I came to hold a sense of purpose. I only came to be called a sage because I learned that was how everyone would accept me. I'm no more than a monster pretending to be human."

Truly experiencing and comprehending emotions as humans do is beyond you. Yet, you still tried. Still found a mask to wear to be accepted by that very humanity you cannot seem to fully understand. But even so...

"Even for someone like me, there's one thing that will bring me happiness. A unique purpose that only I have, even among other incubi."

"And that is...?" Fujimaru finally speaks up, evidently wanting to hear the conclusion of this speech despite the doubts to your character expressed earlier.

"A happy ending for mankind, of course. In mankind's final moments, I want to see the very last human's dream." Your incubus nature means that you rely on humans for your existence, you explain. "But I still have an ego. If I don't have a meaning--a purpose--I cannot live. So, I have chosen your ending as my purpose."

Humans are strange and flawed and foolish... "But the history you create is beautiful."

Beautiful, meaningful, and worth seeing with your own eyes. Your purpose that sets you apart from others of your kind, that you chose for yourself, a feat your inhuman brethren are largely incapable of. A motivation that you largely keep to yourself, but somehow feels satisfying to reveal so frankly to this one person you've come to admire, and even moreso that that person accepts your words without judgment. Without judgment, and without the need for you to wear the mask of an aloof sage.

You have no name for it, and it's so dim it barely merits your notice, but there's something that feels faintly good about that.
obsessiveness: (pic#12695779)

[personal profile] obsessiveness 2020-09-16 11:15 am (UTC)(link)
For one thing, Izumi does miss proper idol work. Not that he completely retired from it since he's taking his modeling career more seriously from here on out, it just isn't the same when he's not at home practicing with his fellow Knights.

So having something like this flash before his eyes one fateful day is a little surprising, so to speak. Honestly, Izumi wouldn't have known that he's in POV of a fellow idol had it not been for her(?) namesake, Magi☆Mari, which - frankly, is a stupidass, stereotypical idol name he's heard in a long time. It sounds like a parody! Who would take someone like that seriously?!

And jeez, he can't help but feel bad for the reply guy this idol is responding to. The message was a bit blurry for him to read, and with how everything in the memory happened so fast, Izumi wasn't able to gauge that poor fan's reaction in time. But everything this "idol" is doing is wrong, wrong, wrong!

"What the hell was that?! You call yourself an idol? If you're gonna do it online, at least do it right!"

Uh oh, he really just exclaimed while exploring one of the newer locations - the Shibumenasaki Academy, to be exact. Well, with how sudden this amalgamation of his old school and some underground mall appeared, there might be a chance that the owner of that memory might be around to check things out.
forethinking: (tsMfVdO)

c!

[personal profile] forethinking 2020-09-16 01:37 pm (UTC)(link)
(Clear his head, that was the aim in his walking until he found the new place that spawned in the Void. He can do both, right? Recon and think. It's somewhat familiar, but not familiar enough, Ren has gotten used to the feeling of dejavu the Void imposes on him often enough.

He was concentrated going through the shops' items - see whether he can actually use anything when he hears the voice. Izuku...? He doesn't seem to be doing well, but who is, really?)


Of course. Are you ok? (He asks with a motion for them to start walking.)
anciently: (and we stood tall)

aerith | ota

[personal profile] anciently 2020-09-16 05:25 pm (UTC)(link)
the sound - merlaut apartments

[ Things have already been so chaotic lately, and then...this. The sound - whatever it is - seems to pierce her skull and reach the deepest recesses of her brain. From just outside her door at the apartments, Aerith suddenly doubles over, clutching her head and exclaiming in surprise. While the sound persists, she's unable to do much else: completely overwhelmed by its influence as she is. Eventually, though, when it subsides...she stands upright, wincing a bit and slowly, cautiously, removing her hands from her ears. ]

What...? [ It doesn't happen again, and so she glances around her to try and find someone else, to see if...it had somehow just been her, or if something new was developing in their strange new home. When she does spot someone - whether outside of their own residence, or down on the ground - she'll wave and call out to get their attention. ]

Are you okay? Did you hear that, too? [ Hopefully, she's not just going a little crazy...but, if she isn't, then there are other possible (dangerous?) implications... ]


disaster - on the way to the lemon cello church

[ After confirming that she hadn't been the only one to 'experience' the difficult-to-describe sound, she'd taken off for the church without a real purpose in mind. It'd always been a place of peace and security for her, and even in its altered form, it's definitely still her general base of operations. As such, Aerith is on the road in that direction when the vision hits her.

