lifeaftr | Exploration Event: Neverwere

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Exploration Event: Neverwere

EXPLORATION EVENT: NEVERWERE

Who: Everyone!
What: Your wildest dreams come true!
When: May 15th to May 18th
Where: Ziziphus, those still on Ensō...and Mu
Warnings: Mark as needed!

Then Know That My Life Was Just a Killer Dream
You can find most of the information you need in the OOC info post! In the meantime, feel free to use this log as a catch-all for your dream worlds, as well as detailing your efforts to free one another. Whether they're on Ziziphus or Ensō at the time of the dreams' capture, your character is free to access as many dreams as you like, as the interlocking mental landscape allows for that sort of crossing over apropos of nothing. And time, of course, is very fluid in dreams - many days, months, and years can transpire in a matter of mere minutes.

Will you fight your way free from Ziziphus's vines or Mu's thrall, or are you content to die in your sleep?

Remember to let us know if your character dies during this event!

Event Timeline

[ ♆ ] May 15th: The vines make their move, ensnaring characters in ideal fantasy worlds
[ ♆ ] May 17th: The Storyteller will make contact with those they can, as well as issue information and a potential solution
[ ♆ ] May 18th: Those that have not freed themselves from the vines or from Mu will suffer a death

LOGS ● OOC ● STORIES ● MAIN NAVIGATION

( CODED BY BOOTYCALL )

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[What is the ever loving heckie deckie is going on here? This place feels like a dream, but good lord it's a thing of Guzma's nightmares... There are cats everywhere, and by the third time he's nearly stepped on or tripped over one, Guzma has all but lost his temper entirely - his patience a frayed string. Any cat larger than an infant gets pushed or kicked away with his feet. He's snarling by the time he gets to the mana pool to try and get home (is that even possible here?) and he has half a thought to toss in a load of the cats lounging around by the glowing water. Be prepared, ye screeching furballs.

Thank goodness Ren arrives when she does, because Guzma's a hairline away from exploding, and it shows. He's breathing hard through his nose, has cat hair littering his black pants, and his arms are all scratched up and bloody from wrestling a few of the beasts off him. He sneers at Ren without really meaning to, snorting at the offering.]

Nah...this place makes me lose my appetite.

[Well, would you look at that? Her brother appears out of the kitty abyss, looking worse for wear. The cats don't attack people and nothing bad happens in this place, much to her relief. It's why the injuries make her curious, eyes falling to his arms and-

This isn't the first time she's seen him hurt. The fuzzy memories distract her as she tries to place why-an inkling that she's supposed to remember something she can't until she starts to conjure up explanations on her own. Pieces that fit so easily into the fake world she's formed around her and the uneasy expression she had upon seeing him is gone in an instant. He gets scratches from climbing trees to find acceptable plates for dinner. That's right.

She sets the egg bowl down and reaches for his hands, partly to get a better look at this arms and-

Maybe she wants to hold him, for a little bit. It's only been a couple hours since she last saw him, but that short span feels like days for some reason.]

Did you hurt yourself, nii-chan? I can help you. It's okay.

[Ren is very lucky he's so fond of her, otherwise her approach and the touch would have ended in Guzma yanking his arms out of her hands and snarling - perhaps even worse. But, thankfully, she distracts him with what she says near the end of her sentence and the record scratch moment is expressed clearly on Guzma's face. There's enough influence from Kanto and Johto in Malie city - the largest city on Ula'ula Island - that Guzma understands exactly what that term means, and he feels his face heat up slightly.]

Uh...wha--? [He stumbles over his words, his cheeks now burning as the redness spreads to the tip of his nose and even to the back of his neck. He always thought of Ren as his little sister, especially since he gave her the necklace of his former team, but he'd never said it out loud before. N-Not yet, anyway.] N-No, I...um.

[Articulate as ever, Guzma blinks down at the small girl and just stares at her, flabbergasted.] Wha...what did you just call me?

[Did he hear her right?]

