August Aftermath: Make Me Okay

[lifeaftr_mods]

AUGUST AFTERMATH: MAKE ME OKAY

Who: Everyone!
What: After the harrowing events of mid-month, it's time to process what you've been through
When: August 24th and onward
Where: Ensō and/or Nastrandir
Warnings: Discussions of violence, injury, forcibly altered mindsets via magical influence, and character deaths. Other than that, tag as you go!

Nastrandir: Can I Fight When I Don't Know How
The morning of August 24th, the day after a Storytelling that was notably later than usual, you will wake to the restoration of your average selves, barring any extenuating circumstances due to recent deaths. The dead will rise again on Ensō, at the Storyteller's Temple, while everyone else will simply wake where they last laid themselves to rest. There's nothing left to do but, perhaps, try to come to terms with all that's just happened.

You've probably witnessed some terrible things, over the past few days. There's a very good chance that you were the one doing the terrible things. Whether you were responsible for the slaughter of a fellow adventurer, watched the fray from the distance, or suffered the spontaneous combustion that seized everyone who hadn't managed to shake away their false memories in time, it's at least all over now. Or...mostly. Any stray sirens that haven't been smashed by the event's end are still shrilling away, though their dangerous effects seem to have been rendered inert without the aid of the broken merotome spilling its memories into everyone else's heads. Likewise, a handful of automatons still wander the island of Nastrandir. Those that have not succumbed to mud and rust and irreparable damage are still capable of firing upon hostiles. Anyone who may have fought by their side before will discover that they're now far less friendly, and will treat former members of the Red Team just the same as they would with any other intruder: with deadly fire.

So you can pick yourselves up off the ground and clean up what remains, or you can say to yourselves: Fuck That, and instead head back to Ensō. Or you could elect to keep exploring Nastrandir, if you're truly a glutton for punishment.

Ensō: Am I Bleeding From the Neck Down
On Ensō and its accompanying islets, it's begun to rain.

It's not a genuine downpour, but more of a gentle, melancholy drizzle. The rain is cool and likely refreshing, particularly if one is just coming away from the humidity of Nastrandir.

Potentially as a form of apology, anyone who goes digging through their belongings will discover that one of the following has ended up in their packs:

[ ♆ ] If you were a member of the Red Team, you will discover that you now own a rather awkwardly-shaped object, about three feet in length. A set of written instructions will inform you that this is known as a redsword, and that, upon placed upon any wet area or body of water, will drain and dry it out over the course of five minutes. This item is single-use, and only works for a ten-foot radius.

[ ♆ ] If you were a member of the Blue Team, you will discover that you now own some very fetching footwear. A set of written instructions will inform you that these are called skip-skops, and can be used to walk on water or wet land without sinking or getting wet. Standard limitations when crossing between islands or attempting to go beyond LifeAftr's limits will still apply. This item is single-use, and will dissolve after one hour total.

[ ♆ ] If you were Neutral, you will discover that you now own, er, this. A set of written instructions will inform you that this object is called a furball, and that it works as a sort of miniature, diminished version of the sirens you spent all that time destroying on Nastrandir. Once planted, it will rapidly grow into a tall, screaming tree full of lorby-like creatures that automatically causes all natural animals in the vicinity to become aggressive for one hour, maximum. This item is single-use.

It's not much, but it might make some of the hell that you suffered through over the past few days worth it! Almost, anyway. In the meantime...relax, lick your wounds, and try and forgive yourselves for what's happened. Please remember to let us know if your character perished in this event! Remember also that death penalties will be reduced following this event; characters will only need to contend with them for a week, and participation in Non-Compulsory AC will not be necessary in removing them.

---

If you're interested, the following links may prove handy:

[ ♆ ] OOC Event Info and Plotting Post
[ ♆ ] Nastrandir's Intro
[ ♆ ] Nastrandir's Locations Page
[ ♆ ] Search Requests Page
[ ♆ ] Deaths Page

LOGS ● OOC ● STORIES ● MAIN NAVIGATION

( CODED BY BOOTYCALL )

Comments

[eudaimonikos]

[Michael shrugs and leans forward to hand it over.]

Creepy thing of it to do.

[postictal]

And somehow the least harmless.

[He grimaces at the thing as he takes it in his hands, staring at the impassive features. He carved this one himself. Just because he knew that, if he didn't, things might get worse. It wouldn't be happy. He just...knows that it wouldn't.]

Thanks. For...keeping me down and out.

[Not for untying him, no. For tying him up in the first place.]

[eudaimonikos]

Sure.

[He peers at Tim for a moment, intently.]

Let me know if you ever need it again. It's very easy, especially now that I know not to try talking to it.

[postictal]

...thanks.

[Now comes the part that he feels like he especially, really doesn't deserve.]

Or...talk about it?

[eudaimonikos]

...say what now?

[postictal]

This. It's...I mean, not a lotta people...it doesn't happen a lot. And I don't - I don't want...