This is not her first unexplained vision, but it's also not like the ones she'd experienced in Midgar. It has nothing to do with the Planet, for one thing, and it's...longer. More solid, like a real memory she'd experienced, though she'd otherwise have said she'd never witnessed this event at all.

After it passes, she sways a bit in place, returning to herself. The flower girl presses her hand to her head for a moment, recovering for the second time in one day from something like this, but she soon shakes it off and collects herself, glancing around. ]


Oof. The hits just keep coming. [ There's a little smile, but anyone can see that she has no idea what's happening and is at least a little fazed by it all. ] That was...something, huh? I'm assuming you saw it, too? Like with that sound earlier... Seems like we're learning more and more about this world, but...all of a sudden.


memory swap - wherever you are!

Hey... [ Aerith - or, a brunette in a pink dress, if you've never met her - approaches with a hand raised in tentative greeting, her expression...uncertain. Once she's called out, she leans forward a little, hands behind her back as she seems to think about what to say next, choosing her words carefully. ]

Um, this is gonna sound...kinda crazy, but...can we talk? [ She straightens up again and crosses her arms, frowning slightly. ] I can't quite put my finger on it, but...I think I have something that belongs to you. Got a minute?

( ooc ; swapped memories based on signups here! )
bridge_princess: (012)

Parsee Mizuhashi | OTA

[personal profile] bridge_princess 2020-09-16 06:35 pm (UTC)(link)
1) "Disaster" - From the Sky
Parsee was appreciating the strange colored sky, the constant shifting and the sight of the world that was currently serving as home from the edge of the metal structure out past the coast. She didn't care that she was a little wet. It felt good to look at it all.

As she did, however, she blinked and something sort of 'shifted' inside of her. She nearly doubled over at the vision of a meteor slamming down and into the ruins on the coast. A shriek would warn whoever that someone was there and discomfited. Huh, wait... what?

Oh, right, that happened a while ago, right?

2) Clothes Shopping - The Underground Mall
She was visiting far more often since the start of attempts to build walkways into the underground by Kaiba and others. Look, the food at the wall mart was actually not terrible, and the bath house was handy, so ... fiiiiine. But today, there was something more. This underground was growing by the day, week, month, minute? Fuck, she hated that.

Right now, she had polished off a packaged meal and was looking over one of the identical uniforms and frowning at it. "Wonder if maybe we should all wear this? That'd... no, they'd wear it better than me. No solution there, none at all. Still, maybe a second set of clothes would be good." But as always, no actual money changing hands... weird.

3) Who planted Flowers Here?
One day, she was watching over the shrine and bridge grounds when she saw the flower patch. Her arms folded and she looked it over with a raised eyebrow. When had this shown up? Was this Aerith's doing? This felt like something Rinoa or Aerith would have done to cheer her up.

"Hmmmm. Well it's not hurting anything, I guess," she said, shrugging to herself. By now, her house was still a work in progress, but the idea of flowers growing around here was ... almost cheering in a way.

4) Misplaced Memories
Regardless of where someone was, it happened. The memories shifted. Pieces and fragments fell out of place. Parsee reeled as she felt new recollections, but at the moment she felt something gone, something important and it made her glare, especially since whatever she remembered in its place? It didn't fit. And her mind couldn't stop thinking about it.

She started charging over, looking for whoever she thought might have had the memory. Not their fault, not their fault, not their fault she was saying to herself after the first time. Oh, she knew it was something here in this world, but the invasion still made her upset, nervous. Something.

What memory did your character swipe?
A) Perhaps that time Reimu kicked her ass...
B) That time she saw Marisa kicking some three eyed girl's ass... Was gensokyo just violent and silly all the time?
C) One of countless lonely days in hell, oh hey Yuugi...
D) Or something much darker... in which case whisper me?

(OOC: Feel free to have her find your character wherever. If you want a mem share and we haven't discussed it, pick any of the three. She has fewer canonical memories so multiple encounters of the same is possible. Toss a pick up and we'll roll with it, but let me know what she sees ^-^.)
simulatio: (043)

Goro Akechi (closed prompts underneath, P5/R spoilers in prompts)

[personal profile] simulatio 2020-09-16 08:42 pm (UTC)(link)
[He wasn't doing anything interesting in his room when the cacophony starts. Chains rattling, shots firing, heavy bulkhead doors slamming shut, his elbow knocking his notebook to the floor as he braces himself and covers his ears with a grunt of pain.

