[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

i. some truths unravel and fray

[dedamastai]

"I pretended to be a cloth merchant's assistant, once."

The words are light, like he's trying to diffuse some of the tension created by all the heavy, unwanted memories. Of course, it causes the landscape to shift. Damen and Laurent are standing in an inn where Laurent is being introduced to the innkeeper by a soldier.

"This is Charls," the soldier says, "the renowned Veretian cloth merchant."

"That isn't Charls," the innkeeper says.

"I can assure you," Laurent says with utter confidence, "that I am."

"I can assure you," the innkeeper says, "Charls the renowned merchant is already here."

Because of course he is. Damen is making a very concentrated effort to not look at Laurent as a servant is sent to fetch for the real Charls, who eventually appears.

"Who is this impostor claiming to be -" Charls looks at Laurent, clearly tries not to look too shocked, and says: "Charls!"

"If he's Charls," the soldier says, "then who are you?"

"He is Charls," the innkeeper says, "I have known him this eight years."

"That's right," Charls says. "He is Charls. I am Charls. We are cousins, named after our grandfather. Charls."

"Thank you, Charls," Laurent says. "This man believes I'm am the King of Akielos."

Damen is very visibly trying not to laugh. Luckily, no one is paying attention to him. As Laurent argues with the soldier some more.

"I think we can all agree he isn't the King of Akielos," the innkeeper says. "If Charls vouches for his cousin, that must satisfy the garrison."

Finally remembering he's supposed to be an assistant, Damen keeps his head bowed. It serves the duel purpose of hiding his smile and making him look subservient. Laurent hands him a cloak as they walk over to the table Charls had previously been seated at with some other cloth merchants. When Charls introduces Laurent to the table, Laurent dismissively gestures to Damen.

"This is my assistant, Lamen."

Laurent easily slots himself in among the other cloth merchants, leaving Damen to sit at a slightly wobbly stool that was . . . probably not constructed to hold his weight. Charls' assistant comes over to talk to him.

"Charls met the Prince of Vere once," the assistant says to Damen. His tone is conspiratorial, and Damen knows what he's about to say and steels himself. "In a tavern in Nesson, disguised as a prostitute."

Almost instinctively, Damen looks over toward where Laurent is talking to the other cloth merchants.

"Did he?"

The assistant nods. "Charls said think of the most expensive pet you've ever seen, then double it."

"Really?"

"Of course," the assistant says, "Charls knew who he was right away, because he couldn't hide his princely style and nobility of spirit."

"Maybe you could encourage Akielons to wear sleeves," Laurent says from across the table. "You'd sell more cloth."

". . . Of course he did," Damen tells Charls' assistant.