[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

LUNA | OTA

[holdmyhand]

[ cw for butterfly kisses, hugs, and learning how to yearn for adventure. or...anything else in the subject headers. ♥ ]

i. baby steps.

[holdmyhand]

[ Luna stands near a wooden podium. Iki Town. Surrounded by tribal statues, friendly faces, and...oddly shaped creatures flying about, remnicent of seagulls, and ferrets. With a small fidget, she absorbs in the scenery for what can only be the first time. Slightly...nervous? Who wouldn't be? A whole life, spent in Kanto to just drop everything and move to Alola. She doesn't know anyone here, or anything-- not even the climate is familiar. The wind is soft and warm, though.

In fact, it's the serene graze of the wind that pulls Luna's attention to another young girl, making her way into the forest with a strange, moving bag. The kahuna? Who is that? Where is she going? Luna follows the strange girl into the brush and through the thick corners of the surrounding jungle to find...

...find what, exactly?

A tiny, floating cloud. It's bizarre, and...the curiosity is piqued, certainly. With baby-like movements, it crawls across the bridge, adgitating the local angry bird population. Three birds swarm down on the little creature, and the girl spins around with some moral dilemma in her eyes, etched into the features of her face. She's...she's scared. Luna's heart races-- a...a problem. She needs help? Is there time to get an adult?

It takes some going for the stranger to make a request. Save Nebby. .. What's a Nebby? Her mouth opens to answer, but it's little cries echo sadly from it's place in the middle of the bridge. It's afraid.

Before she even knows what's happening, heart racing, Luna presses her feet into the bridge, rushing as fast as she could safely to get to the little creature, and when she arrives, she just hunkers down and uses her body as a shield. Luna's arm wraps softly around the little being. It's...it's warm. Like a warm cloud. Soft to the touch and warm. Against her back, the talons of angry Spearow dig into the fabric of her clothing, and she crumples a bit more. How much longer would they be angry? What upset them at all? It hurts-- the slashes against her back burn in the background of her mind, and she only holds the little creature closer.

Suddenly, a blinding flash of light, and the bridge?

Gone. Collapses like it were made of toothpicks, and the pair fall between the cliffs, straight for the jagged rocks surrounding the water. Her hair waves in every which way, her eyes can't take in the surroundings this fast. It's scary. It's Frightening. But...nothing matters more than making sure that this little friend is safe. She holds them tightly. This could be it, maybe. Over before it even started.

It isn't until after she hears the shrill, loud cry, that she feels the world...flip. She's not falling down anymore-- she's falling up, and cradling her protectively is...some sort of weird looking yellow bird. It makes a strange sound, sets her down next to the blonde haired girl, and...dives upwards, into the sky. The air feels static-- like her hair's going to curl upwards.

She sucks in a breath she didn't realize her body needed, and starts to stand. In...incredible. That was amazing-- and the energy pulsates through her body. She wants to see them again. Adventure.

She wants to go on an adventure. ]

[souris_keteer]

[What a pulse-pounding adventure, even if Mickey has no idea what's going on. He'd been watching with keen interest - until Luna herself was in danger. When the bridge collapses, he yells her name in horror, reaching out - oh! She's saved! By... a.. very oddly colored bird! Welp, all right then!

He breathes a loud sigh of relief, a hand to his chest.]

Thank goodness...

[holdmyhand]

[ Luna is standing nearby, watching the memory, when Mickey's little sigh of relief catches her ears. She walks toward him a little. ]

It...scared me, too. Being that high up and falling! [ she smiles, though despite some nervousness, she looks quite happy. ] But I'd do it again! Nebby-- that little purple cloud, turned out to be a very dear friend to me. It'd be sad if something happened to him!

[souris_keteer]

[He turns toward her with a smile.]

You did all that you could, so you should be really proud of yourself!

[yallstupid]

[Guzma nearly leaps out of his skin when he sees the plank bridge shatter in such a way. His stomach lurches forward and he wheezes, nearly throwing himself off the bridge after her, as if that'd make any damn difference. It's not real, and yet...and yet it is, isn't it? It may not be happening now, but it did happen, once. Back home, in Alola. The tapu...the tapu actually came to her aid?