And then, Goro Akechi wakes up.

He hadn't been sleeping, but then again, nor is he Goro Akechi. Not really. There are so many pieces missing of his past that he's almost an entirely new person, a boy without any darkness in his eyes or bite in his voice. A boy who doesn't need to hide behind a mask.

Something doesn't feel right, but he doesn't know what it could be. He's quick to rise to his feet, grabbing his notebook off the floor and his sword from the corner. More importantly, he should check in with his teammates. With his friends. If they work together, surely they can solve this.

It won't last, of course. With every memory that returns, the closer he returns to his old self. But for a brief moment, he doesn't even know he's not pretending.]
Edited 2020-09-16 20:43 (UTC)
simulatio: (mask02)

[personal profile] simulatio 2020-09-16 08:49 pm (UTC)(link)
Rank ??? - Stepping Stone (closed to Hornet)
Everything in tinged in red through your helmet as you sneak through the Palace on the heels of the Thieves, clawed boots silent on metal grating. Perhaps to someone else, a Palace could be a fascinating place to spend time, to avoid the Shadows manifested within and simply bask in the outrageous setting. This one is a space station of all things, representative of its Ruler's desire to fly into utopia. His workers are nothing but robot slaves.

In a way, you can understand that. You're not worried about individual people except in how useful they are as you carve your path of chaotic, bloody vengeance. You've left enough bodies in your wake to know exactly what will happen as you point your gun at the man in the space suit cowering below you. Ren and his stupid friends had already beaten him, the Palace is collapsing around the both of you, so you don't hesitate. You lock eyes with the Shadow of Kunikazu Okumura, CEO of Okumura Foods, loyal customer of Shido's mental shutdown business -- you'd killed so many men on Okumura's behalf that it's almost a poetic justice that he'll die the same way so many of his rivals had -- and pull the trigger.

One shot, and his Shadow dissolves into nothingness. You turn and you run as the Palace shakes and starts to collapse even faster around you. With his Shadow dead, Okumura's days are numbered. He'll make it exactly as far as his appearance on television, and he'll die in front of the whole world. Pinning his death on the Phantom Thieves and removing them from the public's good graces, all so you can rise above them, is child's play at this point. The public will love you, and by extension, the man who was against the Thieves from the very beginning.

The higher one is, the harder they fall. And you will raise Shido up as high as humanly possible, just to bring him crashing to the ground before you kill him, too. Whatever god or demon gave you this power to access this world, you'll use it to inflict chaos as far as the eye can see.
simulatio: (087)

[personal profile] simulatio 2020-09-16 08:52 pm (UTC)(link)
Rank Eight - Rivals (closed to Blue)
Fuck Ren Amamiya. Fuck him and the complicated feelings that swirl in your chest every time he smiles. Every time he laughs as he takes a Shadow down with an effortless catlike grace. Fuck him and his friends, hudding together in their Safe Rooms, thinking they're such hot shit. It takes four of them to take down enemies Akechi could do on his own. Fuck him.

You finish your work for the day, and before you can think twice, you pull out your phone, send Ren a text asking to meet. Infuriatingly, impossibly, he answers immediately, suspecting nothing. Does he even know how much you hate him? Of course not. You've been nothing but pleasant to him, even as you work behind the scenes to destroy everything he holds dear. You tried to warn him, over your last game of pool. He was in too far over his head, so far from the surface that he'll drown before he ever sees the surface.

He doesn't listen. If anything, Ren Amamiya dives deeper. And so you challenge him to a fight, white prince against black thief. Your red mask matches his gloves, his white mask matches your clothing. Contrast and comparison, as if someone had planned it that way.

And as always, infuriatingly, he beats you into the ground. You call a stop to the match before it can go too far, because it will go too far, your anger threatening to break through your pleasant mask and unleash the true ugliness within. Robin Hood isn't your strongest Persona, and you could inflict so much damage if only you could reveal who you really are.

On the surface once again, you look him in the eye and confess. You hate him. Hatred is the only emotion you've ever known, ever understood, and so you must hate Ren Amamiya with his effortless skill, his quick progression, his friends. You rip off your black glove and hurl it into his face. A duel, you explain, because he's so fucking dense that he just holds the glove and stares at you in bewildered confusion. If he accepts the glove, the duel is also accepted.

