The Tether

[modaccount]

The Tether App

After the raging success of their previous code push, the creators of The Tether have decided to push their app again, an app intended for helping new arrivals find Tethers.

Unfortunately for those who don't want to participate, the prompt for the application will keep popping up on their screen until they fill out the mandatory fields and post their profile. If you don't want to participate, it might be best to fill in the blanks with prank answers!

Once posted, the app creates a profile that looks like this:

	The Witch
«		»
	Age: ageless Gender: female Interests: three interests About: 30 words or less
	base code by photosynthesis
	Tian
	« ✘ ✔ »

It is a simple swiping type app like many dating apps, swipe left to ignore a profile, swipe right to initiate an instant messenger conversation with the person in question on the app's proprietary chat program, complete with emojis!

NOTE: This meme is game canon.

The Code

<br><center><table style="width:300px;"><tr style="border-bottom:1px dashed #102651;"><td></td> <td style="padding:20px; padding-bottom:0; width:300px; font:38px Helvetica, Tahoma, sans-serif; text-transform:uppercase; color:#102651; text-align:center; letter-spacing:2px; background-color:#ffffff; border-top-right-radius:50px; border-top-left-radius:50px;"><b>***CHARACTER NAME***</b></td> <td></td></tr> <tr><td style="font-size:70px; vertical-align:middle; text-align:right; padding:0; color:#102651;">«</td> <td style="background-color:#ffffff; padding:20px; padding-top:10px; padding-bottom:0; width:308px;"><img src="IMAGE - 300 PX OR LESS" style="border-radius:20px;"><br> </td> <td style="font-size:70px; vertical-align:middle; padding:0; color:#102651;">»</td></tr> <tr><td></td> <td style="background-color:#ffffff; font:12px arial; text-align:left; padding:10px;"><span style="color:#102651;"><b>Age:</b> character age</span> <span style="color:#102651;"><b>Gender:</b> character gender</span> <span style="color:#102651;"><b>Interests:</b> three interests</span> <span style="color:#102651;"><b>About:</b> 30 words or less</span> </td></tr> <tr><td></td> <td style="text-align:right; font-size:10px; background-color:#ffffff;"><font color="#102651">base code by</font> <a href="http://photosynthesis.dreamwidth.org/" style="color:#102651;">photosynthesis</td></tr> <raw-code><tr style="border-bottom:1px dashed #102651;"><td></td> <td style="background-color:#ffffff;font:24px Helvetica, Tahoma, sans-serif; color:#102651; text-align:center;">PLANETARY ALIGNMENT</td> <td><td></tr><tr><td></td> <td style="border-bottom-right-radius:50px; border-bottom-left-radius:50px; background-color:#ffffff; text-align:center;"><table style="width:100%; font:30px Verdana;"><tr><td style="text-align:left;"> <span style="text-decoration:none; color:#102651;">« ✘</span></td> <td style="text-align:right;"><span style="text-decoration:none; color:#102651;">✔ »</span></td></tr> </table></td> <td></td></table></raw-code></center>

NAVIGATION

Comments

[newmemorywhodis]

Link hadn't really thought of making flower crowns as a skill. It seemed more like a think you just...did. But then, maybe it was a bit like his skills will weapons - something he'd learned before, and now didn't have to think about much, even when he didn't remember learning.

"You just kind of...tie it all together?" he says. Then he holds out the crown he's working on, so Elma can see how he does it.

It's not exactly neat. Or particularly sturdy - it's the sort of thing that can only be worn once, before it falls to pieces. He's not going to be winning any craft awards. But it is still a flower crown.

[bladebabysitter]

It is.

"Did you just start trying these one day and found out it wasn't hard?" For him, anyway. Link is... definitely odd in many ways, such that having a talent like this seems very understandable. Whereas Elma's oddities are hidden deeper.

[newmemorywhodis]

"Yes." And actually, he'd only made the one before - the one for Luke.

But then he briefly stops working on Elma's flower crown, reaching to pull out a handful of other flowers from his Slate. Rather than yellow, these are a pale blue colour. He holds them out to her, saying nothing - but the question is implied all the same. Does she want to try?

[bladebabysitter]

...She doesn't, but she's going to anyway, because she recognizes that figuring things like this out are beneficial for her in the long run. So she accepts the flowers wordlessly, then begins attempting to knit them together.

[newmemorywhodis]

As Elma works on hers, Link finishes off his own. It's maybe not exactly standard, seeing as in addition to the yellow flowers he also adds some tiny mushrooms. And it's a little lopsided. But he's happy with it.

Then he sits, and waits. If Elma wants it, he'll help. But he won't insist if she wants to do it herself.

[bladebabysitter]

Oh, Elma is making progress to be sure. Making a comparison of this to artificial muscle fiber, which she knows a little bit about, she stitches together the stems with quick, deft fingerwork.

The resulting braid practically swallows the flowers. It's structurally sound, sure, but... way, way off the intended mark.

[newmemorywhodis]

Maybe off the intended mark, but Link doesn't really care. The braid is fascinating to watch her make, and the end result looks different and interesting.

"I like it," he says.

[bladebabysitter]

Elma is much quicker to critique her own work, expecting results of herself as she does. "I don't think it looks quite right."

