006 - Connecting Lines, Connecting Lives

[tabularasa_mods]

Connecting Lines, Connecting Lives New Imprints ▲ Comments The Ground Shakes
It begins unremarkably enough, with the light tremors of the ground so small they might easily go unnoticed, or else dismissed as the movement of some creature nearby. As time goes on, however, those little tremors begin to grow in both strength and duration, the length of time shortening between each one. To begin with only small, light, unsecured objects are rattled loose by the rumbling of the ground, but as the tremors grow in strength there is a growing danger of much larger things being moved.

The realm’s clear lack of understanding of how things work cannot be relied upon in such a situation. If the tremors have grown strong enough to throw all the books of Hammerhead to the ground and throw over all the clothes rails and capsule machines and furniture in the Academy, then what if they grow strong enough to move the heavy blanket of snow atop Mount Silver? What if they grow strong enough to damage the caverns within?

Then there is the question of how, or why, the realm has made the land shake. It must surely have picked up the idea of an earthquake from someone, right? An answer to the question is not immediately forthcoming, but should one stay low to the ground and listen, they might well hear the muffled, distorted sound of screaming.

Creature Chaos
As the rumbling and shaking continues, it is clear to see that the local wildlife has been disturbed, and they seem remarkably active. Critters can be seen running and flying to and fro, and any who go out to investigate may find themselves the center of attention. Brushboys may paint arrows on the ground in an effort to lead them somewhere, or bluurgobos might actively offer rides, or the flying cat-like creatures will excitedly circle someone before attempting to lead them somewhere. Going along with them will lead to one of two places:

1. The meaty, pulsating, cavernous tunnels of Mementos shudder and convulse in a way quite unlike before, and closer inspection will quickly reveal why. The flesh has been cut and torn, hacked apart, leaving gaping and bleeding wounds to spill over the subway tracks. Whichever critter has brought someone here excitedly gestures towards the wounds, and as it does a giant and painful shudder goes through the tunnels and shakes the earth. All those earthquakes… could this be the source?


2. The road to the Hammerlocke Citadel Ruins are as long as winding as ever, and precarious with the risk of an earthquake dislodging snow and rock from the mountainside. The animal that has taken the lead is on a mission, however, as unclear as that mission might be. On arriving, it turns its attention to a group of the spiky, bear-headed beasts that are lazing about as though the land is not currently shaking and quaking around them, and tries to draw their attention. Clearly, these bear heads are expected to do something, and they aren’t doing it.

First Words
Though the tremors have finally stopped, they have left a significant change to the World in their wake. Where the ground above was once flat and untouched, there now lay cracks and fissures that glow with a strange, but enchantingly warm light. There doesn’t seem to be a single area that has been left untouched by them - though the number of cracks are denser in some places than others, it’s difficult to find a place completely devoid of them. Could this be the world’s attempt at trying to heal itself?

If all of that wasn’t enough to warrant investigation, the sound of whispers that appear to be coming from they might do the trick. Upon closer inspection, however, it becomes apparent that the whispers aren’t coming from the lights, but from inside your own head. Focus a little more, and some of the voices may sound familiar…

back to top

Comments

ren amamiya | persona 5 royal

[forethinking]

i. tremors (heavenly blanc)

(They surely start innocent enough, but Ren is not one to dismiss anomalies. Not when they're in a world where anything and everything could happen - Ren keeps his eyes right open from the first time the floor vibrated to the point a cup crashed on the floor.

He sees the cracks on a few places, covering them up with whatever he can find. It's blue, he doesn't know what it is, he might as well not touch it. Besides the one his foot is accidentally resting on, as he writes on his probation notebook, taking into account how few pages remain. He sighs, allowing his thoughts to wander.)

Out of juvie straight back into a much more unpredictable prison. I wonder if there's a pattern...

ii. the animals talk

(Ren can tell the animals too have been suffering from the earthquakes. Erratic behavior, agitation... But this one? This one looked at him straight into his eyes, like he was trying to say something. Empathy kicks in much more than common sense, and Ren simply picks the knife placed in the pocket of his gray trenchcoat.

Once he arrives at Mementos, one will be able to hear, loud and clear, Ren's voice echoing, in never heard before ALMOST swearing.)

What the f--?

