[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

[attheclocktower]

I'd offer to trade, even for just a little bit, but I only really nightmares these days.

[Which means that 1. her sleep schedule is terrible and 2. it isn't really restful when she does get to sleep.]

I'm sorry though, that you went through that.

[And that he's still feeling the aftereffects so much, now. It'd been hard to feel bad for Ruana, whom they'd only seen her history at the end, after she'd already hurt so many of them so much. But this was different.]

[scourgingstars]

Don't.

[Pity and sympathy weren't exactly things Ardyn understood how to process.]

It's...it was a long time ago. Longer than most could even imagine.

[attheclocktower]

Doesn't mean that it can't still hurt. Or make you upset.

[Said with a soft shrug. Light only knew that Ruana had still been. Had still been lonely and angry and... everything.]

[scourgingstars]

...Of course it does. But there's nothing that can be done about it, and I've no use for something like pity.

[attheclocktower]

[Xion takes a deep breath in, then lets it out of her nose in a patient sort of sigh.]

I guess not. But at least it means there are people here who care about you and worry about you.

[scourgingstars]

They shouldn't. I'm not...there is no reason to care for me anymore. I'm a monster who cares for nothing in this or any world, and there can be little doubt I'll return to that sooner or later.

[attheclocktower]

[Oh Ardyn. This is the wrong girl to be having this kind of conversation with.]

You don't get to decide that though. That nobody should care. None of us do.

My dad said that too. That I shouldn't care about him, at least as much as I did. He's hurt... a lot of people before, in his job. Me, I've hurt people just by existing.

But I told him then, we're more than just our worst parts. If that's all we ever judge ourselves or each other by... we're all monsters.

[And maybe it's an effect of the island, and its current state, drawing memories out of people, but for a moment - if he's looking - there's a flicker of something else behind her.]

[scourgingstars]

I had no such excuses. I likely could have sought out another course of action or at least caused less devastation but my own hatred and bitterness refused to allow it. What I am and what I have done...all of it was by choice. The failure of a healer, and the vengeance in repayment for my expulsion were both decisions made by my own hand.

[Ardyn pressed a hand to his face at the sight of whatever was behind Xion, as if he was briefly uncertain what face he even showed her.]

What you speak to now is no more than a single drop of water in an endless black ocean. 'Ardyn Lucis Caelum' can no longer be found save only through a matter of freak chance, and will surely be gone once more before long. 'Ardyn Izunia' is all which truly exists now. As I am now, I don't-...I would not wish anyone to be hurt when that devotion backfires, and I myself would not want to see yet more betrayal when all of you realize you swear companionship and camaraderie only to break such oaths once the monster resurfaces.

[attheclocktower]

[There's... a lot of ways that she can react to this. She could do something that feels like Sora would do, declare that it wouldn't be true, that they'd find a way to save him, or that he'd still be in there. A part of her does. But she can hear something in his voice.

It's a desire to protect people. To keep them from being hurt, and knowing you yourself are the worst danger. Even if you ultimately don't want to be.]

There's nothing we can do? Nothing that helps or... [Finding the right words is difficult] Something... that'll reach you there?

[If this has been thousands of years... in the end, when Ruana had truly been in her rage, nothing had reached her there either. Nothing had made her see her actions were wrong.]

[scourgingstars]

...No. If I leave that desert, then it is simply over and done with. Should the Accursed resurface, then he'll not be repressed again.

[attheclocktower]

[She knows this feeling. Knows this absolute feeling that you can't be saved. That when you look at the possibilities of your world, it's actually impossible. She may have resolved herself to go back and change things until she could be, but that doesn't mean that she doesn't remember what it felt like before.]

I'm not... I wish I could say that there has to be a way, that we can help you somehow. But I don't know that, so I can't. I won't.

But... that doesn't have to mean there's nothing we can do. I can't... do anything about your world but... here. Now. If you ever leave the desert... is there anything I can do? So things might not get as bad? Or people won't get as hurt?

If you're ever forced to leave the desert, what would you want someone to do for you?

[A kind of damage control, really. Anything, big or small, that she can do to help. And she knows for sure that she can remember him like this, keep that memory of Ardyn Lucis Caelum, not Ardyn Izunia, in her heart. She isn't sure saying that will help right now, though.

She won't say that she won't look for a way to help him either, too. She can't just give up entirely, could never do that.]

cw: suicidal ideation whoops

[scourgingstars]

There's nothing that can be done for me. Nothing that would help, no way to save what tiny shred of humanity remains in this monster.

But if you truly do wish to help, then just...Find a way to kill me. Talk to Noctis and Ignis if you must, they know how unlikely it is to ever happen.

[attheclocktower]

[Another thing that she wishes she didn't understand, but understands all too well. That being said... full disclosure.]

It probably won't stick here. It usually doesn't, in places like this. I've... I died ten times, in the Tower. My brother was even worse.

But I'll talk to them. I promise.

[scourgingstars]

It never does. It took the fulfillment of an ancient prophecy to kill me once, and yet I'm here all the same. I've no idea what else it might take now.

[attheclocktower]

What if we can't?

[She's really, honestly hoping for more ideas than just "kill me, please." She understands not feeling like there's any other options, but...]

[scourgingstars]

...I don't know, my dear. I'm too dangerous to be kept alive; I can't be bargained with, my nonexistent mercy can't be appealed to, and I simply don't know what might happen once this ends.

[attheclocktower]

[She doesn't say it aloud, doesn't want to be that cruel, but if that's the case, then they're almost certainly stuck.]

I still am sorry.

[Both about his situation, and that they can't do more.]

I'll remember this. Even if nobody else does.

[She's literally memories incarnate. If she can't do this, who can? Besides... if anybody would know how important it is to be remembered... well...]

[scourgingstars]

There's no need for apologies. I've been around for a very, very long time--I'm rather looking forward to an ending to this story.

[Ardyn shook his head with a worn down and halfhearted laugh.]

Somehow I suspect you're far from the only person stubborn enough to remember.

[attheclocktower]

Especially in places like this.

[That's right, wasn't it? This place was full of people who would help. Who would stubbornly look past your world's circumstances to try to see you, to help you however they can.

Light she missed her friend and family so much. Quickly lifts a hand to scrub at her face, to make sure there's nothing wet there.]