bakerstreet | broken meme

broken meme

the broken meme.

You may once have been a great hero, or a modest regular person. But something has pushed you past the limit. There's simply no going back to who you used to be. To be seen now, your friends, your family, would they even recognize you? Your savior was too late. The pain was too much. The pleasure was too intense. You've been short-circuited.

You're broken.

A. Post with the usual stuff! Note somewhere if there are any options you aren't okay with.
B. People can reply, with a roll for their characters or ask if you want to roll for yours in that thread.
C. Probably some triggers involved here. Read at your own discretion, etc.

1. Pain.
You've been pushed beyond your limits and become light-headed, 'floaty'. The sight of your own blood doesn't provoke a reaction anymore, and seeing a friend might cause you to smile, or talk strangely. You might not even recognize them. It doesn't hurt anymore. It's alright now.

2. Lust.
No, no, no became yes, yes, yes. Dignity and self-respect have faded, replaced by an insatiable and alien feeling of want. You've reached a point where shame doesn't even occur to you anymore. Your eyes seem out of focus and your smile doesn't look right. Look, I've made so many friends who like me...! Do anything to me if it feels good.

3. Shock.
What has been seen cannot be unseen. A revelation about a friend, a loved one, an enemy- something has shocked you in a way you can never reverse. It may change not only the way you look at someone or something, but also the way you see the rest of your life. I saw nothing, I saw nothing, I saw...

4. Oppressed.
What's it like outside my cage? Your spirit of rebellion or confidence has been cracked, and your rescuers might not be there in time to salvage what's left of your spirits. You've long since accepted that getting away from this oppression is impossible- Perhaps you've even become attached to it as the only way to live life. Yes, sir. No, sir. Sorry, sir.

5. Corruption.
Something has eroded you. You're not like you used to be. You're obsessive, your face is darker. You may even see who you were before as weak or useless. Whether it's a magic ring or Phazon infecting your body, you're going grimdark and it's looking a little too late to pull you out of it. This power is far greater than what I had before! To think I used to believe in justice!

6. Hysteria.
When you talk, you don't make any sense. Pure Charisma Break. Maybe you were a god stripped of your might, or you've suffered a terrible defeat. Either way your ego has snapped, leaving you a total mess and unable to function. But how could this be? How could I lose?!

7. Desperation.
Where before you were airy, confident, in control of yourself, you're now a ragged and fuming pile of hopeless anger. As a fighter you may have been careful or even graceful; now you swing wildly, strike without precision. You simply cannot accept the situation, cannot accept your own fall. It's not over! I'm still in control! I can still fix everything!

you can mix/change/double-up/whatever on these. enjoy.

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...You don't remember that?

[Should he really be surprised? Isaac controls that reaction quickly enough.]

I did take you against your will, yeah. I was doing what I thought would be best for you. We got outside of Goldenrod and then we talked. You... talked about how Archer might have been controlling your mind and I... it sounded plausible. I let you go. I let you go back there.

[He looks away, expression hardening.]

It was stupid of me to think that they'd help you after what you and Archer did to their organization. It was stupid of me to let you go. I'm so sorry.

...they aren't malicious toward me at all. They understand the situation; it's fine.

[He still isn't sure how much he can trust Isaac; after all, even if Isaac has told him that he won't lie to him, that's something very easily said. At the same time, he wants to hear what the man has to offer by way of an explanation for any of this.]

"The situation"? You think Archer controlled you to take over the organization, right?

[Isaac frowns, glancing upward for a moment as he tries to figure out how to convince Kimblee otherwise.]

That's not what happened. You're a soldier and you do like to follow orders, yeah. Archer does give you orders, and maybe he did order you to help him. But he's never used Pokemon to force you to do anything. He got really offended when I told him that, actually. ...Then he threw a lamp at my head.

[...herp.]

But he wouldn't have done that to you. The two of you are-- or... were, I guess... you guys were really close. He only managed to escape because you helped him get out of there. He said you insisted that he leave.

You wouldn't have done something like that for just anyone, right?

[Wh...]

He threw a lamp at your head.

[.......RIGHT, THAT'S NOT THE POINT.]

Isaac, do you know me to do something like that for anyone, fullstop?

Yeah, he's... a bit violent...

