( open ) memory share + catch all

[flowlikewater]

who: Genji Shimada + you!
what: Memory Share Event and general October catch all
when: October
where: All throughout Quarantine
warnings: violence, attempted murder, blood, gore, mental health issues


THAT NIGHT — FIRST PERSON

[ The memory start with Genji entering a dojo with an elaborate painting above the scroll on the wall. By his slow and casual pace, one can tell he doesn't appear to have a care in the world in the moment. By the gauntlets seen on his arms, he's dressed in his formal gi and he scratches some dirt off the emblem on one of them as he apparently waits.

Genji is looking at the scroll when there are heavy, deliberate foot steps behind him. He doesn't turn around before he speaks. ] Why call me out here in the middle of the night, brother? I thought we were finished settling all of Father's—

[ There's an audible metallic sound suddenly before there's a dull, wet thud and Genji chokes. He stumbles and his vision shifts to look down to see... blood. Blood dripping from his shoulder, blood obviously falling from his mouth. He sputters and whirls around to see his older brother, Hanzo, holding his blade now glistening with red. ] Brother, what— What the hell?! What are you—

[ They talk, but at this point, the words said don't mean much to the Genji of now. The wide, blood shot eyes of his brother slashing at him is all he really remembers. He's furious and pained and his jaw is clenched so tight it's a wonder his teeth don't crack.

Genji, at some point, pulls out his own blade to defend himself but his wounds are too much. The brothers eventually make it out to the balcony on the side of the dojo, the moonlight reflecting off the smear of Genji's blood all across the floor. Genji can barely speak, blood and tears and spit clogging his throat but he manages— ] Brother... brother why...!

[ Genji's hand reaches out to him. There are tears, so many tears streaming down Hanzo's face that he won't remember for almost a decade but all he says is: "You disrespect the clan and you must be dealt with to retain order. This is my duty. We could have built an empire together."

And in an instant there's a flash of blue light, the sight of two dragons surging towards him and Genji is falling— Falling, falling, falling and smashing against the rocks of the cliff as he does so. He lands with a wet thud, his hand reaching up to the sky. He tries to speak, but it's a gurgle... his lower jaw is entirely ripped to shreds now. There are burns and open wounds all on his hand.

The vision blackens for a moment, until there's the sound of a chopper. Boots on the ground. There's a voice that some people around the Quarantine might recognize calling for evac.

Genji is eventually picked up and placed on a gourney. His arm stays where it lay.

The vision blackens. Only an overwhelming bright light is noticeable, as a muffled voice says: "We have to keep him sedated. When he's awake all he does is scream." ]

BLACKWATCH — THIRD PERSON

[ Genji's time in Overwatch's covert ops division sometimes blur together. His initial body is a stark contrast to the Genji of now. He's silent and violent, lots of memories of assassinations and hunting down his former clan.

Some flashes of him just staring at a wall in a medical room, eventually starting to just slam his head into it over and over and over so he can feel something. Dr. Zielger or Reyes finding him and talking him down.

Some lighthearded. Hanging out with McCree, the few times he tried to go to Overwatch functions, training with Lena. Even posing for a picture.

He leaves when dismantling the clan is done, after the embarrassing final fight with Doomfist. He and Reyes fight. It isn't pretty. He leaves without saying goodbye to anyone. ]

FALL — FIRST PERSON

[ His face is covered by a cloak and he peels it away as he comes across breaking news on his phone. Headline: Overwatch Swiss Headquarters Explodes. Morrison and Reyes dead—

Genji drops his phone. His vision blurs with tears, he blinks them away. A pause. A croak. He yells and slams his fist into a nearby wall. And keeps yelling. ]

WE WALK IN HARMONY — THIRD PERSON

[ It's snowing and Genji is staggering along in the freezing temperatures. His joints are locking up from the ice and his lights are flickering as he does so. It's obvious he doesn't care anymore, ready to be done once and for all... he slumps to his knees, then falls over face first into the snow covered ground.

A glowing orb suddenly appears over him. A figure emerges from the snow, covered by a cloak before reaching his prone body. The cloak falls and it's an Omnic monk of the Shambali. He leans down and puts a hand on Genji's back. ]

It looks like you need some help, traveler.

DRAGONS — THIRD PERSON

[ Genji confronting his brother again in the same place he was 'murdered' is an entirely different experience. He had his blade at Hanzo's throat and he could have killed him, gotten his revenge, but he chooses mercy. Genji Shimada has come full circle. ]

Think on that, brother.

( Feel free to have your character react to these like they just dreamed it, or be in the dreamscape with Genji while experiencing it! I can make specific starters for specific characters/memories as well, just hit me up on PM or at bonethief! )

Comments

[franciscoramon]

[ Cisco sighs, shoulders sagging a little. He doesn't exactly look like he's rested very well, either - there are circles under his eyes, a certain heaviness in the way he sat down at the table. He doesn't know if it's bad luck, or something to do with his powers, but he's been having these dreams almost every night, and he's getting pretty sick of it.

