bakerstreet | The Attached Meme

The Attached Meme

The Attached Meme

Inspired by the Star Trek: The Next Generation episode of the same name.

Comment with your character, specifying name, canon, and gen/shipping/smut preferences, and/or tag someone else.
You and the other person now have two problems. One, you're aware of each other's surface thoughts regardless of either of your wishes, and two, if you try to distance yourselves from each other you're struck with nausea and vertigo until you manage to get close again.
Optionally, roll for or choose details:
1. You've been captured by some hostile force and had devices surgically implanted into the backs of your necks in order to facilitate interrogation. The mental link between you and dependency on proximity are just side-effects. Can you escape under these conditions?
2. You've been cursed by a spellcaster or supernatural being who wants you to "learn a lesson". Whether that's a real lesson about each other made possible by forced openness and time spent together or just the lesson of "don't mess with me" is an open question, and figuring it out may be key to having the curse broken...
3. One of you has suddenly awakened to latent paranormal powers, or your existing powers are suddenly misbehaving -- perhaps due to unforeseen interaction with the other person's abilities, if they have them. Maybe you could solve this, or at least the part about having to stay near each other, if you could only gain control over your power...
4. You were both willingly part of a scientific experiment, whether one of your own design or something you both volunteered for, and this... was not the result you signed up for. The mental link may or may not have been a known goal, but the involuntary aspect and the inability to separate aren't things either of you expected. Can science undo what it has done?
5. You both came into contact with an unknown substance, whether by accident or simply because of mutual curiosity, and this was the result. Now if you're going to be able to have privacy relative to each other again, you're going to have to figure out what it is and why it had the effect on you it did in order to find a way to counteract it.
6. Your choice, or something new!
Have fun!

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[His eyes widen a little as it dawns on him what's going on.]

Didn't you?

[He closes his mouth and offers instead a telepathic thought or two, just to see if he picks up on it.]

[I'm not really the type of person to play mind games, really. If you're hearing this, know that I think I'm hearing your thoughts. This is an unusual circumstance for me. I hope he can't see secrets...]

[The last thought is a bit of an accident.]

[As Natsuno's mental message registers in Edgeworth's mind, the latter's unease starts to grow into fear. His face changes little, but his glare breaks as he can't quite keep his emotions out of his eyes.]

(But... but that's entirely impossible! It has to be!)

[...But before that train of thought can get far, it's interrupted by that unintended addendum -- something that calls the mental image of a strangely-shaped glowing jewel to the surface briefly, along with a feeling of discomfort.]

[He exhales and shakes his head a little.]

[I've learned nothing is impossible. I don't know what that is though. This is a serious problem though, what should we do about it?]

I think we should go somewhere a little more conducive to a private conversation.

(To begin with, I need to get my wits about me.)

[He pauses to force himself to calm down; while his emotions don't go away, they at least are soon contained enough to no longer be derailing his thought processes. He then looks around while digging a small plastic bag out of an inner blazer pocket.]

(Everything begins with evidence.)

Given the correlation, we ought to take any samples of this liquid we can while the opportunity remains.

[Starting, apparently, by wringing his bangs out into the bag.]

We can find someplace to discuss the matter further afterward.

[I completely agree. Logic is what's important.]

[Natsuno is willing to do the same of his hair, although much of the liquid is actually down the back of his shirt.]

I looked, but I never saw anyone. [Or sense them either.]

(How can one claim to value logic while believing in supernatural senses?)

[As soon as the question comes to mind, dread manifests to block off an answer. In turn, the prosecutor pushes both down alike with a shake of his head.]

Nor I. I presume you were the first to look, then. There is the possibility, however, that we may find something if we can only make our way up there.

[Edgeworth seals the small plastic bag as he speaks.]

[It's a long, unpleasant story.]

[He turns his attention back at the building, shielding his eyes from the sun. His mouth is set in a firm line.]

It looks like an apartment building, that would be my guess.

[Maybe there's a drain pipe around here...]

Then we should speak with the landlord, should he be available, in order to investigate.

[Edgeworth glances up and shields his eyes himself at Natsuno's thought of a drain pipe.]

(For the liquid to have come from such a source, it would need to have been blocked or broken -- something more easily judged from the roof.)

[...Not that Edgeworth seems to like the idea of being on a roof with no fence or railing, but the fear there is much less desperate and more easily outweighed by determination to find the truth.]

We can't possibly know from which apartment it came from, unless it came from the roof.

[He looks around for that drain pipe. Seeing it, he sighs a little. The things that come up sometimes.]