[THAT MIGHT BE UNDERSTATING IT A LITTLE but let's get back on track!]

No. That's the thing - you guys are so close that you'd willingly put your lives on the line for one another. You don't remember any of that?

[~~Archer would like to know who said anything about putting his life on the line here, but okay...~~]

[~~said as though you wouldn't, Archer~~]

...I do, to some extent, but I don't know how much of it was genuine; it's entirely possible that he influenced that.

[~~hush you~~]

He didn't. We lived together for awhile, remember? I saw how you guys interacted. At first I thought he was being completely abusive toward you, but you always said that's how you two were; you guys played rough. You two have known each other for over a year. You guys haven't been friends the whole time, but you've been pretty close. Do you remember what happened in September? When Archer holed himself up in the old base? You went in there to look after him. He wouldn't let anyone else in there. You guys are really close.

[Isaac's smiling, though it's a bit strained. He's not entirely sure if their relationship will ever be the same.]

[He hates how long he has to think it over; this was never an issue in Amestris. Once in a while he would have to consider, if the memory had been formed a long time ago, but a matter of months shouldn't be any problem at all.

He shakes his head after a moment; though his voice actually remains calm, it's fairly obvious that this is frustrating him.]

I don't...no, that doesn't sound familiar.

[Isaac squeezes Kimblee's hand. He's trying to be reassuring, but he doesn't know where to begin. Memory loss like this isn't something he's ever had to deal with before.]

Alright, well... let's start with what you do remember. What's the last thing you remember before the takeover? Or maybe... what's the last thing you remember about Archer?

[Let's start there?]

...I remember many things about Archer; I think the last thing, chronologically, was after the takeover failed. He was incredibly upset; I was trying to calm him down. I believe he feared retribution for what he'd done; that was when he had me steal for him. I haven't seen him since.

The last thing I remember before the takeover itself would be talking to Dr Kato, in the base. We were discussing preparations.

He said you managed to steal of your own free will, but that's not the point. At least you remember that!

[...orz. Okay, so what else...?]

Well, what about before that? Do you remember any of the arguments you guys had? What about the time you guys spent together working for Team Rocket or travelling and getting the Gym Badges?

...we spent some time in Olivine City, I know that. It was lovely; neither of us had really seen the ocean like that before. I remember taking him up into the lighthouse to look at it, so it was obviously some time ago. We met there again a while after that; we had fought some time before.

We tended to fight once in a while; most of the major arguments we had involved him trying to control literally everything about my life. We worked together until very recently, however, because we were efficient and worked well together. I know that much.

And you guys were friends. He was living with us, remember?

[...And we don't speak of the cuddlepile. :| ]

When I asked you about whether he was... abusing you or not, you said he's been very good to you. I didn't really see how at the time, but I think having a friendship like that really has been good for you. You've had plenty to do here and Archer helped give you something to focus on.

[...Like orders...]

[...actually, he sort of remembers the -

oh god

we do not speak of the cuddlepile, no

However, that last bit of information there is more than enough to get him to turn skeptical; it's clear he's reached the same conclusion.]

I'm sure he did.

[Like orders, indeed.]

[...oh.]

That's not...! He didn't control you, Kimblee. Like I said, he got very offended when I said that was why I let you return to Team Rocket.

[And then he went into shrieking histrionics about how Kimblee would never get out now, etc.]

Perhaps. But all you have is his word, isn't it?

...Yeah.

[He doesn't have any proof, and that frustrates him. Shouldn't there be something he can say to let Kimblee know he's telling the truth?]

I wouldn't lie to you. You do remember that.

...I believe so, yes.

[Isaac isn't the only one getting frustrated; his gaze darts back in the direction of the caves' entrance.]

I'm not angry with you, you know. Even if what you've told me is the case about allowing me to return.

I'm still really sorry about that.

[He's glad Kimblee isn't angry, but that doesn't make it any easier. He allowed Kimblee to return to that situation. If he had persisted, Kimblee would still have his memories, or at least more of them. It's his fault.]

But I am glad you're not mad at me. It'll probably take time for you to get your memories back, but I'm sure you will.

[Isaac turned, motioning for Kimblee to follow him. At least he let go of Kimblee's hand this time?]