[newmemorywhodis]

“It’s nice,” Link says, unable to see the problem with it. “Neater than mine.”

And indeed, Links was not the neat, orderly flower crown that Elma’s was. His looked rather more like a wild tangle of flowers.

[bladebabysitter]

"I think yours captures the spirit of the idea more." But so long as they worked for the purpose (and that purpose appears to be 'satisfying Link's insistence on flower crowns'), the overall form didn't really matter, did it?

Without ceremony, Elma plops her crown on Link's head.

[newmemorywhodis]

Link does the same, placing his own on Elma's. Though he does take the effort to shift it slightly, so that it sits on straight.

"Now we're ready," he says, nodding in satisfaction. The yellow flowers do look nice on Elma.

[bladebabysitter]

Color her extremely skeptical, but... well, having been through the ceremony before, she knows this won't ruin it at least.

"Do you have a preferred practitioner?" Elma asks, knowing full well the odds that Link does are miniscule.

[newmemorywhodis]

Link shrugs. He hasn't exactly got a lot of experience with practitioners as it is. Just the ones who tethered him with Luke, and Rokuro. For him and Rokuro, he didn't even know who the practitioner was - Rokuro organised that, and at the ceremony they'd been wearing so many layers Link couldn't even see their face.

With Luke, it was a different story.

"I only know Madame Marjorie," he says. "She likes to sell things."

Which was kind of where the whole thing about flower crowns began, actually...

[bladebabysitter]

"That'll work just fine then." Link would either accept another person without question or be bafflingly stubborn about it, and Elma isn't feeling up to flipping that coin right now. "Lead the way."

[newmemorywhodis]

Link nods, before promptly leading Elma to a tall run by a tall, heavyset woman.

"Welcome, welcome! Ah - a return customer! And...you've brought your own flower crowns again," she says, glancing towards her display of flower crowns for sale before sighing.

"But you could still purchase from my wide range of tether charms and accessories..." she starts - before Link interrupts.

"Tether us," he says, insistent.

[bladebabysitter]

"Please," Elma adds, because that usually helps in this sort of situation. Her role here is, as always, to be the sane one.

[newmemorywhodis]

"Alright, alright," Madame Marjorie sighs. You can always look at the charms after, alright? Very important, getting the right charms."

She gestures, then, to a circular rug on the floor. "Now - stand here, and face each other. Look each other in the eye. Can't tether with someone you can't look in the eye, can you?"

Link immediately moves towards the rug, and stands at one side - waiting for Elma.

[bladebabysitter]

This isn't new to Elma, either; she moves in turn, facing Link with even eye contact. Truth is, there aren't many beings or creatures out there she'd hesitate to look in the eyes. If nothing else, the two of them seem to share a deep conviction in themselves. With any luck, the Tether would only strengthen that.

And not drive them crazy.

[newmemorywhodis]

"Alright - now, hold each others hands, and we'll begin." Madame Marjorie instructs them.

Link - expecting this instruction - already has his hands out even before she says it, waiting for Elma to take them. Once Elma does the ritual will begin as Madame Marjorie starts up a low and rhythmic chant.

[bladebabysitter]

Elma does indeed take them, managing to mask her thoughts from appearing on her face. Ordinary person-to-person contact isn't ordinary for her, and likely never will be.

[newmemorywhodis]

Madame Marjorie continues to chant, circling around them as they stand on the rug. Her chant grows into a crescendo...

...and then there's a connection just there, where there wasn't just a moment ago. Having done this two times before, it's not as strange for Link anymore. But it's different, and new.

With the ritual over, Link let's go. But the connection remains.

[bladebabysitter]

The connection on Elma's side is fairly mild. For one, she has a disciplined and intelligent mind that can generally moderate the expression of her feelings, both physically and psychically. And for another... well, describing her mind as "human-like" more than "human" is far more accurate.

She files that mental thread next to Codi's, wondering when it will roar to aggressive life. In combat, as had happened before? Or perhaps at an entirely different time, considering Link.

"One step closer to stability."

[newmemorywhodis]

When stability is what one's after, Link's tether turns out to be not a bad choice. Elma will find that his tether also tends towards the mild, with a quiet, even-keeled strength. Link's actions mind tend towards the chaotic, but emotionally? Emotionally, he's quite stable.

Meanwhile, Link takes a moment to take in Elma's connection. He notices that it's different to Luke and Rokuro's. But he doesn't think to attribute that to an inhuman mind.

"Now, if you'd like to purchase one of my many charms..." Madamn Marjorie attempts to interject - before Link interrupts.

"Bye," he says, before grabbing Elma's arm and pulling her out of the stall with him.

[bladebabysitter]

Elma weighs a lot more than anyone would guess to look at her. Not that it's going to slow down Link in the slightest, but it's a fact to note for the future.

"If you don't buy at some point, she probably won't keep being accommodating," Elma notes, bemused.

[newmemorywhodis]

"...I don't like her charms," Link says. Really, Link wouldn't mind buying from her, if she had nicer things.

He slows down, and lets go of Elma's arm. Holding up the hand that was just pulling her, Link studies the charm bracelet he wears. A small rock charm for Luke. A stylized wave design for Rokuro.

He'll need something for Elma, too.