But he owes Genji the truth, knows that in this situation, even though it kind of hurts both of them, Genji's the one who is a lot more vulnerable, has a lot more to lose. Cisco is friendly, and honest for the most part, but there are plenty of things in his life that he's very private about. So he treats this with gravity. ]

You don't gotta explain. But- I can tell you what I saw, if you want. I've been in the same position you're in a few times now and I felt better knowing exactly what information was out there, you know? It's up to you, though. I just wanted to tell you sorry. I wouldn't have spied on your personal business like that if it was up to me, man.

[flowlikewater]

[ Cisco's thoughtfulness does get a genuine smile out of him as he shakes his head lightly. ] I know there is no maliciousness on anybody's part. It seems a lot of people are seeing things they 'shouldn't,' myself included.

[ He folds his arms on the table and leans forward. ] But I would like to know what you saw at least, yes. For my own peace of mind.

[franciscoramon]

[ Cisco nods, setting his jaw and sitting up a little straighter. Normally he's not a guy who struggles to put things into words, but he is silent for a moment or two while he thinks what he should say. ]

It was some kind of... I think a hospital maybe, from the way the room looked. Your cybernetics looked different, and you seemed-

[ He stops himself, there. He'd been about to say you seemed like you were doing great, mentally, but that's an opinion, not a fact. Cisco swallows and decides to just stick to what happened, and leave any interpretation out of it. ]

You stood there for a long time without moving, and then you started hitting your head against the wall pretty hard. You kept doing that for a while, and then a woman came in who I think was probably a doctor, and she tried to stop you. She started talking to you, but I didn't really catch anything she said, and then the dream was over.

[ Cisco had been keeping eye contact with Genji as he told the story, but now he drops his gaze, giving a little shrug, and saying again, even though Genji had told him he understands there's no malice or enjoyment in it for Cisco. ]

Sorry.

[flowlikewater]

Aaahh... yes. [ Genji tilts his head back and rubs at his forehead as he remembers it himself. Or tries to, honestly, a lot of that time is hazy for him. ] That time.

[ It's almost a relief it isn't that night again. But still, the time after he was first augmented and trying to adjust was hard. He was either consumed with pain or felt absolutely nothing at all, sometimes not even feeling like he was real. He only remembers slamming his head in the wall in some desperate attempt to feel something, to even be able to tell if he was even still alive.

He scratches his head and brushes his hair off his forehead. ] It took me a long time to mentally adjust to this body. You know phantom limb syndrome, right? But— Everywhere. [ He gestures to the green light glowing faintly from under his shirt. ]

[franciscoramon]

[ Cisco nods gravely, grateful for the context that Genji provides, even though Cisco already said he didn't need explanations. So there had been some physiological basis for the self-harm; his brain had been processing pain and sensation and the absence of his body and limbs in an imperfect way.

But in a way, that only makes the whole scene seem more horrifying. ]

I'm not an expert on it or anything, but I get the general idea.

[ Cisco gnaws at his lower lip, trying to imagine it, but the fact of the matter is, he cannot. He's been hurt before - concussed, stung by a toxic robotic bee, even murdered. But all of those had been quick. He hadn't had to go through long periods of recovery, hadn't had to deal with losing so much of his own body. His imagination isn't up to the task of imagining how excruciating that must have been. Or... must be? ]

You don't... it's not still like that, though, right?

[ His main concern right now is not that Genji had been so miserable in the past that he'd been hurting himself like that, but that he is still that miserable and has just learned to hide it better, that no one was able to help him... ]

[flowlikewater]

Oh? [ Genji is almost surprised by the question, as if he didn't expect it to be the next thing he asked. He smiles a little, it actually reaching his eyes and he manages to not look as tired all of a sudden. ] No, it is not. It is kind of you to ask.

[ He takes another sip of his drink. ] I've had this body for about a decade now, and I've received plenty of help. I'm actually in a better state than I was before all of this, I would say.

[ He's always struggled with having a purpose and a place in the world... and he has that now. ]

[franciscoramon]

[ Cisco lets out a small sigh of relief, most of the tension going out of his shoulders. It's reassuring, to hear Genji say it, and even moreso to see him smile. Cisco doesn't know what he possibly could have done, if Genji's answer had been different, but he would have at least tried to help. Nobody deserved to be in that kind of pain. ]

Okay. That's good, I'm really glad.

[ From the sound of it, that decade had made all the difference - his cybernetics had been upgraded, improved, and maybe he had had the time to adjust, psychologically. Whatever had happened to him to injure him badly enough that he needed that extensive a prosthesis, it can't have been the sort of thing you got over quickly, or easily.

