[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

[greatcleavage]

...I feel I need to ask explicitly rather than make assumptions, and you are absolutely free to decline to answer, in which case I will make none. To the best of my ability, anyway.

[Roy would rather be a good man than a smart man. Although he'd prefer to be both if necessary.]

[shineinside]

[That does sound like the words of a good person. Roy's proven himself pretty open to new ideas, too, if the great attributes debate from earlier is any indication.]

...I'm actually... [No, wait, rephrase that.] I mean, I was originally a boy. I've been using my special abilities to stay in an alternate body ever since I washed up on the beach.

I panicked because I was kind of hoping nobody would find out about this, but I guess it's too late to worry about that now.

[greatcleavage]

Wait, so if the power you're using is subject to the same limitations as other powers, are you in danger of it potentially running out while you're here? [That's the first thing that crosses his mind, when she phrases it as 'special abilities'. Most of them he's seen demonstrated here have been limited.]

[shineinside]

I worried about the same thing at first, but I've kept it going for a couple weeks now without running out. My strength, enhancement, and healing are all limited, but just staying transformed doesn't seem to be restricted by the same rules for some reason.

[greatcleavage]

Okay. [Roy frowns slightly, though. Maybe it's like Muffet's; her abilities seem to work as long as she has personal strength.] But -- and I'm not asking you to demonstrate, just clarifying, it is something you're actively maintaining, not a case that you've actually changed your baseline.

I'm sorry if this is getting personal, but I'm a little concerned about it reverting at a terrible time because of some ridiculous concept about it 'making a good story'. [Roy rolls his eyes, slightly.] If you're in danger of that, I'm wondering if I can help with an alternative.

[shineinside]

[Yuka stops to think for a second. That's a good question, if kind of an abstract one.]

I guess it's kind of like that conversation we had before about attributes and die rolls. I've been thinking of it as something I activate and deactivate, but I don't revert even if I fall asleep, so I don't know if I can say whether it's a state I maintain or a new baseline. I mean, until recently I could only transform in a specific parallel world, but on the other hand, this form feels more natural to me than the other one, so... [She shrugs.]

I hadn't thought about the Storyteller taking this power away from me, either. Are you saying you know about some alternative I could use if that happened?

[greatcleavage]

I don't know. But I've had experience with a belt that changes the physical sex of the wearer, until such time as the --

[Roy pauses, holds up his hands in a plea for patience, and takes a breath.]

The effect of the belt is considered a 'curse', but that's by virtue of it being, in most cases, an unintended effect which cannot be easily removed. That is not to imply that anyone who wanted its effects should consider it a curse, it's just the name, and I apologize for how it comes off.

[Roy had not particularly enjoyed being female and didn't want to remain that way, but that had been entirely his own opinion and viewpoint.]

In any case, asking the Storyteller for one might be a potential secondary option in need. I hope it doesn't come up, but hoping is not exactly a solid backup plan.

[shineinside]

Wait, you really found an item like that? That's incredible!

[This is, obviously, super relevant to Yuka's interests!]

But if the Storyteller could just switch off my transformation, don't you think they could do the same to the belt? [Honestly she has no idea what the rules of any of this are, which is really frustrating.]

[greatcleavage]

Well, I'll be honest... I thought it was ridiculous. But I'll freely admit I had my head a little further up my ass those days, and have tried to improve. [He's particularly glad she hasn't inquired into the circumstances.]

I'd expect the belt would have limited functionality, but even then, the idea is just to bridge the gap should your own power fail. I mean, the obvious ideal is permanent transformation, but I'm not sure how we could realistically achieve that here...

[shineinside]

[Permanent transformation... that's the dream, isn't it? She has no idea if that'll ever be an option, but it's exciting to think about. Then again, that's basically been her life here, as long as she can ignore the possible threat of the Storyteller taking it away.]

That's a really good idea... I guess I can ask and see if they'll give me one.

How does it work, anyway? You just put it on and change instantly?

[greatcleavage]

Yep. [He is quicker to answer that than most people would when forming a hypothetical.] You know, I feel bad that I never considered why such an item was made in the first place. Without something like that on your world... it must have been a real relief to you when you gained the powers that let you changed.

[shineinside]

[Roy's intellectual curiosity and logistical concerns are a far cry from the instant, shining emotional support that Mickey offered, but both are refreshing in their own way.]

Kyouko could tell you how much of a mess I was when I found out... I was crying so hard I could barely form a sentence. I didn't even know that Reflectors or the Imaginaerium existed, so I was assuming I'd just have to live my entire life as Ryouma Ichijou up until that moment.