Next time you fight, you will be victorious. You refuse to lose to Ren Amamiya again.
simulatio: (082)

[personal profile] simulatio 2020-09-16 08:59 pm (UTC)(link)
Rank ??? - Victory (closed to Damien/closed to Ren)
There just simply aren't words for how you feel right now. Everything is slotting into place. Finally, finally, a plan that's been years in the making and almost derailed in a few shorts months will be back on track.

Just some cleanup to take care of first. Sae-san shows you a phone, and you can hardly be bothered to look at it, or her. She served her purpose, manifesting that gaudy casino of a Palace, letting you set your trap for the leader of the Phantom Thieves. What does he care for that phone? He's on the cusp of victory.

One of your father's men guards the door, another policeman in his pocket. Good. He doesn't think twice when you ask him to accompany you. The little sting of saying that you're uncomfortable being alone with a murderer doesn't last, because you know it won't survive this room. You lock eyes with Ren Amamiya, beaten, bloody, bruised, and there's a weird surge of emotion that you can't identify, and lock it deep down inside. The other boy looks worse than you'd ever seen him before, and yet his eyes are still clear and defiant as ever. He doesn't look surprised to see you.

The guard watches Ren, and you watch the guard. It's easy to reach into your jacket pocket, pull out the silencer, and with your other hand in a fluid motion, snatch the pistol from the guard's holster, afix the silencer, and shoot him. Just one shot from this range, and he collapses with a groan. You keep the gun on him for a deliberate few seconds, but he doesn't stir.

You point the gun at Ren. It feels exactly how good you'd imagined it would. You've left enough bodies in your wake that what the hell is one more? You were never friends. You'd thrown your glove in his face and demanded a duel, and this is your victory. Letting him live would destroy everything, and so, you don't regret it. You can feel the grin twisting through the pleasant mask you wear, spreading across your face in an ugly manifestation of your true self.

"Case closed. This is how your "justice" ends."

You squeeze the trigger, and for a moment, Ren looks shocked that you actually did it. Delicious surprise erases defiance as blood starts to trickle down his face. He collapses to the table with a wet, meaty thud. Not like a Shadow at all. Shadows dissolve into nothing, yet this corpse remains, bleeding out on the tablet in a wet splatter between eyes permanently frozen in shock.

And then you feel nothing. The satisfaction fades, and anything else you might feel is shunted away, buried and sublimated and compartmentalized into nothing. Just one more victim along your bloody path of vengeance. You remove the silencer, tuck it back into your pocket, and take the hand of the only boy who had ever wanted to spend time with you just to see you, and wrap his limp fingers around the grip of the pistol. How sad, you'll say later on television. The leader of the Phantom Thieves committed suicide in his cell.

Your father will be delighted to hear the news, praise you for your quick work taking care of the last threat to his election as Prime Minister. You're so close now. The higher they rise, the harder they fall, and oh, how sweet it will be to give him his victory with one hand, and with the other, snatch it away before he can grasp it.

You walk out the door and pull out your phone. Time to report in.
simulatio: (091)

[personal profile] simulatio 2020-09-16 09:02 pm (UTC)(link)
Ranks Nine and Ten - Protect/Endure (closed to Cole/closed to Leo)
You fight. You fight, and rip your own mind apart in search of victory. You scream and you wail and you dredge up the last reserves of your strength to kill kill kill!! the boy in the mask. Loki's Call of Chaos rips through your mind and obliterates anything you might have felt before, removes any hesitation, removes the need to protect yourself in favor of destroying everything in your wake, including yourself.

But even still, it's not enough. Weary, broken, defeated, injured and aching and near whatever passes for death in the Metaverse, you're left on the cold metal floor waiting for their judgement. Their jury, their execution. Ren Amamiya, Joker, the boy in the mask, the boy who called himself your rival, the boy who could have been your friend if you weren't such a fucked up excuse of a human being, defeats you anyway. He and his stupid friends extend their hands in forgiveness, something you've never experienced and certainly never offered. It's so tempting to reach out and take their hands.

A puppet wearing your face enters the scene and points a gun. Shoot them, he says. You were nothing but a puppet from the very beginning. Your plan to kill your father would never have worked. You'd never live long enough to see it. He knew.

They're too strong to fight. You and the boy in the mask and all of his friends are exhausted from battle, from the slog through the palace, from going strike for strike with all the killing intent you could muster. Shido knew.

