[MU] - DECEMBER STORYTELLING / MEMORY SHARE

[lifeaftr_mods]

Something is wrong.

This may not very well be obvious, at first. The Storyteller is not present to put forth yet another diatribe, informative or apologetic, and the backdrop of guttering flame and sandy campfire is as present as ever...albeit briefly.



Those who tell their stories will start to notice something...odd taking place. Indeed, no matter how they intend to begin their tale, the land of Mu will immediately start to warp to accommodate it, or something utterly unlike it, until storytellers and listeners alike may find themselves in an exact recreation of a seemingly random memory, in the most stark and painstaking of detail. There is no altering the memory, nor is there any preventing it once it's begun to play - you will simply have to witness memories that are not your own this go around.

Furthermore, stories that take place in worlds other than LifeAftr will be, frankly, inevitable. Those memories, too, will be recreated, to be relived by the teller and lived by the listener.

---

It is time, once more, for you to tell a story...with a slight twist! This is, in fact, our first player plot, as provided by Dragon! The initial setting will be familiar for oldcomers, and newcomers will recognize it from the introduction they received in their dreams.

Yet for this Storytelling only, people can imagine whatever stories they wish, from both their homes and their time on LifeAftr, as long as they don't mind the fact that others will be reliving those stories in the form of an impromptu memory share.

Even those who prefer not to voice their stories aloud are not safe this time around. If the memory is recalled in essence, Mu will shift to accommodate it in full.

There is, however, a benefit to this: those who venture memories to be relived will receive both a befuddled apology from the Storyteller, who will assert that this was most definitely not meant to happen (they're the Storyteller, not the Rememberer!), as well as a tired promise that the relived memories will be worth two offerings each, as if in compensation.

Not that it counts for much, probably.

Comments

Before the Dawn

[alittleditty]

[Well, the grander, more well-known members of the Scions could have a marvelous night out at a royal banquet, but that didn't mean that the rest of them couldn't enjoy themselves. She'd long since met up with F'lhaminn, along with Hoary Boulder and Coultenet, and for this day, the three of them have decided to spend it down at Hawkers Alley. It's a cheerful affair, with lots of good conversation - and good shopping!

Then as they're exiting one of the main marketplaces, there's the sound of drawn metal.

For a moment, it almost seems like nothing is wrong. There's no muggers or drunkards in sight, only a number of Crystal Braves, their ultramarine blue something of a comfort, though they're all surprisingly close. F'lhaminn, meanwhile, doesn't share her sense of relief - her eyes are darting around at all around them, her long catlike ears flicking back defensively.

That's the moment when Tataru realizes something is very, very wrong. She's looked every Brave in the face, did more than half the paperwork for Alphinaud as he'd been recruiting. There's no friendly familiarity in the faces looking at her now. And what's more, those weapons, they aren't just drawn, they're turned on the four of them - and Coultenet already has his staff out, Hoary reaching for his sword and shield.

"You're Scions, correct?" the captain says, announces, rather, the better for all around to hear, "By order of Grand Marshal Ilberd, you are all hereby to be detained for questioning for possible conspiracy and involvement in the assassination of Her Royal Majesty, Nanamo Ul Namo."

Wait... what...? Ilberd? Why... Why was Alphinaud's second-in-command trying to arrest them? Had something happened at the banquet? The sultana was dead? What about the others? Her mind isn't moving fast enough to keep up with what's going on, but there's a gap in the Crystal Braves surrounding them, and next thing she knows, she's falling through it. She doesn't know who pushed her, but it doesn't matter, with F'lhaminn's command being the only thing about this whole scenario that's making sense.

"Tataru, run!"

She runs.

Tears streaming from her eyes, Tataru runs as far and as fast as she can. She runs until her chest is tearing and her feet screaming. But she's small, and spent much too long behind a desk, and Limsa Lominsa is a maze to those who don't know it's piers and boats and stairs and walkways. When she finally falls, crawls behind some boxes of fish to hide, she can still hear the footsteps of the Braves pursuing her, and they're still far too close.

But then, there's a fierce cry, and the sound of a body hitting the ground with a groan. Tataru can't bear to look, and cowers instead, arms wrapped around her head as she quivers and shakes, the sound of fighting behind her continues. Then, suddenly- "Are you all right, Tataru?"

Tataru's head shoots up to see a welcome face. Though admittedly, she doesn't recognize it at first.

"Yugiri!"

Thank the Twelve, she wanted to hug the other woman, though that probably wasn't polite. Still, she felt her eyes welling up again, and wiped at them quickly. Now wasn't a good time. "I-I'm all right. Thank you," she hiccuped, "S-something must have happened to the others. The Braves, they said the sultana is dead. That we-"

Yugiri purses her lips, troubled. "Have you had any contact with the other Scions?"