(Careful what you think about. The walls of your mind have ears. Feel free to answer to his thoughts or simply find him here.)

iii. LEY LINE

I think I got the hang of this. Can you hear me?

i, could also be iii really

[feale]

[ Yoshizawa is in the midst of packing stuff into boxes to move from her apartment to the place she's selected for herself in the place that is - but isn't - Kichijoji - when the first of the tremors has the box she's packing tipping over; she's in the process of looking for something to put herself under when it stops just as soon as it started.

She folds her arms over her chest, looking around the room with a small frown. It didn't seem too bad, but she's a little more cautious than normal as she continues to pack her things.

And then—

Senpai?

Yoshizawa frowns. That sounded just like Ren's voice...

It feels ridiculous, but she tries to focus her thoughts outward, toward Ren, although of course all she ends up doing is sending said thoughts to everyone: ]

Senpai? Is that you?

iii

[bridge_princess]

Get the Hang of what? WHO IS THIS?!?

Void, is that you?

[Nope. She hadn't gotten the hang of this at all, and she was staring right down into the mist, wondering if the Void was bleeding or something. This was going to go great.]

i

[starshower]

[The tremors were, needless to say, quite frightening. Tifa had been down in Wall Market when they hit, and her first thought was what if the insides of the cave collapsed—would she be able to make it out in time? What would she do if they did? What if someone else was down here with her? She spent the better half of it in a panic, frantically searching through the streets for any stragglers with Cloud's voice in the back of her head urging her forward the tremors die down.

Her fear gives her little time to check out the newly formed cracks in the ground when she hears a voice whispering in her head. An idle thought, it sounds like, but this is the same as when she and Cloud were able to communicate through... whatever this universe was giving them.

—juvie straight back into a much more unpredictable prison—

She says nothing in return, and her lips press together. Is she hearing that right? Was Ren somewhere nearby? Was it something meant for her to even hear?

Her first stop is, of course, Heavenly Blanc, where she knows she'll find him at just about any time of day. The bell to the bar jingles as she pushes it open, taking a careful peek inside to make sure it's still standing.]

... Hello?

I

[bazooker]

[Here, Haru had been in her apartment trying to cook up something when she felt the rumble. At first, she wondered if she should find a place to hide as she didn't know how long they would last. Luckily, it seemed to be only for a moment. Once they stopped, she looked around to see if everything was okay.

Of course, the moment she heard a familiar voice? Wait, what was he saying? As she looked around, it seemed that he was nowhere in sight. Should she say something back?]

Ren-kun? Is everything okay

ii

[forceofnature]

Shhh!

[The small girl surrounded by a crowd of animals reaches up to cover the... nonexistent ears of a flying chestnut.]

There are children here.

[meaning the chestnut, of course]

Why do we need to deal with these awful flesh caves again? The first time was gross enough. What's wrong with them?

i

[crystaltower]

[The Exarch was quietly examining the glowing cracks in the ground when a voice decides to slip into his head, like the thoughts of another person. A voice that’s vaguely familiar, though not one he can immediately place. He stops, stands and looks around him for the source of it, uncertain.

There are many perfectly sensible questions he could be considering, like ‘who is this’ or ‘what’s happening’. The question he actually focuses on?]

What is ‘juvie’?

iii

[hightouch]

[The reply comes quickly, almost like a reflex after he's been startled. Which is exactly what happened.]

I can hear you!

[A pause.]

Wait... where are you? I don't see anybody around!

Parsee Mizuhashi | Touhou Project | OTA

[bridge_princess]

Believe in Me, Because I Don't Believe in Anything
Parsee was easily found, at any time after the New Years Party, at the Shrine. Even after Melinoe's disappearance, she was just busily sweeping around with a very old looking broom, or pounding on a Taiko drum that had seen better years. If you caught her mid-task, you might hear her whispering 'there, you happy? Shut up for a bit, would ya?' to her various tools. The spiritually attuned, or anyone who'd talked to her probably knew that there were several tsukumogami, awakened tools and musical instruments in the shrine complex, being kept busy by her.

She kept everything clean, and if anyone came to worship, she'd either holler for Viridi or listen to their prayers. A little sign said 'leave the offerings on the altar and show your prayer to the local spirit.' It was better than her eating the prayers.