You push yourself to your feet, legs shaking, voice cracking with desperation and shoot the boy with your face. You're good at shooting. You hit him, you turn, you shoot the bulkhead door, slamming it shut between you and Ren. He and his friends are safe. The boy with your face dies here. Agony, white-hot, spasms through your whole body, and you almost collapse, choking on your own blood. This isn't a movie or a video game. You don't live through things like that, not even in the Metaverse.

You make a promise with him. There are tears in your eyes as you point your gun toward the boy with your own face, see him do the same. So, you manage, fighting past the bile in your throat. My final enemy is a puppet version of myself. I...!

Before you can finish that thought, he fires. You fire. You feel pain, cold, metal and gunpowder and blood all mixing together. And then, for the first time in your life, you feel nothing.
forethinking: (Default)

[personal profile] forethinking 2020-09-16 09:06 pm (UTC)(link)
(It's a quiet conversation in his head. Mona isn't here, giving his feedback and opinion, but Ren's never truly alone, is he? Satanael might be as quiet as he is, but at least he provides his insights from time to time and Ren keeps in touch - it's not like he can summon him, anyways. His hands were busy, pliers and metals being worked with until it hits. The sound is loud, cannon fires and missiles assaulting his ear and the vision of Hammerlock being torn to the ground... It lasts several minutes and Ren attempts to cover his ears to make it more bearable. Not that it helped him calm down when it ceased. Several images flash in his head - a burning village, Kamoshida, a duel, a mountain, and among so many others... Himself? Little by little, his own memories begin to fade and he closes his eyes abruptly, trying to hold on to them - an unsuccessful attempt. If just feels like gaps where a story should be and it rushes panic through his body, specially because of the one memory that's circling over and over. Him, with a bullet in his forehead and the nasty feeling that comes with it. Fuck. Fuck, fuck, fuck. This wasn't supposed to be there, he remembers very well his own satisfaction of victory, smirking through the pain sitting in that room alone.

He needs to find Akechi, that's what he decides as he rushes out of his room, hastly making his way to the first floor and without a second thought, banging on the door. It's an impulsive mix of despair, confusion, panic and concern. If Ren got hit like this, how's Akechi? How's Ann? Fuck, he needs to do something and it has to be now.)


Goro, open the door. (He demands, voice as strong as it could possibly be in its order while his hand is ready to grab the lockpick in his pocket. If his head is killing him and he feels dizzy to the point he could easily pass out, how are they, even? Is Akechi even alright? Can he reach it?)
gitgudprincess: (side glance)

[personal profile] gitgudprincess 2020-09-16 10:07 pm (UTC)(link)
[The room is dark, rough walls lined with torn banners and thick cobwebs. The edge of the altar digs into your back, and your needle is heavy in your hands. The only sounds are the distant chirps and shrieks of feral spiders. None of them will reach you.]

[Once, this chamber was lit with candles. Once, there was a form laid out in sleep. Now the candles have burned down, and Herrah the Beast has left not even a corpse to remember her by.]

[This is for the best, you remind yourself. This is necessary. The seal is breaking. The infection returned. All that remains is to tear it all down and try again, attack the plague once more at its heart.]

[You shut your eyes, tilt your head back, let your horns hit the altar with a painful thunk. There's no one here. Your ordered your— the little ghost out, and they complied, only staring for a moment before turning and padding out. You are thankful for it. Silent and empty they may be, but you do not want anyone to see you in such a state. Least of all them, who with your tacit permission entered her dream and killed her.]


"I must be a child," [you murmur,] "to feel such raw grief over someone long-gone. For you simply stopped breathing, did you not? There was no waking you."

[You stand, barely shaking anymore, and bow to the empty air.]

"Forgive my inaction, Mother, but there may be another way to end this. Thank you for giving me life. I hope, someday, to make you proud."

[You hope, someday, to forgive yourself.]

[Hornet does not much care for this new memory she's acquired. Not for the morals involved, but for the implication it carries— that one can kill through another's mind. What cruel power that person holds. What danger there is in meddling with dreams.]

[Fortunately, she knows where he lives.]

[Well, approximately. She has heard tell of an apartment block, and it is a simple matter to ask for directions. Be it politeness or fear for the weapon she grips with both hands, people are quick to tell her where to find her target.]

[Hornet knocks heavily on Goro's apartment door, and when he opens it he finds a very large spider politely holding her very big sword where he can see it.]