For a moment, Guzma is relieved. He feels his legs go numb, and holds his knees as he sinks into a squat and bows his head low, shaking out the dizziness. He's relieved, and then...and then...he's jealous. He can't help but envy the girl for being saved by the tapu. Why, his mind asks. What's so special about her? Because she saved that pokemon? Is that it? Is that why Tapu Koko went and helped her, and not him? Is that why it saved her, and not him? How many times did he wish, did he pray...at the statues of the guardian deities, in his own home, his own room? He wished, he prayed...to be saved from the life he had. He wished and prayed and begged and cried and pleaded for salvation.

But nobody came.

He feels the gripping envy sour his throat, and Guzma swallows back the bitter taste in his mouth, hating himself for the mere thought. How disgusting - she could have died, and he's jealous she was saved by the tapu, chosen by Tapu Koko itself, and given a sparkling stone. That's awful of him, it's awful. He's awful. Guzma shakes his head, again, breathing out slowly.]

...That's why you're afraid'a heights, isn't it? [It makes sense now.]

[holdmyhand]

[ she's leaning against a tree nearby the scene, smiling at the ground. ]

... [ searching for something to say. ] Yeah...I think so. But only in places where I think I could fall...and experience all that again. I don't think Tapu Koko would come and save me this time!

[ she's been looking at the ground for a while now. The adrenaline pumps through her veins, remembering all of these feelings. But remembering them, and explaining them...makes her tired. ]

[yallstupid]

[I don't think Tapu Koko would come and save me this time!

That's the truth, and...neither could he, to be perfectly fair. What was Guzma going to do just now, a moment ago? Dive off the bridge after her? Then they'd both be killed. He can't do anything for her in a situation like that, he doesn't have a Pokemon that can fly, or support their weight. He has Ariados, which can catch her, but it's still...it doesn't seem like enough.

Guzma bows his head, not know what to really say. Nothing he can think of seems really wise or sincere to say - "be careful then", "keep rope with you", or whatever the hell else. He turns away from the scene of the broken bridge, before it fades away, eyes shut and hands in his pockets. Finally, he exhales.]

...Y'know, I kinda get why y'got that stone. You're way diff'rent than any other train--mmh, no...person that woulda seen that.

[catpiper]

[She's going to die.

Her brave, amazing friend is falling from a bridge, protecting a creature that may or may not have needed it. It's terrifying. She wants to shut her eyes as tight as she can to block out what's about to happen-the sad ending for a girl that didn't deserve it and-

Another creature saves(???) her.

The tension in Ren's body doesn't disappear-it's dangerous. She's seen hawks fall from the sky to grab little mice. She could be prey for this creature. Seen as easy pickings by this animal who took an opportunity to save her from smashing into rocks below only to pick her apart.

All her worst fears vanish the second Luna's feet are back on the ground. Nothing bad happened and her bravery was rewarded by a savior from the sky. Still, Ren can't help to check the vanishing image of her, looking for scrapes and bloodstains.

But she's okay. She's alive. And finally Ren lets out shaky breath. This wild ride is freaking over, but the look on her friend's face isn't one she expects.

She looks happy.]

It didn't scare you?

[holdmyhand]

[ Ren's words practically force her skin to remember the cold wind against them. Falling down, down, wondering if she'd ever hit the bottom. Watching it all, she only fell for a few seconds, but it felt much longer. It was definitely scary. She has a healthy fear of falling, now. But...more than that, she felt bold. She felt brave, and for the first time she can recall, strong.

The adrenaline powered through the negative emotions. Fears, locked into a box and stowed away, never to be opened again. Luna takes a deep breath in. ]

Yeah...it was scary. But I'm not upset about it. I think everything happens for a reason...falling off that bridge is what led me to become so close to my friends. Maybe it even helped me meet you!