But what was weird was that, when she didn't think anyone was looking? Parsee seemed to be smiling. Not much. Not broadly. But she was smiling. While people were aware she was a vengeful spirit, there'd been a lot of attempts to treat her differently, to suggest she could be different. And though she hadn't necessarily noticed it herself, something might have slowly begun to change.

Tremors
Greaaaaaat. Parsee was gripping the nearest tree for support and shouting at the Void anywhere that she could seem to find hints of it. "Keep it together you!" She was still, apparently, convinced that the Void itself was a person on some level who could be convinced, coaxed, cajoled and reasoned with.

Either way, as things collapsed around her, she gritted her teeth and looked over at whoever she saw nearest to her. "The hell is going on this time?"

Whiskey Tango Foxtrot?!?
Parsee was inside of the Wall Market, staring at the old 'palace' of Don Corneo, not for the first time. As she looked up at the structure, muttering something about how it should really be torn down, but not doing anything about it for the ten-thousandth time, she heard a noise to her right. A can was kicked, and then there it was. Gah, that Nug. The terror of Wall Market.

"Ugh, you ugly bastard. Go on, leave me alone. What do you want anyway? I'm not here for eggs," she said, fending off an egg that it picked up and cast out of the way. She was about to have some serious words with it when suddenly, it let out a sound and was surrounded by a nimbus of light as it came in contact with errant strands of mana mist having floated down to the Market. And then, as the light surrounded it... something amazing happened!

When the light faded, a fully grown bluurgobos was standing there. It let out a wark, charged and barreled right past her, sending the spirit sprawling to the ground with a squawk of her own. "WHAT THE HELL IS GOING ON AROUND HERE?!?" she shouted as the myth of the ghost of Wall Market continued to its next evolution.

Shrine

[forceofnature]

[Bizarrely, Viridi has been tame lately. Ever since Melinoe's departure, she has been far less... annoying in passing to the other spirit. She might possibly... be... sad...?

Viridi still sets up the shrine every day and keeps Mel's corner exactly the same as it was before. She doesn't exactly expect visitors to worship. More just to stop by if they were bored.]

...You look happy.

[She announces one day while popping out from a box in a corner as Parsee sweeps.]

Shrine

[hightouch]

After being dropped in a world so unfamiliar, it was no wonder that Shouyou would take note of the shrine that so reminded him of home. Though he had passed by once or twice before, this was the first time finding someone else here.

Drawn to the sound of the taiko drum, Shouyou kept quiet until Parsee finished, simply soaking the familiar beats in. Once she stopped, he clapped--more quietly than he would in a less sacred area, but with just as much enthusiasm as ever.

"That's so cool." Shouyou beamed at her. "Do you play here all the time?"

kimihiro watanuki - xxxholic

[kimihiros]

i. just the usual existential crisis

(of course he notices the small puddles around the shrine, much deeper than the ones pooling in his own apartment. kimihiro, fashionable as always, finds his place for his daily meditation. little does he know that the little puddle that he tried so hard to stay away from would broadcast his thoughts into the world.)

I haven't eaten in a while, I don't feel hunger as I once did. I don't feel tired. The more people visit me, the stronger I feel. There is something to be said about my existence, how I needed these connections to exist, not to disappear like Syaoran once begged me to... Is this the same? Am I paying the price for not being where I was supposed to? Am I still... Human?

ii. wish granting?

(all he can do here is listen, but it seems like it has helped people already. he's too terrified of what is coming from his newfound abilities, what does it mean for him, and he doesn't have anyone to actually ask. no yuuko, no mokona. it's frightening to say the least, so he does what he can do to curb it, at least in his mind: reinstate the shop. kimihiro has made a sign out of wood, the words the shop is open painted in immaculate kanji resting on his door.

when a customer arrives, kimihiro gently directs them to the living room, only for a tremor to knock the cup and coaster right on the floor, cracking and splashing it into a million pieces.)

... I wonder what's causing it. I'll get it -- but what do I owe the visit?

iii. penny for your thoughts

Yuuko-san could do this - send mental messages and listen to other's thoughts. I wonder if she had time to adjust.

iv. wildcard

(Feel free to send the space-time emo anything and everything.)

i

[theforgottenboy]

[It didn't take long for the "whispers" to draw Cole to the new cracks in the world. It's still different than what he knows, but this isn't like the humming voice on the edges of the void. There's real words, or maybe even thoughts.]

