[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

[shatteredlenses]

[Was Noctis ever so bitter? Ignis' isn't in a position to know, so early as he is in their timeline. The Noctis he's met here doesn't seem to be bitter. In fact, he's far too accepting of everything. Of course, that's after how long spent in the Crystal? Even Noctis himself isn't sure of that. Had bitterness and anger come first?

Somehow, Ignis has a feeling only Noctis will ever know that for sure.

He lets silence interrupted only by the crackling of the fire fall around them for a time, arms wrapped gently around Asch as long as the redhead wishes them to be there. Finally, though, he does whisper an amused reply.]

If it helps any, I can pretend I saw nothing. Who will question what a blind man saw, after all?

[bloodyashes]

[This time, the response is almost immediate - ]

You're a pain.

[But, no, he doesn't push Ignis away. Shifts to get more comfortable, actually, because it's -

Still so strange that anyone might want to comfort him. Ignis probably won't be able to tell that the shaky way he's breathing is from the effort of not immediately pushing that comfort away, rather than the memories.

At his best - he doesn't push people away like this. So he's going to try, even with no idea what he should be doing.]

I guess you've seen me at my worst, now.

[Yes they're just going to keep making puns about this.]

[shatteredlenses]

Why is it redheads always tell me that? I'm quite certain I'm not that prickly. Why, my hair is quite soft when I have the right products to take care of it.

[One good bad joke deserves another, yes? Why talk about feelings when they can just throw puns around instead?]

We all have good and bad sides. Moments we never want to forget and times we never wish to remember. No matter if it is good or bad, though, it is still the past and can't be changed. We must focus on what we have now and make the best of it. This time was given to us for a reason, after all.

[bloodyashes]

I don't believe in that.

[Pause, realizing he has to explain.]

The 'all for a reason' thing. I've done existing for a reason - and the reason was horrible and it damn near destroyed me and I don't want anyone to have to go through that. I don't want to be here for a reason. I just want to be.

[For a person whose life was chained up in prophecies thousands of years before he was born, it's a perfectly logical desire.]

Without having to worry that that time is going to run out on me so quickly.

[shatteredlenses]

[Even with all the hatred Ignis has developed for the Divine and their prophecies over the last few months, he hasn't really had the time to think about the way it affects his other views. Asch's statement makes him stop to do that. He's spent so much of his life feeling driven by a purpose, by a goal and a need to protect. He will always wish to protect Noctis, but those other things? How many of them are prophecy driven and if they are prophecy driven...

...perhaps it is better to just be.]

You're right.

[His answer is soft and still a little uncertain, but that is only because he's believed a different way for so long that it's a little frightening to let go of it so quickly.]

Perhaps there really is no need for a reason after all.

[bloodyashes]

[If Asch doesn't challenge at least one deeply held belief a month, he'll probably turn into dust and disappear.

He shifts to rest his head against Ignis' shoulder, not caring, for once, who might see or what impression that might give off. Everyone is vulnerable tonight.]

I don't want this to be for a reason. I want it to be because you're a real person who cares, instead of someone looking to get something out of me. I'm still scared of that.

[His fingers clench.]

I want the little things the rest of the world takes for granted. Everything else can go to hell for a little while.