January Undercurrent: Growing Pains

[lifeaftr_mods]

JANUARY UNDERCURRENT

Who: Everyone!
What: Hey bud, how's it growing?
When: January 3rd to January 20th
Where: Everywhere!
Warnings: This event has a potential for body horror and character death; please mark anything as it comes up!

A Notion Growing Inside Me

Those of you who weren't with us the last time Umui entered the archipelago didn't have to contend with the lethal illness known as the Overgrowth personally, but anyone who remembers it probably doesn't remember it fondly. Fortunately, this isn't quite the same strain of the illness that you had to contend with the last time. It's not unrelentingly and uncompromisingly fatal, for one! That's always nice.

For those that need a primer on the Overgrowth, it is best described as a sickness that overcomes you with floral growth both inside and outside your body that can only be cured by expressions of emotional honesty. Expressions of truths, affections, and admissions of things that you have hidden from yourselves or from others were critical in dispensing of the illness. These could be as simple as admissions of past sins or the revealing of secrets, or as grandiose and overt as confessions of guilt or love. That general idea will remain more or less the key means of curing this strain as well, though the stakes fortunately aren't as high this go around! Which is to say, if you fail to have any grand emotional epiphanies by the time this event ends, you aren't doomed to suffer a character death; symptoms will simply dissipate come January 20th.

So what's this sickness going to be like in this particular instance, then? We're so glad you asked! You can go the standard route, of course. Adventurers' first brush with the illness saw the following afflicted upon them:

[ ♆ ] Stage One: Germination. Initial symptoms involve fever, coughing fits, numbness to nerves and extremities, and general joint stiffness. Difficulty breathing or performing other basic functions will often occur. Fatigue, difficulty sleeping, and intense weakness or dizzy spells are also liable to occur as the flowers begin to harvest nutrients from the body. This will also generate extreme thirst and periods of intense nausea. Tremors and the sensation of something "itching" from inside are also common. The end of Stage One is usually marked by the act of vomiting or coughing up flower petals or spores, along with a not-insignificant amount of blood.

[ ♆ ] Stage Two: Budding. The floral growths spread more completely inside the body, and begin to grow on the skin or exterior. Difficulty performing basic functions will increase as, for example, airways become obstructed and flowers grow around joints and pinch them still. The site of affliction also yields rashes, blisters, and blood sores as the flowers sprout from the skin. The rate of vomiting or coughing up floral growths will increase dramatically. Flowers often bloom quickly, and very painfully. Numbness in affected areas will increase, oftentimes rendering parts of the body completely inert - a pair of legs claimed completely by blooms, for example, will no longer work.

This was followed by Stage Three: Bloom, which resulted in character death. However, this strain will not advance to this style of Stage Three. All symptoms will disperse by the time Umui resurfaces.

This strain is also rather more erratic, which can make emotional repression more of an inconvenience than a horrifying circumstance. For those who would rather not play around with intense sickness (or who have already endured this once before), you have the option to go that route if you like! With this variant of the Overgrowth, one can become, for example, so embarrassed that they hiccup up a flower. A vicious denial of their feelings may cause them to spontaneously erupt into a rash of dandelion puffballs, seemingly immediately. You might end up walking around with a bouquet for an arm for a few hours. Perhaps mortifying, but certainly not fatal! Isn't that nice?

Unless, of course, you want it to be...

I Can't Fight It Much Longer

Now, while the Bloom Stage isn't present in this strain, it has mutated its progression into a rather nasty end stage. Those of you who succumb a little too readily to this illness, who don't fight off the emotional repression quickly, who don't admit those difficult truths to yourself or confess to whatever you're bottling up, you'll be faced with a potentially horrifying transformation. Potentially, because it is your choice whether or not you see fit to commit your character to that fate - as stated above, this option might simply skip over your character entirely, and the worst they'll have to deal with are cartoonishly over-the-top effects that disperse in due time.

But maybe not all of you will be so lucky. Some of you might discover for yourselves how this particular variant of the Overgrowth has mutated.

We call this mutation Stage Three: Outbreak. In this final Stage, those beautiful blooms wither and harden into a fungus-like carapace as the illness grows into the victim's brain and shuts down virtually all higher functions. This can sometimes render them almost wholly recognizable, but not always - oftentimes, it's very obvious who this person once was. The victim is reduced to a carrier of the virus, which causes them to act the way you'd expect most viruses to act: becoming intent on spreading. Advanced brain functions such as speech, rational thought, and so on tend to shut off and become wholly inaccessible.