[He's not sure yet how real the voices are though, much less that his own can be "sent" as well. So when he catches on to a voice that sounds very much like something he would expect to sense in his own world, he's trying to listen in rather than respond, but his thoughts are thrown out there regardless-]

I've heard that voice. Watanuki? He's hurting?

ii

[bazooker]

[Ever since their last conversation, Haru wondered how Kimihiro had been doing. As she wandered into the shop, she hadn't expected a rumble on the ground. While she was expecting the owner to say something, he just looked at him with a raised eyebrow.

Clearly, the Void must be up to something.]

Nothing, I wanted to come and visit. I was wondering how you were doing since I last saw you.

ii

[bridge_princess]

Social call.

[She flopped into a seat where directed while the tremors went and tried to ignore them. They worried her a great deal, because she was still unsure how this world held itself together, which meant that this might be something more serious.

They both had their concerns.]

How's business been, ignoring that outside of favor for favor, you really don't have an economy around here... ya know, favor for favor's probably better?

I

[hightouch]

[Hearing voices in his head isn't as jarring as finding himself in a different world is, but it comes pretty close. But just like then, Shouyou adapts to this, too, finding himself drawn to the stray whispers rather than shying away. Especially when the whispers sound as sad as this one.]

I don't get all that stuff you said about paying a price, but if you need more people around to feel better, you should say something!

SURPRISE PROMPT

[kimihiros]

(thank you, cole, kimihiro hasn't thought of it that way. he was fine back home -- he knew that inheriting the shop meant that he would have power. trading his ability to go to the shop unlocked his magic, not having the passage of time dehumanized the experience of growing old.

but it was fine. he was fine back home, he chooses this life. here, he has no idea what's happening to him. even if cole managed to appease some of his anxiety, was he going to disappear...? is this because of his existence that this is distorted? find the witch with his head in his hands, taking deep breaths.)

ii? iv?? idk he's coming for u kimihiro

[wouldntglidingbefaster]

[It's some time after his conversation with Cole that there's a knock on the shop's door, and a certain bard waiting on the other side with a giant bottle of sake. He overheard someone was feeling like shit, so—]

Watanuki! Let's drink together!

[and he's not gonna take "no" for an answer, so either way he's going to let himself in and start hunting for drinkware to pour it in.]

Legion | ota

[forwearemany]

A) (It's the screaming that gets their attention.

The earthquakes are entirely unanticipated, and it's not long before a particularly powerful one sends Legion tumbling to their hands and knees. Before they can get up, they hear it: the sound of screams, as though the world itself is hurting.

They put their head down against the ground to listen, chattering in concern. It's probably a rather odd sight.)

B) (The unnatural behavior of the animals catches their attention, and they begin to follow out of curiosity long before any effort is made to deliberately lead them.

The winged felids eventually head underground. Legion is hesitant, at first: going into underground tunnels when there are earthquakes seems like a good way to get buried alive. But then more animals come, and by the time there are fellow machines beckoning them into the tunnels instead of attacking, curiosity has overridden caution.

They descend.

And what they find ... well, that again has them hesitating.)

This unit lacks medical expertise.

(They say to the gathered animals. But still, they try to find the worst gash in these strange, fleshy walls, to hold the flesh together and apply pressure to stop the bleeding.

Is this why the world was screaming?

It seems, to them, like the best solution would be to glue or stitch these wounds back together. Now, if only they had the supplies to do so...)

C) (Mostly, their broadcasts over the ley lines are a jumble, over a thousand voices talking at once.)

This is an organic consensus?

(That, however, comes through loud and clear.)

C

[bazooker]

[Meanwhile, all Haru could do was just listen in on the voices and wondered what to say. This was a unique way to communicate but it was difficult to filter out who said what.

However, as she heard a voice?]

No, this isn't something people are use to if that's what you're implying.

[fluffyharpy]

1. Roc and Roll

[The quaking earth affected even those living nearer the sky. Lysandra's nest in the Aerial District shook more than enough to knock several decorations she had found and/or been given to the ground and Lysandra fell with. One of the precious items breaks into shards upon contact with the ground. Into the aether many a curse word is uttered by the bird girl.]