[ No regrets. The small, black haired girl nods, watching the little memory of Nebby hopping about and celebrating with it's little, wispy arms with a smile. ] Nebby-- er, that little purple cloud...is really special. And they were in trouble. I had to do something...so it was scary, but there wasn't a lot of time to feel scared! I think that's good!

[catpiper]

[That's the part of Luna that makes her amazing.

She didn't have time to feel scared. She had to do it. They were in trouble and she had to help. She was-is-the kind of person that acts when others are in trouble.

The kind of girl that runs into the ocean to save a bag disappearing under the waves. A girl that climbs trees to get makeshift plates without regards to her own self. Ren can't fathom that. Doesn't understand it even on a basic level. For her to be a fraction as brave as Luna is, she would need Seto by her side, his hand in hers.

People like Luna can do it on their own.]

You made Nebby smile. Your amazing heart did that kind of thing.

[The weird cloud looks as happy as a piece of fluff can, in any case.]

Did that bird come back to say 'hello'?

[Or did the creature that saved her do a zoom and run, never to be seen again??]

ii. partner.

[holdmyhand]

Although it is said to protect us, our Tapu Koko is a rather fickle creature.

[ Luna, now beside Lillie, absorbs this information in with a small smile. That fickle creature had, in fact, saved both her and Nebby. It almost doesn't feel fair to agree that Tapu Koko is that way, but...she can see it, and her smile catches everyone's eye who stands around her. It's warm. Happiness, in this soft moment of just being alive, and able to stand under the sun and among new friends.

The Kahuna continues talking, and in front of the young ladies, the adults chatter amongst themselves. Something about celebrating. Lillie and Luna exchange smiles. Both a little nervous, but...calmed by each other.]

It seems I should entrust this brave and kind young girl with a pokemon of her own.

[ Luna stiffens and watches the kahuna with quiet shock written over her features, which makes Kahuna Hala laugh that special laugh that can only come straight from your stomach. ] We'll make a fine trainer out of her!

[ after exchanging some brief introductions, Luna is able to introduce herself, and it's obvious that despite an awkward smile on her face, she's somewhat nervous. A pokemon-- her pokemon. A new friend. Her first one. Would they love her? Would they hate her? What kind of food do they like? Do they love to be scratched on their tummies? What do they look like?

All her questions are answered when the balls fly into the air. Red and white, and in a burst of light... a cute, pink nosed seal, a small, fluffy owl, and a black and red kitten with big, yellow eyes. The pokemon watch her...are they nervous, too? She's never actually seen them before. Her heart thuds loudly in her chest. They are each introduced, Popplio, Rowlet, and Litten. She stands there, everyone's eyes on her, as she makes a move toward them. Palms sweaty. What if it hates her? What if it runs away?

What if she loves them, and they become her best friend?

Her eyes fall on the end of the line-- a little Litten, tail swishing slowly behind it. Watching her apprehensively as if afraid to be excited. She steps in front of it and crouches down. Neither back away from the sudden invasion of space.

They just...stare at each other. ]

I...want you. Will you be my partner?

[ her words are small. She has so much learning to do, and so much growth that needs to happen. But somewhere behind that knowledge is the resolve to make it through. The drive to not give up.

Litten stands up with a quiet meow, and Luna picks him up delicately, holding him up to the sky and smiling happily. ]

I choose you, Kitten.

[ the little animal makes a happy little cry of affection, and is lowered into her arms for the warmest, sweetest poke-hug humanly possible. ]

Let's do our best, together! Okay?

[shineinside]

Cute...

[ Yuka... would have picked the Popplio, honestly. BUT STILL. ]

I don't know what that was about, but being accepted so quickly by a wonderful partner like that must have been nice.

[holdmyhand]

[ IT WAS A CLOSE CHOICE!!! Yuka's tastes are v. good uwu. Luna's whole expression is warm. Just seeing Litten again is enough to make her smile, despite the obvious fact that Luna misses him. ]

Kids from the island where I lived get to choose a partner to start a journey with...the Island Challenge! [ she fondly watches the memory replay. ] And Kitten is my partner. One of them! He's the first partner I ever had!

