December Undercurrent: Opposing Viewpoints

[lifeaftr_mods]

DECEMBER UNDERCURRENT

Who: Everyone!
What: Oh, inverted world...
When: December 3rd to December 20th
Where: Everywhere!
Warnings: Nothing of note; please mark if anything comes up!

I Wish You Could See the Wicked Truth

The island of Monsun is known for the split down its middle, and how it tends to bring out people's best and worst sides, depending on which side you're on. Some might remember it from previous appearances, but if you've never been, you can read up on the island's details on our Locations page and get yourself caught up to speed! Just like with the previous month, the Water is taking it upon themself to summon the island to the archipelago. And just like with the previous month, this will entail some effects upon the local populace: you.

Given that Monsun hosts the avatar of Balance, don't be surprised if things start to get a little inverted, a little out of balance, a little flipped, a little turned upside down. What do we mean by that, exactly? Well, it can mean all sorts of things. And you get to pick how many of these inversions if any, are going to be affecting you and yours for the duration of the month, at least until Monsun surfaces...and how much each one affects you. Starting on December 3rd, adventurers may find themselves influenced by any of the effects listed below. You are free to vary the intensity and level of each, as well as how many end up being relevant to you. They can start as a slow build and ramp up gradually through the month, or emerge at full force right out the gate. You can be affected by multiple at once, or one every few days, and so on. The only limit is what you're willing to do!

[ ♆ ] Friendflipped: Do you have someone that you love in your life? Perhaps a best friend, a significant other, a member of your family? They might even be on the island with you. That just makes what's about to happen even more unfortunate, if that's the case, because all of a sudden, you're going to learn that you can't stand the sight of them. That's right: your best friends become your most hated foes. You'll find yourself positively despising those you would ordinarily get along with, all with a vicious, unchecked enthusiasm. Perhaps even more unfortunately, that goes the other way, too: your worst enemies are now your best friends.

[ ♆ ] Casual Obsession: One of the critical aspects of having any sort of hobby or preference is balance. It's always good to not go overboard! Which is why you might find yourself losing all inhibition. Your likes, dislikes, hobbies, desires, and so on will become utterly stripped of any balance the might have had. Do you have a mild sweet tooth? Well, now it's a full on sugar obsession. Do you dislike golf as a sport? Now you hate it with a fiery passion - and all those jerks who play golf, they can go to hell too!

[ ♆ ] One or Nothing: Most people will agree that emotional balance is something we should all strive for. That's about to get a lot more difficult. You might find yourself experiencing only one emotion for an extended amount of time, with only varying degrees of intensity to indicate any actual shift. Alternatively, you find yourself experiencing no emotions at all: a complete, deadened shutoff of any emotional instincts you have.

[ ♆ ] Skill Swap: Hobbies are one thing. But what about your personal skill-sets? Well, those are about to get some serious remodeling. Are you a talented musician? Now you can't read music, much less play it. Are you good in a fight? Not anymore, you're not! Now you can barely throw a punch without bowling yourself over. You'll find that your abilities have become seriously scrambled, to the point where you've lost any natural or trained skill you might have in certain areas. This can extend to magical knowledge, technological know-how, or even basic proclivities like stealth or how light you might be on your feet. The flip side of this is that you might find yourself preternaturally skilled in other areas that you've never so much as touched before. Maybe now you're a pro at climbing, or intensely good with social charisma and persuasion. In general, these swaps will work with a one-to-one ratio; one skill will suffer and another will be boosted as if in compensation, but you're welcome to experiment! Maybe you just want to make your character a completely useless loser for a few weeks. You're certainly free to do just that!

[ ♆ ] Interface Screw: In case it wasn't opposite day enough, you've also got the chance to have your personal orientation of the world completely reversed. By which we mean: left is right, right is left, up is down, down is up, and so on. This might manifest in varying ways. Maybe the sky looks like the sea, and the ground is so far above your head...and you feel like you're walking on thin air, even if to everyone else, the world appears more or less normal. Maybe this isn't even a purely perceptual thing as opposed to a literal one, and to everyone else, you're actually walking upside down. How this manifests is ultimately up to you, but you can interpret it as you like.

These effects will all die down by the time December 20th rolls around. Again, you can choose the rate at which this occurs, and whether it's a slow and steady decrease or a complete shut-off all at once. Either way, by the 20th, you'll all have been restored to whatever passes for your mental and emotional equilibriums, and Monsun will resurface on the archipelago!

But I Settle For a Ghost

Of course, there's a lot going on in the background as well. You're free to use this log as a catch-all for the duration of December's Undercurrent Event, as well as any of the other minor events listed on our Monthly Rundown post. You are very, very free to let your dreams about magical mistletoe and snowgoons become reality, and you are always free to create your own individual logs and posts as needed.

If you have any questions, please feel free to ask them over on the Questions header on our Monthly Rundown post!

December Timeline

[ ♆ ] December 1st: "Attack of the Deranged Mutant Killer Monster Snowgoons" begins and lasts until December 31st
[ ♆ ] December 3rd: "Opposing Viewpoints" begins and lasts until December 20th
[ ♆ ] December 10th: "Mistledon't" begins and lasts until December 22nd
[ ♆ ] December 20th: Monsun returns to the archipelago
[ ♆ ] December 21st: "Breath of Cold Air" begins and lasts until December 31st

LOGS ● OOC ● STORIES ● MAIN NAVIGATION

( CODED BY BOOTYCALL )

Comments

[postictal]

[He doesn't fully understand why, when he looks up and sees Héctor, who he's never regarded in any other sense than generally friendly neutrality, the rush that fills his veins is so potent and so inescapable. He looks up and sees him and abruptly can't stand even trying to look at him.]

