[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

[souris_keteer]

Guzma...!

[And Mickey can't control himself. After feeling the horror and trauma Guzma went through - Mickey zooms forward, hugging his legs, mostly as confirmation that Guzma is indeed physically okay, alive, unharmed. There may be tears in the little guy's eyes.]

G-Guzma...!

[yallstupid]

[He wobbles as first, when he has a sudden weight thrust at his knees like that, but Guzma's more stunned by the action itself than anything else. He's never, ever, been suddenly embraced like that by anyone. His past team mates may indeed share fist bumps, punches in the shoulder, high fives, and the like but...well, they're not a touchy-feely group, especially not around the big boss himself. Even the younger, feale grunts don't give him sudden hugs like that.

He's so taken aback that Guzma doesn't know how to really react to it. He's not mad, he's just shocked, arms up and out and with a screwed up expression on his face. What in the world? Why did--...what is even happening right now?!]

Wha--?!

[souris_keteer]

[Maybe Mickey wouldn't be so upset if he hadn't seen the memories of a dad baby or a kid with a murderous father. But he did, and they had an effect, so Mickey's just overwhelmingly grateful that someone he does care about is alive and okay. He pulls back, rubbing his eyes, trying not to cry.]

I-I'm just... I'm so glad you're okay! I really am!

[yallstupid]

[Alive, yes, but okay? ...Questionable. The Nihilego left their mark on him - quite literally in a sense, considering he does indeed sport some shallow scars on his shoulders, upper arms, and back. He's come to actually fear those bizarre creatures, and avoids them like nothing else. It's part of the reason he fled the crystal caves with Luna so quickly, because the dark, glittering mess all reminded him so much of the world where these monsters roamed about. He never, ever, wants to go near one again.

And now everyone knows why.

But this sudden embrace is...unexpected, for sure. Guzma is so adverse to touch - unwelcomed touch that he doesn't initiate - that he's struck for what to do. The poor thing is just worried, and he makes a face because...why? Why is he concerned? Guzma rushed those things like an idiot, what the hell did he expect to happen? It was his own fault, and he had to deal with the consequences of his actions and poor decisions. He escaped possession by the sheer force of his willpower alone, eventually, but if not for the actions of Luna and her little friend...he would still be stranded int hat beast world, for who knows how long.]

Yeah, wh-whatever, just let me go! [He huffs, feeling awkward and embarrassed. Who the heck even cares about someone like him? It's so strange - Guzma expected people to think so poorly of him after having a peek into his thoughts, his memories, his past. He doesn't have many good traits, or so he believes, so why care? It doesn't make sense.]

[souris_keteer]

[After a few more relieved sniffles, Mickey lets go, wiping his face. Thankfully, there aren't any too many tears this time around. The important thing is that Guzma is alive. Right now, little else matters.]

S-sorry... I've just seen a lot of stuff tonight. I can't believe how many people have suffered...

[A hard swallow.]

... I know we're not sharing these willingly... S-so don't worry, I won't tell anyone what I saw.

[yallstupid]

[Seen a lot tonight... Hah, isn't that the truth? There's been so many things people have seen and experienced that they really shouldn't have. He's still upset about it, but a lot less so than before Mickey tearfully flung himself at his person. Guzma still isn't sure how to really respond to all that, so he remains where he is - awkward and embarrassed and feeling well out of place.

He's just...glad? Can he even call it that? He's thankful that this is all Mickey saw of his memories. Painful, yes, but certainly not the worst of what was broadcast. He's not had it easy. Others have had it way tougher, of course, but this isn't Suffering Olympics - he still felt like trash over all of it. That's the bottom line. These memories were meant to be hidden. These memories are his own - a chapter of his story...and he'll share them when he damn well feels like it. Or never at all. Same with everyone else.]

...Good. [What he means is: thank you.] N'those things didn't do nothing more t'me...so quit your sniveling. Tch--...don't remember most of it - must'a blacked out after a while, but I got outta their grasp. And outta their freaky world.

[With some help, yes, but that's another story, and he doesn't want to get into detail.]

[souris_keteer]

[.. Outta their freaky world. Uhhh. About that.

Mickey swallows, unsure of how to say this, but knowing it has to be said.]

... Well, the thing is, Guzma... part of the reason I got so scared for you is because... I'm pretty sure me and Roy fought off one of those things. We cut off its tentacles, and it flew away, but... If that's what it could do... I really hope none of us ever run into it again.