[The bizarre way he's acting is more troubling than the scratches on his arms. Did he whack his head coming out of that tree? It's never been an issue in all the years they've been together. Lots of people call him that on the island, so why-

It's strange, to do something for over a decade, and feel guilty out of the blue for a reason she can't pinpoint, that makes the second nii-chan falter on her lips, for a moment. Why would she feel that way? That's strange. And dumb. And weird.

So she's going to ignore it, patting the back of his hand with her own, offering that tiny piece of comfort to help heal the minor pain he's in. He's struggling, that much is obvious. Even his face is starting to look weird.]

Nii-chan? That's what I always call you.

[Maybe she needs to get him something to drink? That's a good plan.]

Do you want to sit by the school? There's shade and water. It's a good place.

[Big brother. He knows the words very well, it's basically his second title to every grunt, big and small, back when he still manned Team Skull. Kids from all over - born in Alola or simply raised there, the term of endearment is well known throughout. His mouth goes dry immediately, and Guzma can't exactly hide the way his mouth curves up at the corners, despite his best efforts. The blush on his face spreads, and the hand not being held and healed covers his mouth, rubs absently at his chin as Guzma does his best impression of a damsel. A tiny chuckle escapes, muffed by his large hand, and he clears his throat afterwards.

It's...definitely not a bad name to be called, though her always calling him that isn't something he recalls. It's a first, though Guzma has always regarded Ren as yet another of his adopted siblings. An extension of his massive 'family' of misfits. Maybe this place isn't so bad, though he'd like it with less cats. Stepping all over them is going to drive him wil--

Wait, what.]

School? [SINCE WHEN WAS THAT THERE?? HERE??? UM?????? His nose scrunches up, that smile becoming a frown.] I'm not exactly the learning type, angel.

[This school is a copy of a memory that wasn't her own, so there are no teachers inside the walls. In fact, if they ventured in, it'd be a painfully empty building with askew chairs and tables and chalkboards. She's not 100% sure what that place was for and only knows its relation to the baseball field re: schools have baseball ergo, baseball fields must also have schools.

The smile, the way he reacts, his apparent confusion about the building-it grabs her attention at once. He says school like he's never seen the place, but it's always been here? He's come by and played baseball with them on occasion. He must've really hit his head and she grips his hand tight, pulling towards the large building if he lets her. Come on, come on.]

It's okay, we won't learn anything. I think 'schools' have bandaids. My magic won't make you feel better, so I have to look for that kind of thing.

[Because her fingers can make sparkley lil sparkles and nothing else. She ain't no healer.]

[There's a lot here to process, and Guzma's face scrunches up as he's tugged toward this so-called school that just appeared out of hecking no where for some reason. He wouldn't mind a few bandaids - he needs them for all the scratches on his arms - but he puts on the brakes the moment Ren mentions she now has magic, nearly yaking the poor girl back into him. He really is an anchor, and when he says 'stop', those much smaller and lighter than him will indeed stop.]

Alright, what the heck is going on here? Since when did you learn magic? We've never had a school on this dang island and I doubt even the rabbit could toss one up in that short amount'a time. Plus, unless someone got to breeding 'em, we've never had so many flea-bitten hairballs wandering around here before. I can't walk around without nearly stepping on one!! Heaven forbid anyone has a stinking allergy, otherwise they'd be dead in seconds just breathing in the fuzz these mewling tumblweeds are hacking up.

[Is someone messing with him? Messing with his little sister? Because that is a surefire way to tick Guzma off...and he's not one you want to anger, or be around when he's angry.]

Edited 2018-06-07 00:10 (UTC)

[That's alarming? For so many reasons. He's being weird today and she doesn't like it. The school's always been here, the cats have always cuddled up beside him at night and the rabbit is-

The rabbit's just doing their best? They've lived here among the nonsense since day one with them. It's how island life is and she doesn't understand the stuff he's spewing. She'll figure out how to deal with this insult to catkind later, because he's not in his right mind. Clearly. Maybe he needs more help than bandaids can offer-is someone around to pat his head? See if he's injured where she can't see?