Now that the victim's body is no longer fighting the Overgrowth, the illness lends them increased speed, strength, and durability, making them dangerous foes indeed. They will usually seek to infect others by whatever means necessary - usually via biting or exuding breathable spores - but in some cases, they will simply reduce to base instincts, and just outright attempt to attack and kill whoever is closest.

Unfortunately, at this point, there is no hope of a cure; it's hard to make someone be emotionally honest when they're capable of little more than blunt, animal instinct. At this point, you can either wait for the Stage Three symptoms to disperse come Umui's return, or take manners into your own hands. You can probably guess what that might entail.

If you decide to put your Overgrown friends out of their misery, this will count as a character death. If it comes to that, be sure to let us know on the Deaths page! Death penalties, however, will not be reduced for this event.

Try to Get Through It

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 January's Undercurrent Event, as well as any of the other minor events listed on our Monthly Rundown post. And, of course, 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 Rundown post!

January Timeline

[ ♆ ] January 1st: "This Sucks" begins and lasts until January 10th
[ ♆ ] January 3rd: "Growing Pains" begins and lasts until January 20th
[ ♆ ] January 11th: "No Water is Safe" begins and lasts until January 19th
[ ♆ ] January 20th: Umui returns to the archipelago
[ ♆ ] January 21st: "Impawsible Geometries" begins and lasts until January 31st

LOGS ● OOC ● STORIES ● MAIN NAVIGATION

( CODED BY BOOTYCALL )

Comments

Keith | ota | cw: blood and body horror. Any further subjects to be added in comment headers.

[thermalwind]

Thousand times I've fallen (Jan 3-4)
[He steps out of Storyteller's temple when a bout of weakness hits him without warning. Keith stumbles and pulls himself back away from the entrance. He hadn't been feeling well since he woke up.

He'd hoped it would pass but it hasn't. He chooses to ignore it for now. But as the day progresses he feels worse and worse. He continues to do what he does, patrolling the well trodden paths, and checking animal traps and when he's standing on the shore of the beach of Enso he has his first coughing fit.

It's terrible and as he straightens he catches the spots of blood on his hand. He stares at it, transfixed by the sight of his own blood in a context that feels familiar.

Slowly he kneels down and thrusts his hand into the sea water. But his shoulders are slack and he's staring out at the water.

Stage One symptoms include, but are not limited to: fever, nausea, vomiting, numbness to nerves and joints, difficulty breathing, fatigue, difficulty sleeping, vertigo, weakness, tremors, and extreme thirst. Internal growth often creates a sensation that some called an "itch" from within.

Pulling himself together takes longer than he'd like. As the day has worn on he's gotten most of the symptoms and the horrifying realization of what he might have is crystallizing in his mind as he pulls himself up and removes his armor. He leaves on his undersuit and walks slowly into the surf.

Nausea builds and weakness hits him again, sending him to his knees with a small splash. Keith reaches up and sweeps his hair out of the way. He isn't surprised when he starts coughing again, blood making spreading through the water like ink and doing little to hide the small red petals that came with them.]

...Guess you can just get it again and again.

[He sits back and watches the tide pull the petals and blood with it, thrusting his hand down into the water to splash his face and wash the rest off.]

Cause you're the last of a dying breed (Jan 5-8)

[Going about life as if his hands aren't numb and unable to hold things at random intervals is difficult. His right arm fails him first, just like last time. The itching feeling that has been low key dominating the back of his mind gets worse until mid-way through the day he stumbles sideways and slams into a tree on his way back to a mana pool. He'd dressed in a shirt and regular loose pants today and he's so grateful for it as he pulls up the edge of his shirt. Red Alstroemeria flowers have broken out of his skin in a pattern he would know in his sleep.

The thin series of lines and focused spots map out the markings of the Black Lion's segments and lights. He leans against the tree and forces himself to focus on breathing. It's a struggle.]

...I know the cure. [He admits it out loud, his voice raspy from the coughing fits he's been suffering. One hits him then and he turns into the tree, trying to muffle it. He's making a mess. Any predator for miles could scent his blood and know he isn't up to his usual fighting shape.

He knows that too. Keith reaches to his side, drawing the white and black shaped U from his belt. The bayard sword will be lighter, easier to move while he's weak like this. The weapon glows bright purple as it reshapes into the glowing blue blade and basket hilt. He turns slowly to face outward and forces himself to focus on listening for anything around.

So far, so good. If he's lucky he won't get hit by another fit on the way back.]

Wildcard
[Want a custom prompt or got an idea? pm this journal, or hit me up by other means. I got you.]

Cause you're the last of a dying breed. Jan 6th?

[atailoftwoworlds]

[Close by, behind another tree, Zidane has sat down to rest. He should not be doing this! He should be getting up, looking for others, trying to get cured, as humiliating as it would be.