[shineinside]

What kind of challenge is that? He doesn't have to fight, does he?

[ Unaware of the fact that Littner evolves, Yuka doesn't like the idea of adorable kittens fighting. ]

[souldeterminant]

[Those... are pokemon.]

[Frisk has seen enough of them to make that guess, anyway. They haven't seen a lot of pokemon in their life, but of the ones they do know, the hallmarks are there. Small, soft, with round features and young-looking faces... loving and affectionate. Like their Drifloon had been.]

[They smile.]

That's a great Partner to have.

[They'd know.]

[holdmyhand]

He's the be-- oh!

[ Luna's eyes brighten. It's!! It's the other one! It's the one that was sleeping that one night! Luna's hands ball up in front of her chest and she watches the other child happily. ]

You're! You're from that night-- and your sibling was taking care of you...we didn't really get to meet, but they really liked my partners here, and...

[ she....stops. And grins sheepishly. ]

S-sorry...I heard that you really like dogs!

[souldeterminant]

[Their eyebrows lift when they realize her excitement at seeing them; they remember exploring the temple with her, far back when they'd all first gotten here, but they didn't think they'd left an impression. Luna's explanation quickly dispels their confusion -- and they find themself smiling, returning her sheepish look and tucking a lock of loose hair behind their ear.]

[It's a little bit embarrassing that she recognizes them from a conversation they'd totally slept through... but it sounds like Chara filled in for them pretty well.]

I love dogs. Do you have one as a partner, too?

[they noticed that partners, plural.]

[raygunner]

[ He watches the memory play out, and... well. What a carefree world, a carefree attitude. He is, possibly, only a little bit jealous. ]

It's nice to have a loyal partner, isn't it?

[holdmyhand]

Mmm! It really is...Kitten grew into one of my most powerful, amazing pokemon partners! He's amazing!

[ she repeats it. Amazing. With a happy grin, she looks up at Akechi!! And!! Woah!! He's pretty tall!! ]

Do you have a partner, too?

this tag got lost ahhh SORRY FRIEND

[raygunner]

I do, actually. Robin has been at my side for quite some time.

[ which is only partially bullshit, but yanno. ]

I couldn't have gotten as far as I did without him.

iii. the abyss.

[holdmyhand]

[ it's a dark cave.

Luna stands here, alongside her blonde friend from before, but now dressed more confidently. There is obvious tension. Her pokemon, a much larger, beefier Kitten, Chiffon, and a large, pink and black bear, stand alongside her. All of their focus lay on the woman before them. Or... what looks like a woman, absorbed into a familiar-to-some jellyfish like creature.

The atmosphere is tense. The blonde haired girl moves towards the beast, throwing her arms to her sides, obviously displeased, and Luna stays close to Guzma, shooting occasional looks back at him to make sure he's alright. The team is out, and ready-- and Luna's eyes have to be everywhere at once. Guzma's a wild shot-- he jumped in after her, and she's...worried about him. And Lusamine, for that matter, but only by extension of her friend.

Pokemon are send out, interrupting her blonde friend. Nothing is one-sided, though Luna's team proves that they are strong enough to battle, and her tactics overrule the beast's. Each companion fights with everything they are, and each time she calls out a move, she feels the stress of both wanting to help her team grow, and be better...and the stress of wanting to help her friend rescue the woman beneath the jellyfish.

After a few rounds, Clefable appears, and Kitten is pulled forward to meet the challenge. The two meet eachother with an array of special attacks, equally met sometimes, and each hit harder than the last. Clefable calls upon the light of the moon to deal a special damage, and Kitten draws back, dodging what he can and holding what ground he can hold. He's at the disadvantage, but with higher speed and a stronger bond, he pulls himself to battle harder, faster. and each move Luna calls, everytime her foot slides or her hand moves...he knows.

They move in perfect synch. So when Luna pulls her hand over her wrist, Incineroar battens down against the ground, awaiting her words. ]

Kitten! Let's fire it up!!