[He finishes with a hard swallow.]

[yallstupid]

[Guzma's face pales in a matter of seconds, his irritation being replaced by a very obvious and plain to see dread. He glances first at Mickey, then around, as if expecting one or more of the horrible Ultra Beasts to appear as if from no where. He swallows down the lump in his throat, squeezing his eyes shut with a shake of his head. No, no...he must have misheard. He must have. It's just a mistake.

It has to be.]

Wha...th-that-- [He breathes in again, frowning. His go-to emotion, when he wants to smother everything else. Anger, frustration, irritation.] That ain't funny, Mick.

[souris_keteer]

I'm not trying to be funny, Guzma! It's the truth!

[Not to mention it'd be a really sick joke if he was???]

When we woke up on one of those new islands, me and Roy went exploring, trying to find what we could. We heard this weird noise, and found... one of those things! We tried to be friendly with it, but it attacked us right away.

... We didn't see anymore of them. Just the one.

[yallstupid]

[It's the truth, he says, as if that were any better than being lied to. Maybe it is, actually, because heaven knows he'd lose it entirely if he came face to face with one of those things again, unprepared. Guzma's teeth grind together and he squeezes his eyes shut. All at once, he feels cold, feels the scars hidden under his clothes ache and burn. He wants to throw up...]

Pfft. [He snorts, his face screwing up into a bitter sneer. One? Please.] You can betcha that there's way more'n one of those things here - they don't tend to go it alone...usually they swarm.

[He breathes in, then exhales slowly. Tries to talk evenly, but there's a hint of panic and anger in his voice. Just what he needs, to not only give away one of his new fears, but to have it here, in this goddamn world. Prowling...who knows where.] ...It's called Nihilego, and it's an Ultra Beast, meaning it's a far cry from anything resembling friendly. Y'all are dang stupid if you tried to be friendly toward it.

It's a parasite. Grabs and latches on with them tentacles and injects a real potent neutoxin...poison. T'slow you down. And accelerate your base desires in that moment - fear, anger, hunger, thirst...they all get dialed up to a hundred. Dunno how you managed to cut its tentacles off, too - thing's a rock type...sturdy as heck, and they'll grow back faster'n you think either way.

My advice? Steer clear of 'em entirely.

[souris_keteer]

[Mickey almost says it was worth a shot trying to be friendly since they had no ideas otherwise, and maybe they got lucky severing the tentacles... but neither of those things will help Guzma. He swallows hard, steadily watching his friend.]

... Then... it's a really good thing you're here, Guzma. You're the expert on them, more than anyone else. If they show up again... now we'll be better prepared, and not caught off guard.

We won't let it hurt anyone else ever again. Thanks to you, we know what we're dealing with.

[yallstupid]

[Guzma actually barks a laugh - harsh, hostile, and cold. Expert? Is that what he is now? Because he let some crazed woman string him along like a little puppet, command him as she pleased, far enough through hell itself to nearly get himself killed by one of those things? If it weren't for the sheer force of his will, he would have been possessed for far longer than he was. He would have probably become some grotesque horror-terror like Lusamine did when she fused with it.

He would be dead, after absorbing so much of the beast's poison, that way.

Because of that, he's an expert? That's really funny. Funniest thing he's heard all day, in between the shitstorm of bearing witness to other people's most dark, vivid, and turbulent memories. Bearing witness to his own memories...]

I ain't no expert, and don't thank me. When those things come knocking...y'all are on your own. [He stands up, breathing deeply through his nose as he shoves his hands into his pockets. He wants to wake up now. He really, really wants to wake up. He's done speaking with people, having to explain himself, or console them. Pretend like nothing happened, or he's alright. He's done with it all.] I won't go near 'em. And if they come find me?

I'm bailing. [With or without you goes unsaid, but the words echo in his mind as he grits his teeth and paces around the fire a little. Wake up...just wake up...he doesn't ant to be here anymore.]

[souris_keteer]

... If you say so.

[But Mickey doesn't sound angry or upset or disappointed. More... contemplative. He wouldn't exactly blame Guzma for running away if he saw one of those things again. After such a traumatic experience, it'd almost be expected.

... Yet there's a part of him that wonders if Guzma actually WOULD bail. For all his macho attitude and gruffness, the man does have a heart that cares for others. Would he really leave people behind, people he knows, knowing the danger that'd await them?

Either option is valid. So Mickey's not going to give up on Guzma. Not now, not ever.]