She stares him, silently assessing how to go about this. A part of her wants to run, which is weird, because she can't recall needing to run away from anything in her life. Playing tag? Absolutely, but this desire to just leave feels foreign and familiar.

Not that she can leave him when he's this confused. She doesn't try to pull away, despite every part of her wanting to, and asks with a mixture of concern and worry-]

Why did you forget? Does your head hurt? Are you 'dehydrated'? Is it like that?

[And that's it. Those words, that assumption, drives him over the edge. It's always been like this, he's always the one wrong, never the other way around. What are you saying? Everything is as it always is, nothing's the matter. Are you feeling well? Are you okay? Guzma, what's wrong?

Guzma, what's wrong with you?

Guzma, what's wrong with you?]

I'M NOT THE PROBLEM!! [He nearly howls, scattering a large group of resting cats to the winds as they flee in terror, leaving an eerie, tense quiet hanging in the air between them. It's the first time Guzma has ever yelled at Ren, and he's on the verge of doing so again.] Tell me what the hell is going on...and where I am.

[Clenching his fingers into tight fists at his sides, Guzma's knuckles pop with the strain put on them fingernails digging into the skin of his coarse palms. This isn't Ren. This isn't Enso, either. It's an impostor parading as his little sister and messing with his head. These sort of awful visions happened a few months ago, and he's not ready to see his worst memories all over again...or whatever this stupid place has in store.] Do it fast, too...else I'm gonna do something real nasty.

[This is wrong. He's been weird the whole day and now-yelling? That's not a reaction she associates with him and her brother's never had an outburst like this-not towards her. Fear, which should be unfamiliar to her in this fake reality, starts to creep up her body, making her silently pull away. Take a few steps back from his line of fire and assess where to run and hide because there's a good hiding spot past that tree by the temple-

And she's never had to hide, so that innate knowledge makes her blink in confusion, and continue to stare down her brother who wants to know an answer to a question she doesn't understand. Her body visibly tenses. She doesn't know what to do, what to say, how to calm down him down from whatever set him off.

You're being so mean she remembers saying to someone, once, on the top of an old building leaning against the dingy rusted metal that's out of place in this world. She's never been to the top of a building-not even the school. Just add that to the list of things bothering her.

Cats are leaving the area, prompted by the first group fleeing at his booming voice. Which means it's not safe and she hates it. She tries to open her mouth to say something, but all that comes out is a meek, soft-]

We're on Enso. I don't...I don't know 'what's going on'.

[This is normal, to her. Each day has followed the same pattern since she was born and the only outlier right now is him. She has no clue what's happening and remains poised to run off into the woods.]

[She looks so tiny, so scared, and for a moment he pauses, wondering if this is really her. If he's going too far, and if something's changed. Maybe he's wrong? Maybe something happened he wasn't aware of? He's scaring her, she's afraid...stop. Stop scaring her, don't hurt her, you would never--]

No it's not. [He hisses between grit teeth, breathing hard. Guzma won't believe it. He won't believe any of this is real. It's what...it's what she wants. A dream, a desire, and he's not even really sure this is even Ren anymore - it's like an amalgate of the girl he considers close enough to be family, as well as a perversion of her deepest wishes. It's not real, and yet it seems so well fabricated that he only gets angrier.] No, it's not... Enso's never had more'n a handful'a cats, we've never had a school built here, and you...

[He takes a step closer, his height making his shadow fall over her threateningly. He certainly looks intimidating, bearing down on her like a giant, eyes full of nothing but ferocity. Who is this person really? He's not sure, and it's irritating. He can't listen to the two sides of him that tell him what to do. He has to make a decision and Guzma has never once trusted himself with things like this.] You never once used magic so far and I remember. You never called me your brother. Not even once.

I don't know who you even are, but y'all ain't my girl.

You aren't my Ren.