"Good evening, Goro Akechi. I believe I have something of yours. Do you know how many people you've killed?"
gitgudprincess: (Default)

Hornet | OTA except for memories | Spoilers!

[personal profile] gitgudprincess 2020-09-16 10:17 pm (UTC)(link)
1. Radiance
[The sound is a scream echoing across the ocean, cold and metallic and so much more emotional than it was ever meant to be. Hornet screams as well, falling to her knees and clutching her head because it won't get out, and for a moment she thinks she imagines the scent of sweet rot in the air—]

[And then she recalls a memory not her own but far too fitting regardless. Hammerlocke was not always a ruin, and how else would a town fall than to the Infection? Its inhabitants falling ill in sleep and waking up bloated orange and murderous. It is a miracle the plague has not lingered.]

[Or perhaps, considering the sound, it has.]

[Hornet practically launches herself from the City of Tears, barely pausing to tie her raft at the beach before sprinting past the trash heaps. She only stops when she sees another living being, skidding to a halt before them and choking for breath.]


"You! You heard that sound as well, did you not?"

2. Train Station
[Once her fears of a resurgence of the disease that killed her kingdom are mollified, if not entirely dispelled, Hornet finds her attention drawn to another new development.]

[Of all the unfamiliar things Hornet has seen in this world, a tram is remarkably not one of them. Admittedly, its make is a little odd, but she's long since accepted the architectural differences around here.]


"It's a shame it cannot move. I grow weary of needing to walk everywhere on my own two feet."

Memories
[If you want to thread with one of Hornet's memories, go tag my planning post! Fair warning, I'd like to limit how many threads I take on, so if I get a lot of tags I'm afraid I won't be able to get to everyone.]
gitgudprincess: (Default)

Childhood - Locked to Ahsoka

[personal profile] gitgudprincess 2020-09-16 10:21 pm (UTC)(link)
"Hollow. Hol-low!"

[The Hollow Knight stands tall and silent, unmoving as a statue. They're always like this, always so boring and serious, because they always do what they're told and what they're told is stand very very still and be boring like the rest of the palace.]

[You have a better idea.]


"Hollow Knight! Look at me!"

[The Hollow Knight looks down. You grin behind your mask and lift your arms. They comply with this wordless command, stooping briefly to lift you in their arms. You shiver a little at their touch, their chitin smooth and icy as always, but quickly adjust your cloak to cushion you. You order them down the halls, clinging to their cloak as they dart between hiding places on the way to the kitchen. They blend in much better than you, for as much as you refuse to give up wearing red you have to admit it stands out quite starkly against all the white.]

[You're midway through stuffing your pockets with honey treats when you hear servants approaching. You instantly dart for cover, climbing your sibling like a tree and clinging to them under their cloak. Lacking any orders, they let you, remaining stock-still in the middle of the room.]

[It occurs to you, after a moment, that their current position isn't as inconspicuous as you'd first imagined. This is confirmed when the voices abruptly stop, only to start up again in concerned whispers.]

[You decide the jig is up. You make a break for it.]

[You manage to rappel almost halfway down the wall before one of the servants catches your thread and pulls you back up, demanding you return the treats. Instead, you order the Hollow Knight to help you.]

[An hour later, the Pale King has to personally drag the two of you out of the Queen's thornbushes. But on the bright side, you got to enjoy your treats in peace!]
mightdoriya: (Snatch)

[personal profile] mightdoriya 2020-09-16 10:52 pm (UTC)(link)
Um...I think so? Well...no, actually.

[Izuku shakes his head a little as he walks, bringing a hand to his temple.]

I don't know what's going on, but my mind feels all...mixed up, today. I feel like I'm forgetting something really important.
menaretrash: (pic#14317404)

Ann Takamaki | Persona 5 Royal | closed prompts listed below!

[personal profile] menaretrash 2020-09-17 12:40 am (UTC)(link)
[ ooc; Warning: some of these will have triggery subjects, will label each as I go. ]
halloflamer: (The ORIGINAL™ Edgelord)

1/2

[personal profile] halloflamer 2020-09-17 12:42 am (UTC)(link)
Come already.... You're close, aren't you?

[Giddy excitement runs with the adrenaline in your veins, that which carried you here to victory through the Elite Four and that which is keeping you rolling the Pokéball clutched in your hands in anticipation of the one you're waiting for.]