[He flinches, closes his hands into fists, and tries to stare at the counter instead of looking at the guy. Fighting back the powerful and unexpected urge to deck him across the face.]

Fine.

...what're you doing here?

[vagabone]

Ah.

[He stops dead in his tracks, bewildered, rewinding the last day or two and wondering what on Earth he could have done wrong. And drawing a blank. Nothing?? No shenanigans, no obnoxious behavior, no 'borrowing' without permission...]

Bringing breakfast...?

[postictal]

Right.

[It's hard to quantify where this abrupt surge of annoyance came from. He's aware, on some level, that it doesn't make much sense. He'd like to at least acknowledge why the other guy's presence is suddenly so unforgivably needling. But there's nothing - no throughline there. Just a slow-burning clench of swelling disgust in his guts.]

You're gonna...stay here, then? For a while?

[vagabone]

[Doesn't it make sense, though? Perfectly plausible that he just has an annoying personality. Too immature. Too much of a worrier. Too nosy, too pushy, too silly. Plenty could be said about him!

He doesn't need to have done anything, he realizes. It's easy to believe being himself was all it took. He sets the basket down on the nearest table and shrugs.]

No, I don't have to. It's all yours. Enjoy.

[postictal]

[That's fine. That's simple. Héctor is backing off, and Tim can sit here absorbed in his thoughts and not think too hard about why he's thinking them, but the pressure of words unspoken sits heavily against his tongue.]

[He starts to nod. Stops.]

You think that makes any of it okay?

[vagabone]

[The thing is, it's not the first time he's been through this. Dozens and dozens of conversations, the details different and the general theme always the same. He rarely stands up for himself. He's usually in the wrong, and he accepts that.

He's just not sure what he's done this time.]

I... no. No, probably not. Would anything?

[postictal]

You're not gonna fight any of it, are you? You just let it happen.

[Where is it coming from, and why - it doesn't have a genuine basis to it. It's just tearing into someone for no other reason besides the fact that he's there, and not even consistently.]

[vagabone]

[He doesn't consider it might be the island, twisting someone's mind for the fiftieth time. Why would it? He doesn't know Tim that well. Nothing said so far is hard to swallow.]

Let... what happen? Far as I know, nothing's going on. Nothing new...?

[postictal]

This. [A venomous stab of his finger down at the surface of the counter, altogether too emphatic to be highly characteristic of how Tim usually acts.]

Any of it. I'm kicking you outta here, and you're fine with it?

[vagabone]

It is your place.

[He has the whole rest of Enso to be, and no particular reason to stay. Actual work to do, for a change.]

I'll come back in a few hours and check on you, how is that?

[postictal]

Why? 'Cause you give a damn?

[He snorts, overtly scornful.]

Sure you do.

[vagabone]

[Now that is too far. Talk shit about him, point out his flaws, tell him to get lost, fine, but don't say to him that he doesn't care about other people. Stiffening, frowning--]

Of course I do! What, do you think this is an act? I've been here over a year, we're all stuck on misery island together, I'd say that makes us at least friends! And I don't say things I don't mean!

[postictal]

You don't know the first thing about me. [Tim's fist curls out, forming a blade with two fingers that he jabs at the countertop.]

And you know how I know that? Because that's how I like it.

[vagabone]

So what? That doesn't make me a phony. You'd know it if I was faking to get something out of you. I never fool anyone, no matter how hard I try.

[But this isn't new, is it? Even when he's genuine, no one believes him. Yes, he knew de la Cruz. Yes, they played together. Yes, he died. Yes, he did always mean to come home, he's not after money or fame, he just wants his family to know.

Old wounds, being poked at.]

I'm dropping off food, not coming after all your secrets!

[postictal]

You're definitely not fooling me now. One word and you're out the door, aren't you? Don't even bother to ask why.

[It's hard to say why Tim's really, quantifiably angry at him. Probably because Tim himself has no means of really conceptualizing it. Is he criticizing his low self-esteem? His propensity to give a shit? It doesn't seem to matter. Nothing alleviates the bright reddened torrent of absolute hatred teeming in his guts right about now.]

[vagabone]

No.

[Quick as that, he's cooling down, irritation bleeding away. Can't really stay upset, not now.] No, I know what's going on. Nothing wrong with wanting time alone. Just... eat something, alright?

[postictal]

[Tim snorts, his words curling into something like a sneer.]

Oh? So what is going on, then? Enlighten me, since you clearly seem to know so well.

[vagabone]

[Tim's making him say it. Okay, fine, that's fine. He doesn't want to, but... sure.]

...The kids. [Low, somber voice.] On top of... you know, everything else.

[postictal]

[His expression intensifies, until it's closer to a snarl - a look of absolute scorn.]

What, you think I'm still torn up about them? They're gone. What've they got to do with any of this, huh?

[vagabone]

[Now that's not right, not the least bit normal. He stares blankly for a moment, off balance, gut telling him something's really really wrong. (Finally, he's catching on!)]

Hey! Hey, you don't mean that. You know you don't, so don't say it.

[postictal]

Oh, y'know what I mean now? You think you know better than I do?

[Go on, then. Tell him what he feels, Héctor, since you seem to have so much of a better idea compared to Tim himself!'