[I could go up the pipe to the roof.]

That's not necessarily the case. I don't recall hearing a window closing. Do you?

[Edgeworth looks to see whether any of the windows in the immediate area above them are open.]

[As for the thought of climbing, that prompts an incredulous look.]

(Would that not be incredibly dangerous?!)

I didn't hear anything.

[He gives the other man a bit of an exasperated look.]

[There isn't much to worry about. Even if I fall, I won't be seriously injured. Well, I might be, but it will mend rather quickly.]

[For some reason, the images of a teenaged girl and a partly-burning building spring to Edgeworth's mind.]

Delusions of invincibility will get neither of us anywhere! If we're to investigate the roof, we should do so properly.

[And with that, Edgeworth starts for the door to the apartment building.]

Delusions?

[He lets out something of a humourless laugh and a memory of his own surfaces of a boy sinking his teeth into Natsuno's neck. Naturally this is accompanied with a sudden rush of fear at the memory, although he pushes it aside rather quickly.]

I can assure you I'm not delusional, but I have no qualms about doing it your way.

[Edgeworth shudders at Natsuno's memory -- not to mention the brief surge of emotion that accompanied it.]

(Does he actually believe such a thing happened?... That's ridiculous. He must be mistaken...)

[Edgeworth shakes his head, then opens the door and steps inside...]

[...only to stagger to one knee and clutch his head with one hand and his stomach with another.]

Nnggh... ugh, wh-what?...

[If only that was the case. When he staggers, the same ill feeling strikes him and Natsuno lets out a little groan.

He was fine to stay out there and wait, but he finds himself leaning against the side of the building in agony.]

[What happened? What did you do?]

Gnngh... I-I didn't do anything! (Except...ngh, this is preposterous, and yet...)

[Edgeworth crawls back outside, then toward Natsuno. Sure enough, once much of the distance is closed, the feelings of sickness and disorientation quickly fade away.]

(What just happened? Was it because I removed myself from the area where the liquid landed?... No, that can't be the case, or he wouldn't also have been affected. It's almost as though...)

[The headache is definitely not appreciated, but the fact it stops when he comes closer makes Natsuno frown.]

[A telepathic link and a proximity issue? Just what landed on us?]

[It's a few slow breaths as the sting leaves his head and he groans lightly.]

Honestly, what a thing to happen. We're going to have a problem then. At least one.

[Edgeworth carefully climbs to his feet.]

Verily. Apparently, this investigation is far more critical than we first realized.

(It's as though our minds have suddenly become both interconnected and interdependent -- but could a simple liquid possibly do such a thing simply by being splashed upon two people crossing paths, or are we missing the true catalyst?)

[If I were to guess, I would say we are missing something, something important. I'm not sure what the liquid does, or how it fits into everything but we can't at least deny what's happening here.]

[It's possible Edgeworth may feel his frustration on the matter. He takes a deep breath, then another before sighing.]

I should introduce myself if this is going to take some time. I am Natsuno Yuuki...or Koide. Whichever is fine.

(I don't want to believe this, and yet...)

[If Natsuno is frustrated, Edgeworth is deeply unsettled.

The introduction leaves Edgeworth blinking in bewilderment.]

(How am I supposed to retain formality under such conditions?)

Miles Edgeworth.

[Aside from it being a formality, I thought you might be curious as to what my name was. How do you wish to proceed? I'll begin by saying I cannot enter that building. Just one of the many problems I mentioned.]

A pleasure, Mr. Edgeworth.

[He crosses his arms over his stomach, leaning against the wall again. He's trying to think of some kind of solution. Anything they do has to be together, right?]

(I mean that it's more proper to refer to most people by their surname unless they request otherwise or fail to provide it.

There must be a fire escape... but I can't believe such a thing is necessary. If there were only time to simply learn the number one must dial to reach the landlord...)

[Outwardly, Edgeworth simply nods in response to Natsuno's spoken words.]

Edited (Errors) 2014-03-20 08:22 (UTC)

[He tilts his head a little, confused.]

[You're welcome to attempt it, but I cannot enter private property, at least not without being invited by someone who lives there. Unless this is your building of residence, we'll need to come up with something else. Or perhaps this investigation is a lost cause when we should be figuring out what this liquid we collected is.]

I wasn't suggesting you drop decorum or anything like that. Feel free to address me by my surname.

Edited (Oops, coding.) 2014-03-20 08:35 (UTC)

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Get on the Partner button, kid. ;)

Aw, but he likes to be a lone wolf!

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