[ a howl from Kitten signals his readiness, and Luna pulls her wrists together in front of her body, where her strange bracelet, imbued with a pretty red crystal, starts to glow brightly. Her arms are thrown to her sides, and ushered upwards, as if summoning a giant bonfire, and Kitten curls up his arms, ready for the surge of strength. ]

We'll end this here, and take everyone safely home! Are you ready?! [ her arms move, but shake with adrenaline. The crystal glows even brighter, and brighter...until it's practically aflame. With practiced pose, Luna's arm is lifted into the air beyond her earlier movements and thrown out like a cannon toward Kitten, who glows in that same flaming light. Luna's expression is fatigued, and yet...and yet it continues. She screams it out to Kitten, who lowers himself almost to the ground. ]

INFERNO OVERDRIVE!! [ at her words, Kitten shoots up, and a massive fireball erupts from his belt, erupting like a volcanic explosion. Clefable is drawn in and concealed by the fire, which burns and then settles into small embers in different parts of the cave. Clefable is unable to continue, and the woman consumed by the jellyfish? Screams. Luna, standing near her friend, calls her pokemon back to her. Her eye is a little lidded-- using power like that is somewhat draining, but it doesn't change what happened.

The woman is expelled from the beast, and falls to the floor motionlessly. Her friend rushes to the woman's side. Luna can't help but feel...accomplished. Not terribly excited, but...she can be brought back. And that's what her friend-- that's what Lillie wants. Luna stumbles back a bit and feels the warm press of a cosmic nosed beast steadying her from behind. It's...it's time to go. It's time to go home.

With some help from Guzma, everyone is loaded onto the back of this giant creature. A roar, louder than any pokemon's cry, rips a special blue and purple hole in the middle of the air. They dive through quickly, and everything is bright, and it's hard to see, and...

...and suddenly, she's not riding anything. She's falling, falling, falling...

Her eyes shoot open. The sea surrounds them. There's a... older man and...a skeleton, with a cool galaxy jacket. A backpack with her name.

Welcome to LifeAftr. ]

[unpurify]

[There was a difference between a battle for battle's sake and a battle to save someone or something.

Being something made to fight, the Batter watched the battle unfolding before him. Like before, Pokemon remind him strongly of the Add-Ons he used before. Alpha was with him again but it appears to have not followed him into this dream. But unlike Add-Ons that were capable of fighting under their powers alone, Luna seems to be putting her heart and soul into battling with them. Her...partners, he recalls.

Luna eventually emerges victorious and the woman consumed by things that simply seemed to be monsters screams and falls from them. One of the other people retrieves her and they all climb onto a creature to make their escape.

And then Luna falls into the abyss that wasn't there before. Falling wasn't a sensation unusual to the Batter - he deliberately jumped down a smokestack once to get to the bottom and feel into his own coma with equal measure. The only difference in this situation was the abyss was largely metaphorical.

She wakes on a raft with an older man and a monster. And so, this was how Luna arrived to LifeAftr.]

Why were you fighting?

[The context for the fight was largely unknown to him, after all.]

[holdmyhand]

[ she's holding her arm, feeling a mixture of things. Adrenaline. Passion. She can feel the power bubble within her while watching herself perform that last z-move, but with no outlet, it simmers down, and reminds her that her partners are not all here.

Batter startles her a little with his sudden question, and Luna stands up a little more. ]

My friend, Lillie, wanted to save her mom...that woman in the Nihilego! Or, really, she had things to say. And...friends help each other. [ saying the words seem to calm Luna's unease just a bit. ] Kitten, and Chewie and Chiffon all feel the same way I do. I think that's why we were able to win.

[unpurify]

[He probably should learn to announce he's around before speaking. Another thing to think of.]

Those creatures? [And Luna's next comment gives the Batter momentarily pause.] That is how you win your battles?

[He's not mocking her, even if the Batter still sounds as emotionless as ever. It's just that he's far too used to battles won by pure strength, of simply being stronger then the other. The Batter won and if he lost and was killed, the Puppeteer revived him so he could try again.

But all of the worlds people came from in this place worked differently. And so it's probably expected that it would work differently.]