[The unfamiliar sting of rejection is something that-

Doesn't feel so unfamiliar. You aren't my Ren. You aren't my girl. You aren't suitable. You aren't useful.

Tears sting her eyes because she knows what it's like to have family and fully understands the terror of knowing it can, will be, ripped away once they realize she's-

Unsuitable and not worth it and a waste of time and money for a project that-

There's no project. Never was. She can't pinpoint where that thought came from and she rapidly blinks tears out of her eyes instead of dwelling on whatever that means. It doesn't matter. He's towering over her and she's trying to find ways to hide from him without turning her back because that's dangerous. He's dangerous. His words are continuously piercing her as she repeats them again and again and-]

You're supposed-you're an anchor. That's how-

[It comes out as a garble of nonsense, but he's supposed to be her anchor. That's what he said, one day, before he was her brother. Before being given the beautiful necklace that made her family, even if he never said the words. Her hand brushes against it, nervously rubbing her finger against the shiny shell, then pulling her hand back because she's not his girl and she's not family now.

It's too much. She can't do this. She can't face him, can't ask why, can't figure out what lines have been crossed. All she can do is run and disappear from it. In a few hours, a few days, it won't matter anymore. She can push it back, understand that's how things are and accept his words-deep down she knew this would happen, someday. Unwrapping the necklace in coconut leaves, feeling that ache in her soul at how badly she messed up-how could she have forgotten that day?

This was always going to happen.

Heart racing, fingers twisting into her shirt over and over and over, she suddenly turns on her heel and runs towards the dense jungle.

It was always going to happen, but she doesn't want to face it. Can't look at his face and see her prediction come to life. If she runs, she doesn't have to face it. If she hides for awhile, it'll be okay. She'll wake up tomorrow and-

She doesn't want to think about that either. A day where she's unable to hold his hand, cook in his shack, play with him or his pokemon. Tomorrow, he won't smile at her anymore. Tomorrow, he's going to pull his hand away from her. Tomorrow, he's going to ignore her words and her heart will not longer reach him. Tomorrow, he's going to stop ruffling her hair. He's not-

She can't think about it. Tries to wipe it from her thoughts as she hurries into the brush and disappears from sight.]

[All of a sudden, as the intense grief pierces the heart of this illusion - and more prominently his precious little sister - everything around them seems to just wither and fall away, like dead leaves. The facade of Bliss is broken, and Guzma too feels something seize his chest very suddenly. Realization first, then dread. He reaches out a hand to the girl as she runs off, the words dying in his throat as it becomes constricted with his own horrified grief. The pain that rakes its icy claws against his chest make him sick, and he feels like the life itself is bleeding from an open wound he caused. She's gone, she's running from him, she's scared of him... Not the usual fear, either. Ren was--he's...

He's hurt her.

He's hurt her and he said he never would. He said, he vowed to himself he wouldn't hurt her or Luna, and...and--

His hands reach up to the sides of his head, fingers curling into his hair as his knees buckle and he doubles over from the weight that bears down on his shoulder. Guzma feels a sour sting burn the back of his throat, keeping himself from either shouting or vomiting from sheer will alone. He caused all this, and he meant it. He meant it. He intended to hurt her, leave her scared and scarred. He thought it was a trick...an illusion, and while not wrong, the illusion was the world around them. Ren was always real - these were her desires, her wishes, her happiness. And Guzma took them away. He...

He stumbles backwards, dizzy as black spots dance before his eyes and his breath comes in desperate pants. There's nothing left anymore, he's broken it all, and with nothing to focus on, he can't...can't...function. Doesn't know how to feel or what to do to stabilize. So Guzma does the only thing he can - the one thing he hasn't done since that fateful night when he was so very, very young. When he raised a hand against his own father...

He makes and emergency exit, dashing blindly through the brush and jungle in the opposite direction, feeling, again, for the first time in many years, tears burning the corners of his eyes and searing hot trails down his cheeks.

He didn't mean to do this, he didn't mean to do this, he didn't mean to...]

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Exploration Event: Neverwere

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