Cisco lapses into an awkward silence, torn between talking to Genji more - which he would like to do - and leaving him in peace, which Genji might prefer. He gnaws at his lower lip and then says: ]

Look, I know you still don't know me all that well, and I'm not a doctor or anything, but if you're ever having a hard time, and you need some help... you can hit me up.

[ A slightly ridiculous offer, perhaps - Genji is doubtless more badass and capable of dealing with dangerous crises than Cisco, and probably at this point in his life, quite a degree more mature and mentally healthy. Still, unqualified as he might be, and ridiculous as it might make him look, Cisco makes the offer. ]

[flowlikewater]

[ Genji is always genuinely touched and appreciative of kindness shown his way, no matter who from. He isn't surprised Hana made friends with him, and he's finding he's glad they ran into each other in the apartment a while back.

He picks at the sleeve around his coffee cup, his smile widening just a tad. ] You are very kind to offer, Cisco. I just might. [ Genji lifts up one of his hands and looks at it, closing it gently as the gears inside it whir and clench around it. ] I can manage minor repairs, but I have had concerns of what would happen here were something to go very wrong.

[ He looks back up and Cisco and flicks his wrist, shurikens popping out of it playfully before he sets them back inside with a wink. ] I am not a machine, no, but the parts that keep me alive are. And I am soldier before I am an engineer.

[franciscoramon]

[ Cisco makes a mental note to himself, to read up on prosthetics as much as he can, just in case. If there's some kind of emergency, or even if one of Genji's systems starts malfunctioning for some reason, Cisco wants to be ready to help. He doesn't make that kind of offer lightly. ]

If that happens, I'll do whatever I can do help. And- and in case I'm not available for any reason- [ Because if shit has really hit the fan, for all Cisco knows he himself might be incapacitated or dead ] -there's a guy. Tony Stark. He's an engineer, too, and you can trust him.

[ Cisco just wants to be sure that there's a fail-safe in place, that Genji knows the name of someone else who might help, too.

When Genji twists his wrist and shurikens pop up, Cisco's mouth drops open in surprise, and then delight. Certainly, from what he'd witnessed, it had been a hard and painful transition for Genji to get used to this body. But it is, at the end of the day, pretty cool now. ]

Human bodies are machines, too. A machine is just a system of multiple interconnecting parts, each with their own functions, capable of coming together to perform a task. I run on electrical impulses, and have joints and levers, and require temperature control and all that. If you think about it, doctors are actually just overpaid mechanics.

[ He grins, then, missing Caitlin with a sudden intensity. She would have smacked the back of his head, for a comment like that. ]

You just got some slightly non-standard modifications, is all.

[flowlikewater]

[ Genji hums. ] Tony Stark, you say? I will keep that name in mind, I appreciate it.

[ His eyes twinkle a little at the reaction to the shurikens, glad for it. Back home, he would never think of doing such a thing in public or else people would probably get into a panic... people in general treated cyborgs as if they were five seconds away from blowing up like a bomb. It's one of the things he'd grown to appreciate about the people in this place.

He listens to what Cisco has to say and smiles again, tilting his head a little to the side. ] My master said something similar to me once, back when I was still struggling with this. [ He chuckles. ] You would probably get along very well.

[franciscoramon]

Those've gotta come in useful from time to time, huh?

[ Far from being frightened, Cisco is clearly both interested and a bit entertained by that quick display. It is only through a fairly impressive exercise of self-restraint that he's not already begged Genji to show him all the cool features and built-in tools and gadgets that his cybernetic body includes. ]

Your master?

[ It's doubtless best for everyone involved that Genji has not yet reached whatever friendship tier is necessary for Cisco to go for the obvious and irreverent BDSM joke, at that moment. Instead he merely tilts his head to the side, curious. ]

[flowlikewater]

They're quite handy, yes. Especially so when people assume I'm unarmed. [ Genji could also make a quip about quite literally being 'disarmed' but he'll save that for another, less serious discussion.

And Genji would also probably laugh quite loud if he did voice it, because he wouldn't have been the first person to joke about it. But he nods, his expression shifting to a calm one as he thinks of Zenyatta. ] Yes, in a teacher sort of sense. Tekharta Zenyatta is his name. He's the one he finally helped quiet the chaos in my mind.

[franciscoramon]

Sounds like a great guy. Was he part of the organization you were in, with Hana and everything?

[ Since Genji doesn't seem to mind talking about his master, Cisco figures a few more questions won't do any harm. Hopefully it'll distract them both from the rather unpleasant business of the memory Cisco had seen, and the memories he's brought up from Genji's past. ]

He ever shows up here, you should gimme his number, 'cause I could definitely do with a few chaos-quieting lessons in my life.

[ Cisco laughs, then, because he'd said that comment as if it were a joke. And it is a joke! Mostly. A little bit. There are many things that his mind is, but quiet has never really been one of them. And it's gotten significantly more chaotic, in recent years. But that's all... complicated. Something it's easier to joke about than really explain. ]