2. AiM

[Well this was all odd. But what to do with this new sensation? May as well literally shout into the void.]

hello? is this really happening? hello?

Net

[bridge_princess]

Is what really... oh right, the brain thing. Gah, this is so weird. Every time I come by this mist thingee I keep hearing your voices in my head.

...

Uh, Lys is that you?

viridi | kid icarus | ota

[forceofnature]

[a. why would anyone give her back telepathy?]

Hear me, gutless peons! Now that my vast and expansive repertoire of powers is slowly returning to my divine being, we're going to see some changes around here!

I hereby declare this world under the jurisdiction of the Forces of Nature! Today shall henceforth be known as Viridi Da --

What do you mean 'everyone got this'? What? That's not a thing; humans don't even have telepathy! You can't just give people telepathy willy-nilly; that's completely irresponsible. They're going to clog up my valuable mental head-space with their asinine mortal problems. ...You know. Like... 'oh no I'm going to die in under a hundred years and I'm grouchy about it' or 'does Sally really like me or does she just like my arbitrary piles of colored paper with numbers on them?' It's so banal they just prattle on and on and on and --

[who is she even talking to??]

[b. outside Mementos]

[Surrounded by a small crowd of bizarre native animals (and a flying chestnut), Viridi is peering into the flesh caves with distinct distaste.]

Oh, no. I'm not going back in that hole. ...I love all of you, but there's no way in h --

[She cuts off as she spots someone else.]

Oh good.

We all voted and decided; you should go in first.

B

[forwearemany]

(Legion already knows what awaits them below: soaked in blood from the wounds in the earth, they come bearing supplies to hopefully help in the "treatment" of this damage. Needle like objects, whatever they can use for thread, some form of glue. They have no idea what to do, but for now will treat the gashes as though one would treat any injury.

They pay Viridi no mind until she speaks, at which point they pause.)

Acknowledged. We will assist where you have failed.

(Throwing shade? Implying she is unfit to care for the nature of this world? What do you take them for? Of course they're doing that.

It is, in their eyes, the truth: she is an unfit god.)

goro akechi | ota

[simulatio]

(spoilers for Persona 5 Royal in all prompts)

A. where people like you see problems, i see the opportunity to create bigger problems

[Well then.

Akechi hasn't exactly made a secret of owning a serrated sword; he's been carrying it with him just about everywhere for the last several months, with a polite, almost-embarrassed laugh in response to just how brutal it looks. "Beggars can't be choosers," when it comes to weapons, and for a long time, that's the only one he's had.

Of course, that doesn't mean he's needed to use it all that often. But he has been using it, especially in more recent weeks since his return from his and Ren's inexplicable trip home.]

Son of a bitch!

[A snarl bursts from his lips as the fleshy walls of Mementos shudder and convulse violently, bodily hurling him backward in the middle of one of his frenzied attempts to carve himself a path through the maze. It's frankly disgusting the way that the tunnel starts closing around him like a throat, forcing him backward and threatening to engulf him in walls of flesh. Sinew snaps, lashing a bloody line across his cheek and eliciting another fierce snarl as he's driven farther back.

One of the brushboys is chattering nearby in alarm, but he can barely hear it through the angry roaring in his ears.]

Shut the fuck up and get out of here!

B. well well well, if it isn't the consequences of my own actions

[By the time Akechi makes it out from the underground, he's more than a little worse for wear; blood and gore drips from his sword, there's an ugly gash across his face that he either hasn't noticed, or hasn't cared to do anything about. The sports uniform he'd been wearing, "borrowed" (stolen) from the underground academy, isn't in much better shape, shredded and coated in viscera. It looks for all the world like Akechi had been violently spit out of the underground.

His eyes wild, he doesn't seem to quite see everything around him quite right; a few steps, and he stumbles planting both hands squarely into one of these new blue-glowing rivers.]

Motherfucking piece of shit!

C. what've you got there? a knife!

[Perhaps, whilst investigating the tunnels, one could come across a rather curious sight; that is, one Goro Akechi engaged in combat with one of the hooded figures. Its doing its very best to shiv him, whilst Akechi is doing his very best not to be shived. His saw sword is strapped safely to his back; instead, he's wielding a brilliant blue laser sword in his left hand to parry the strikes. The look on his face is crazed, but with something closer to happiness than to anger.]