And yet he's so tired....

And then he hears a familiar voice, followed by a massive coughing fit. Wearily, he peers his head from behind the tree.

So Keith's been infected too. Zidane pushes himself up onto his feet with his left hand, the only one he can still use. And even that is becoming stiffer from the flowers growing out of it.]

Same cure.....as before....right? [Or at least he cannot think of any other answer.]

works!

[thermalwind]

[He slides down until his knees hit the ground, his sword still gripped in his good hand.] Yeah.

Emotional- [Keith tips his head back and breathes slowly, the urge to cough fades but only barely.] Honesty.

Feels like a joke, but it isn't. People are going to die again. [He closes his eyes, but nothing takes the resignation or the bitterness out of his tone. He doesn't even try.] I'm angry about that.

I get it, but I'm angry. [He knows better than to lie. It would only make the flowers spread through out his system.]

I don't think it's fair. For either side of it. For those who have secrets and those who watch them die. And I know the world isn't fair. I learned that very early in life but, I can complain about it once in a while.

[atailoftwoworlds]

[Of course it had to be emotional honesty. Of course it had to be revealing one's personal life and fears. Zidane heard how the previous epidemic spread and how people managed to cure it.....if they were willing pay the price for it.

He despises it. It's so cruel. Nobody should have to do this. Keith shouldn't have to do this. But that's the reality right now.]

....Yeah....you have every right....Having to deal with crap like this again....not knowing how you can protect everyone....not knowing a way to put a stop to it all.....[And his arm tries to hit the tree in sheer anger but he can't do it. It's too stiff and too painful. So instead, he turns around and kicks it instead.] .....Damn it! Damn it all to hell! [And he realises that kicking the tree and yelling probably was not a good idea as it causes him to go into another coughing fit.]

[thermalwind]

[He can breathe a little better. He hates that. Keith exhales and doubles over in a coughing fit. He could tell him to stop hurting himself but he won’t. Zidane needs that and he would have done the same thing a few years ago. He coughs, swallows and says,]

I don’t know what they did to upset a god. If it was a god. I hate this place. I like the people I’ve met but I hate this place. I hate what it does and I hate the lack of answers.

[Keith raises his first and hammers it against the tree. His right arm can barely move but he can still make the force of it known.] we can’t protect everyone. I know that! We save who we can and we never force them to do anything. I know that.

[He slides down, coughing as the Bayard falls from his fingers and reverts.] I still hate it...

Jan 4

[forwearemany]

(They are considering heading for the clinic to check on their allies when they spot him there, sitting in the sand.

Something, they think, is wrong.

They head toward him.)

Keith.

(They crouch next to him, chattering a sort of quiet concern. Their body language carries a similar fear to it as when they first arrived, fresh from betrayal and the loss of their people.)

[thermalwind]

Legion. [He turns his head to see them and swallows, tasting the sharp copper and slightly off tinge that is unique to his own blood. Legion’s posture and chatter only reminds him that there is something wrong.

Another spasm hits him and he turns his head away and leans forward in time to cough up more petals. The air feels too warm. The fever he had been battling is getting worse. Keith sighs.]

I thought we would be immune if it ever happened again. ...I’m not. [He wipes his mouth and looks at his bloody hand. Just like last time.] I won’t let myself die from it. But I don’t know about the others.

[forwearemany]

Overgrowth.

(Do they have it too, they wonder?)

Acknowledged.

(That he intends to live is not in doubt.

Is there, they wonder, anything he needs them for?)

Do you require assistance?

(Does he know what must be confessed? Does he have another to confess to?)

[thermalwind]

Can you help me up? [Keith drops his hand into the water to wash off the blood. It takes him a little bit of struggling to get his feet under him enough to even have a chance at helping Legion help him up.]

...you detecting any changes to your systems that match when we all got sick with this?

january 3

[galrarm]

[ The moment Shiro had started feeling sick... well, admittedly, he hadn't put much thought into it. Sure, it had hearkened back to a time when he was less than healthy, but this had been different. More poignant, maybe; and the moment Shiro had coughed up a petal (honeysuckle, oxeye daisy), he'd known what it meant.

And he'd taken off to find Keith not a moment later. Except it had taken a long time--too long--to find him. He feels weak, nauseous, in a way he hasn't in a long time. ]

Keith!

[thermalwind]

Shiro! [His body is starting to slow down but he doesn’t care. Shiro called and he will answer and reach him. He pushes away from the trees and steps out into the open.

Keith breaks into a run and regrets it almost immediately. Too bad. He comes into view and that’s when his left leg decides to buckle as weakness drains his strength away. Keith snaps a hand out to grip the nearest tree trunk to slow him down.