Immediately, Tataru lifts a hand to the linkpearl at her ear, calling for Minfillia, for Y'shtola or Papalymo, for Thancred or Yda or the Warrior of Light or anyone. After a minute, her hand drops again. "It's no use. No one's responding."

Yugiri nods in understanding. "My people have a boat nearby. We should leave the area as soon as possible."

A part of her wanted to balk, afraid for F'lhaminn and Hoary and Coultenet, but her sense prevailed. If Yugiri's people were here, that meant there were very likely other Domans helping the others. The best thing to do now was to trust them, and get to safety.

"To Horizon?" she asked. Urangier would be at the Waking Sands, if that area hadn't been attacked somehow too. And Yugiri should know the place, since that's where she landed when the Domans had first come to Eorzea.

Yugiri nodded again, and she turned, Tataru scurrying to keep up. Gods willing, they'd be able to find out what happened, and see who else among the Scions had made it through to the other side....]

[souris_keteer]

[It's amazing how something so peaceful can become horrifying within seconds. When Tataru was being accused, Mickey had begun to reach out and call for her name, because there was no way he'd let anyone lay a hand on Tataru, how could anyone think she had something to do with an assassination?!

But... she's safe, and things are all right. At least, some things are all right. Mickey lets out a sigh of relief, taking off his hat.]

Thank goodness... My heart was racing...

[alittleditty]

[As the memory fades, the Tataru who replies isn't the one in the memory, but sitting beside him, watching.]

Mine was too, if you can believe it.

[Is she meaning the "her" watching, or the "her" in the memory? No one can say for sure.]

Yugiri and I did manage to make it safely to the Waking Sands, and later to Ishgard. F'lahminn and Hoary Boulder and Coultenet escaped, too, though they had to flee to the Near East.

[souris_keteer]

[He turns to her, greatly relieved that she's all right, with a small smile on his face.]

That's good to hear. I'm glad your friends were okay... But still, accusin' all of you like that... They should've known better! They were no better than bullies.

[alittleditty]

I mean... you're not wrong. But that wasn't precisely the point, in this case. The Scions at the banquet, my friends... they were framed for the assassination- attempted assassination.

[Although was it really even an attempt if the whole thing had been Lolorito's trick? Ugh, details.]

It's likely they knew, but they wanted all of the Scions captured because of that.

[souris_keteer]

Did that all ever get cleared up? Did the real bad guys get caught?

[alittleditty]

Our name did get cleared, yes. But...

[She sighs, shaking her head.]

Not all of them, no.

[Tedji Adaledji was dead, true, but Lolorito had gotten off completely without consequences for his role. And Ilberd and the other Crystal Braves were still on the loose, doing who knew what.]

[souris_keteer]

[he frowns. That's just not right.]

Well... the story's far from over. Maybe someone can still catch 'em!

[alittleditty]

Well, yes. The Scions are trying to of course.

[At least in Ilberd's case. Their hands were rather tied with Lolorito, given his status, and the deal that he had made to reinstate Raubhan in his position and provide the potion that woke the sultana from her deathlike slumber.]

I was listening for any kind of information about where they might be, before I got here.

[souris_keteer]

Well then, I bet when you head back, you'll be more than ready! You might even become a real hero.

[alittleditty]

Oh no, I'm hardly a hero.

[Leave that for people like Alphinaud, and the Warrior of Light, the Scions, even several of the Ishgardians she'd met.]

I just do what I can to help them.

[souris_keteer]

But that can be pretty heroic too! Trying to help folks even when it's hard and scary. There are some folks who would turn tail and run... It's those that stick around that are the real heroes.

[greatcleavage]

[That's quite an interesting tableau in her memories. In some ways, faintly nostalgic -- at the very least, it looks to draw off the same basic foundation of his own world, seeming less bafflingly unfamiliar and alien than the memories of others here.]

[Not that he much approves of the content, though.]

I'm guessing the system was so corrupt that the chances of a fair trial which arrived at the truth were next to none?

[alittleditty]

It's, it's not always that bad!

[There's a slight flare of defensiveness for her homeland, for all its flaws.]

But, in this case, yes. That about... sums it up.

[greatcleavage]

It didn't look like a place that was always that bad, but being framed for killing a major political figure is generally never a good sign. Especially if you have no hope for justice within the system. [As it often worked out. Roy could understand the Chaotic mindset much better in light of how difficult Lawful could often prove to be.]