Come on, let's take a break from worrying about that for awhile, alright? I'm sure things will come back to you easier if you're not trying to force it.

[...That's totally logical, right? Well anyway, he does have an ulterior motive here; maybe if Kimblee experiences things he's already done he'll remember more! And what better place to start than the ice patches? Isaac grins once he reaches the first one and turns to Kimblee.]

Bet you can't catch me.

[And without any other warning, he's off! Come on, come on, let's play~]

[Kimblee is perfectly all right with abandoning the question-and-answer session in favor of a distraction; he can't deny that Isaac has a point. Trying to force it will just frustrate him, and it's possible that he'll just taint his own memories further by trying to bring up memories that legitimately don't exist - he'll convince himself to fill in the holes with something completely fabricated, and he won't have any way to know the difference. So he's perfectly content to follow after Isaac, because a distraction sounds lovely -

...well.

For a good, long moment Kimblee just looks at the ice, then at Isaac as though he just completely lost his mind in front of him, then back toward the ice. While he doesn't seem thrilled, exactly, his expression is clearly contemplative; after another moment of staring at the ice, he looks back at Isaac, still looking skeptical as hell.

And then he smirks. And pursues.

Whether he remembers anything else about this isn't exactly clear, but at the very least his motor skills remember what he's supposed to be doing on the ice; he's a bit rusty, but chasing Isaac comes easily.]

[The skeptical look isn't a good sign - he doesn't remember this, does he? - but that's fine. He will remember it. Even if it takes him months, hell, years even, Isaac will be here. He's not going to leave Kimblee's side for anything. He won't leave Kimblee again.]

Oh come on, is that the best you can do?

[The confidence isn't entirely faked this time, and Isaac is quite clearly toying with Kimblee. Of course he's waiting for Kimblee to catch him, and he doesn't move quite as quickly as he could. The entire point of this is to make it a game and they both know what happens at the end of this game.

...He hopes Kimblee remembers that much at least.]

[Kimblee shoots Isaac quite a Look at that, though it clearly isn't in all seriousness; the lightness behind his words is more than enough to convey that.]

You wait until I'm back in practice, Isaac -

[And with that he's off; while he's fully aware that Isaac is allowing him to 'win' this little game of theirs, he finds that he doesn't mind. He manages to catch him eventually, catching up to him against one of the far walls of the cave; he's quick to press both hands down against the wall behind Isaac, pinning him in place with his body while he catches his breath.]

You're going easy on me.

[Again, though, he doesn't sound displeased; at the same time, he can't say that he can maintain eye contact very easily, either. He's suddenly very aware of their proximity, exactly how close they are; he closes his eyes for a moment.]

...this place is important to us, isn't it?

I won't go easy on you then. Promise.

[He's quite content to let Kimblee catch him against the wall; Isaac immediately moves to wrap his arms around Kimblee. The embrace is loose and not pulling the alchemist closer, it's more or less just something to do with his arms.]

Yeah, it is. Do you remember?

[He suspects Kimblee doesn't, if he has to ask about it.]

You showed me this place the first time I came up here. I really loved that date.

[He looks up after that's out there, thinking for a moment; he doesn't pull away from the embrace, seeming rather comfortable with allowing it.]

...I had been here before. I invited you up to Mahogany Town, then brought you here.

[He sounds mildly lost while he speaks, but he doesn't seem completely unsure; more like he's trying to confirm it to himself.]

We went out on the ice for a while; you caught me like this. I flinched and you pushed away from me; I think you thought I was bothered by the contact.

[He laughs a bit, softly, glancing away while he does so.]

I'd sustained an injury to my back the week before. Nothing serious, but it was actually pressing against the wall that caused that, not anything you did.

[He hesitates for a moment; he thinks he knows what happened after that, but...]

...I remember that day, Isaac. Some of it is hazy, but I remember it.

[Isaac's smile widens into the usual broad grin. He's very pleased with Kimblee's words.]

That's great! See, I told you you'd remember!

[Though it is good to hear that it was Kimblee's back injury and not anything he had done; not that he had been worrying about that exactly...]

Do you... remember what uh... happened after that?

[And there goes the eye contact! It's still something that Isaac finds difficult to talk about. "I love you"s are still difficult enough. He's just moving really slowly with this relationship, alright.]

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