Well? Come on then! Is that all you've got?!

[-He might be here for a while. Maybe take a different path forward?]

D. wildcard!

[none of these prompts work for you? use this space, or hit me up on plurk @jaderhade for plotting! considering akechi is the one who sliced up meatmentos uhhhh he deserves consequences]

b the consequence of your own actions arrives

[forethinking]

(Ren has been lured into Mementos by a creature, and it was easy to tell what has been hurting the Void. Jagged cuts, cauterized wounds, all just scream the signatures of Akechi's swords. He's got to find him, inquire, because the wounds seem fresh and the earthquakes aren't becoming milder.

Lucky for him, he finds his beloved right outside the entrance of Mementos, covered in gore and blood - his voice echoeing in his brain, almost too close to a mental breakdown for his own comfort. Ren stands in front of the man, a hand so he can stand up.)

Goro.

Venti | Genshin Impact

[wouldntglidingbefaster]

[A - Leyline]

[Venti doesn't know what's going on yet, but the ground is screaming and that's generally a bad sign. Once the tremors start to calm down a little he approaches one of the glowing cracks, kneeling down to dip his hand in the edge of the mist.]

You're in pain, aren't you? I'm sorry, but even if I was at my full strength, fixing something like this is way beyond my abilities. Wind is better at pushing things around than stitching them back together, you know? Even Lord Barbatos has his limits.

[give him a second to figure out this is actually just a shitpost zone now and not(? maybe??) actually talking to the world itself.]

[B - Herding Bears: The Musical]

[Some time later, Venti can be found hiking up the side of Mount Silver, a small entourage of brushboys and other animals in tow. As much as he tries to insist he can't do anything about this... well, he can at least try one thing, and it seems he won't be left alone until he does. Eventually, the local wildlife's persistence wins out.

So, here he is, standing at the entrance to Hammerlocke to do what he does best: try to make other people do the work for him. He plucks at the strings of his lyre, the beginnings of an uplifting melody drawing in the empty eyes of the nearby cacteddies.]

Come now, friends, this is no time for rest!
The world cries in pain, and your aid we request!

[He doesn't stop there, of course, and proceeds deeper into the snowy ruins as he continues serenading the bear-creatures. Venti would be pleased to say he has their attention, but... whether his ad-libbed inspirational song is enough to actually make them go down and fix the tunnels...]

[C - Intermission]

[Alas, he has found relatability in the most unfortunate of places. Try as he might to motivate the cacteddies into doing something productive, they have proven themselves far too lazy for his efforts.

"If you can't beat them, join them," right? Regardless, Venti is tired and hoarse from all the singing, so it's totally fine if he takes a break under one of the more intact ruins. He lazily strums a few chords on his lyre next to a pile of snoozing bears.]

Ahh, what I wouldn't give for a drink right about now...

Leyline

[bridge_princess]

Wait, what? No, I'm fine. Right as rain.

...

Who is this?!?

[Congratulations inadvertent shitpost! Have confused 'is this on?']

closed ☁

[starshower]

[After the commotion of the tremors, the first thing Tifa set out to do was cleanup duty. Feeling personally responsible for parts of Wall Market, she's been working tirelessly to restore the stalls to what they were. The walls had shifted, shelves had fallen, and items broken, and she'd felt a wash of fear when the ground shook beneath her, but that hasn't slowed her down.

She's in the middle of repackaging fresh meat after making some food for the people up on the ground floor of the Void—Aerith and Zack could probably use something to eat—when she gives this new worldly communication a go. Tifa had sent Cloud up to deliver the food with his fancy new bike, and as she eyes one of the cracks on the narrow street just outside of their stall, a smile crosses her tired face.]

Testing, testing! The Void to Cloud!

[Surprise! Never one to miss her mark, Tifa's voice will be ringing in his head, and whoever else's that might be eavesdropping in... as she's experienced herself. Oops.]

Hope you're not interrupting the whole Void's thoughts with that bike of yours! Can you hear me?

[memorate]

It's not that loud, is it?

[ Truthfully, he wouldn't mind that much if the sound of his bike was all they could hear from him. The alternative, which would be everyone hearing his thoughts, is a huge invasion of privacy.

If people could hear his thoughts, then-- ]

How long have you been in my head?

[ weird question?? ]