[He doesn't want people to know that he is known, at times, to turn into a feral masked fucker who runs around in the woods tackling people, okay.]

[eudaimonikos]

Oh.

[Is that the right thing to do? On one hand, it seems like it could be a threat to public safety. To Tim's safety, too. People wouldn't know what was going on, and that's a recipe for disaster.

But on the other hand, if it's really under control, is it ethical for Michael to go spreading someone else's secret around? He hasn't, for other things he knows. And maybe it really is handled! In the aftermath of Nastrandir, a lot of things are screwed up. He doesn't plan to go warning people about Kravitz or Crowley, or any of the others who threatened him when their minds weren't right. They've got the potential to be dangerous, sure, but so does Michael. So do a lot of people, in a place where anybody can be driven out of their mind with no warming. That's no reason to firebomb their social lives.

Michael nods slowly. There's scenarios where he might be morally obligated to disclose this, but he doesn't think they're happening today.]

Okay. But if it does ever happen again, I'm going to prioritize people's safety. Including yours.

[postictal]

[The agreement comes easier than what Tim was prepared to face. Jay posted it all over the Internet within hours of learning it. He's not used to people just...agreeing to keep what could be a potentially dangerous secret.]

[Maybe because that other version of him hasn't actually killed anyone, to his knowledge. The most they've done in his experience is be a bit of a nuisance. Usually, the bulk of harm is done to Tim thanks to the shit they get his body into.]

Okay. That's...

Fine.

[eudaimonikos]

[Michael, still not quite at his ease with moral questions, feels the need to explain a little further.]

We all have the potential to turn into some crazy, dangerous alternate self here. Look at what just happened.

[postictal]

[Yeah, okay. Not wrong, actually.]

Do you?

[eudaimonikos]

Of course I do.

[He's dealt with it as well as possible, he guesses. Lots of people know what he is, and in the aftermath of the eruption on Cahypdo, he'd told several of them to kill his body if he started acting weird. Michael figures it stands.]

[postictal]

[Is that weird, off-putting, or kind of a relief? It's hard for things to be truly unsettling these days, given how desensitized you get to this shit. But calling it a relief feels like an insult.]

You're fine with not bringing this up with anyone?

[eudaimonikos]

I don't think it's an active threat to anyone right now. So it's not really my thing to spread around. I can see why you wouldn't want that - some people might take it weird.

[Michael shrugs, like he doesn't really think it's something to take weird. There's so much weird stuff here anyway, what does any of it really matter? But still, people.]

[postictal]

Yeah. Some might.

[It's...doubtful that some people would bother, but that's not a risk he'd like to take, thanks.]

People have before.

[eudaimonikos]

[Michael waves a hand.]

Some humans. They see one lava monster and they completely lose it!

[postictal]

[Maybe it is a human thing. Well - it would be. He's an irregularity. And thinking about humans like that invites his mind to go down a route that isn't his, so he arrests that thought right where it is.]

Either way. Thanks.

[eudaimonikos]

Of course. Anytime - really.

[He catches Tim's gaze and nods. Seriously, call him if you need something. He's around, and he is not doing anything important!]

[postictal]

...

[He's not used to that. That kind of offer coming out of nowhere, that kind of offer being made when he hasn't really done anything to deserve it.]

I'd like to say that I'm not usually in need of this much help, but I probably am. [Chara would think so.]

[They were always dragging him out of some scrape or another.]

[eudaimonikos]

Heh.

[Michael smiles a little. He knows the type. Okay, maybe not exactly like this, but lots of people need a lot of help.]

I am trying to get into the business of helping people out.

[postictal]

Well, I guess...I'll keep it in mind.

[Now someone knows. And he's...agreed not to tell anyone. Already a step up from Jay. Might break that promise later, and Tim won't even hold out hope that he won't. That's just what he's come to expect.]

I guess the same goes to you. [Not that Tim expects to be much help in whatever it is Michael would need help dealing with.]

[eudaimonikos]

[He might, but only if he decides it's necessary for something more important. Chidi talked a lot about things like promises; that's moral ground Michael feels very steady on.]

Sure. [and since it already came up earlier:] But if anything like that ever seems to be happening to me, you should keep your distance.

[postictal]

I've had to deal with that before. With...other people.

[Ed, most notably, in recent memory.]

Is there someone I should call to deal with it?

[eudaimonikos]

Tex. Or maybe Ignis, if she's not around. I've never seen him fight, but he seems like he can.

[Ignis: certified demon-killer]

[postictal]

[Ignis taught Chara how to kick knives, so presumably he's good in a fight. Unless his skillset revolves solely around flashy movesets to the exclusion of function.]

All right. I'll...keep them both in mind, then.

[eudaimonikos]

Good, good. Always glad to have more people keeping an eye out.

[Arriving right before Cahypdo as he did, the de-aging event left a pretty big impression on Michael. He doesn't worry about it constantly, but...god, can you imagine?]