[Always one step behind, poor Slowpoke Reddy. Even since you were kids, you would dash off ahead of him, getting that insatiable rush in your chest when you watched him chase after you, like you could lead him along by the nose and he would just follow you, no matter where you went. Back then it was something different. Now, it was like leading an unsuspecting mouse into a trap.]

[Gramps should be on his way here already. And when he gets here, it'll be just in time to see Red crushed on the grandest stage of them all- proof, once and for all, that you are the one rightfully deserving of his attention. Of his love.]

[...That Agatha, Gramps' old rival, creepy old witch as she was, was right- Pokémon were for fighting. You aren't like them. You aren't some weakling that would be satisfied with only studying them, coddling and cooing at them like insipid pets. You and your team understand the hard work it takes to grasp victory, and you're all in this together. That's all you need. He just doesn't understand.]

[Unlike Red. Everything just fell into his lap.... Love. Attention. Pokémon. If he hadn't coasted here on the kindness of strangers who probably felt sorry for him, the poor anxious thing, who knows if he would have ever made it? ....Even if he won almost every time you met; going easy on him on the road was one thing. Now, it was serious. This throne was proof- now, you're the Champion.]

[You are the strongest trainer in the world.]


Red.... this time.... I'll show you!!!

[And then you'll never be able to look away from me again.]
halloflamer: (I *AM* THE VERY BEST)

[personal profile] halloflamer 2020-09-17 12:43 am (UTC)(link)
Yoooo~ Akechi-kuuuuun~? You home?

[Blue's fist raps against the apartment door directly below his own. The sight of his own hand reminds him of-- oh yeah, whatever happened to that glove that he.... He frowns at it, and for a moment, his brows pinch into grating irritation- before he manages to wash it away again when he hears movement inside.]

[His eyes flick dryly to the side until the door opens, and he plasters as annoying a grin as he can muster across his face.]
I brought you something!!
king_in_dreams: (It's frozen still)

Noctis Lucis Caelum } OTA + mem shares

[personal profile] king_in_dreams 2020-09-17 01:12 am (UTC)(link)
I. The Sound - Outside Heavenly Blanc

[Noct is mostly just hanging out when the sound comes. All at once he shoots to his feet, reaching for a sword that still won't come to hand as his head turns toward the void, eyes wide.]

[He knows that sound, can feel the phantom heat of mechanical soldiers bearing down on him, of gnashing teeth in the dark as they fought back the daemons as the nights got longer and longer.]

[Finally it stops, and he finally relaxes, chest still heaving as he slowly relaxes - and he huffs out a breath as he reaches for the ring on its chain around his neck, holding onto it for a moment before he settles back down.]


II. Disaster - the path to Hammerlocke

[Noct hasn't been up to the ruins, yet, but he's obviously heard enough about them to not be entirely surprised when it occurs to him that Shiva might have had a hand in its destruction, considering her death at the hands of Niflheim had turned a desert into an icy wasteland. It also makes him curious, and he heads for the path, intending on checking it out.]

III. Misplaced Memories - various places

[Through the day, Noct has flashes of memories of people and places he knows he's never seen before - and also that there are things he can't remember. It doesn't take him much to decide that it can't be a coincidence, and so, he sets out to track people down, to see if he can't figure out what's going on.]

[I'll post links for people in comments under this one. I'm absolutely open to more trades, though (and let me know if I've forgotten one we discussed?)! Hit me up at [plurk.com profile] cotume27 or Discord at cotume27#5389.]


IV. Wildcard

[It doesn't take Noct long to realize there are new things to be seen. He spends some time snooping around in Shibumenosaki Underground Academy and being entirely baffled by the mash-up of high school and shopping mall (and mourning the lack of an arcade). He investigates the L Station.]

[Most importantly, though, he sets out to make friends with one of the weird chocobo-frog things. It's not all that hard, he finds, since once he has the attention of one of them, they don't seem that inclined to leave him alone. He can be seen feeding it long pieces of grass harvested from the riverbanks and being followed around town.]
king_in_dreams: (The ghost of you)

For Raihan - A training session on the beach

[personal profile] king_in_dreams 2020-09-17 01:15 am (UTC)(link)
[Noct knows all too well that Gladio let him win in their race along the beach. It doesn't take much for Gladio to outpace him, after all, considering the other man's longer legs and better fitness, but it also doesn't mean he won't revel in the victory while he can.]