His leg holds.] Shiro.

You’re...did you catch it too?

[galrarm]

[ If the flowers encircling his arm aren't an indication... well, that's the least of his worries. Shiro rushes over and steadies Keith. He wraps an arm around him, holding him close, gently; he doesn't know if there are any unseen wounds from flowers growing beneath Keith's clothes, and he doesn't want to hurt him. ]

Yeah. [ He turns his head and presses his mouth against his shoulder before coughing. ] Yeah... I did. It's something new, that's for sure.

[thermalwind]

[Keith gingerly brushes his hand along the side of Shiro’s neck to his face. Shiro has it. He doesn’t know why he’s so surprised. They were both going to get it for all the horrors and things rattling around in their minds.

His right arm has limited mobility. He tucks it against his side for now.] And it won’t let you go unless you’re emotionally honest with yourself.

[He cups Shiro’s cheek in his hand and says,] Takashi, if you choose to remain silent and keep it to yourself I...

[He trails off. No. He has to say this. His hand wants to tremble. If Shiro chose death instead... He keeps going, forcing the words and hearing the strain in his own voice.] I will respect it and just stay by your side.

[He loses the tension and his eyes turn sharp and steady as he keeps talking.] But, if you want to talk it out. I’m here. I’m here and I’ll listen to everything.

surprise! january 6

[philoxenia]

[ It had been disorienting enough to end up in an entirely different place... again, but even worse to be hit with what seems to be a horrific, painful sickness. She somehow has her magic back, now; she can feel it, like an old friend embracing her, but she kind of feels like this is all an extremely vivid, bizarre, impossible dream... even with the Storyteller's dream in her mind.

So, it's not a dream, but whatever this is.... it's gotten worse. Mira's just arrived and she has a sinking feeling that even with magic dead in Faerun, whatever is happening here is worse.

A voice catches her ear, and--well, Keith, doesn't she look familiar? She should, but there's no recognition in the way she looks at him... ]

There's-- [ She coughs up a petal. The purple flowers would be delicate and pretty if she weren't so horrified. ] --a cure?

Shakes fist at

[thermalwind]

Yeah. [His heart feels like someone stabbed it. Mira. Mira is here and she doesn’t remember anything. Keith closes his eyes and wills himself to calm down.

He can protect her. Even if she won’t remember him.] Emotional honesty.

It sucks but that’s the cure. Cutting them out, burning them, or poison will just hurt you.

[philoxenia]

[ Luckily, this one doesn't have her empathy... so Keith's inner turmoil doesn't ping her at all. Nor is she a WIS class, so that perception check doesn't even occur.

Regardless.... she looks worried. And then promptly coughs up a few more petals. Emotional honesty... well, it'd been different for the other Reclaimers. She isn't sure any of them are here; Monika, at least, isn't. She could likely feel her through the Oath if she were. Mira brings a shaking hand to her face, and the silver bracer on her wrist glints in the light. ]

I-is this normal?

[thermalwind]

[He laughs and thumps the back of his head against the tree behind him. He can be entirely honest without giving away he knows her. It isn’t lying. Keith sweeps his hair out of his face,]

No. It’s a sickness from the island of Umui. Whatever caused it...I don’t know. Might be one of the gods.

[He shrugs and closes his eyes. It’s easier like that. He can think of what to say without seeing her expressions. It might not be fair but this will hurt later.]

Some people choose to die. It’s up to you what you decide. I’m not going anywhere for a bit. Not until my legs obey me. I’ll listen if you have something to say.

I suck at anything beyond that. Not the best with people.

Jan 4

[yakyuuman]

[ The beach is always the best location for Jyushimatsu, even in the throes of Winter chilling his bones at times. It's an even better place than he thought it would be once the flowery outbreak starts hitting everyone and he's the only honest motherfucker with nothing growing in his body. It's peaceful and kinda nice around here, and he needs a bit of alone time after dealing with such chaos the past couple days... ]

Huuuuh?

[ Except he spots a guy washing himself at the shore and - oh no that's blood and those are petals and well, shit, here we go again...

He could walk past and pretend he didn't see anything, but... after being made witness of Ichimatsu affected by the same disease, there's that bit of empathy in him that wants to cheer the stranger up somehow, so he eventually gives in and comes to sit down nearby, watching him attentively. ]

It's how the thing works, right? [ And then, after a pause, as he realizes he didn't do even a greeting- He waves a floppy sleeve at him. ] Hi!

[thermalwind]

[He is aware someone is coming close and doesn’t move. Keith raises his head, turning slightly to look. He doesn’t recognize them and he turns a little more, shifting on the sand as he removes the blood from his face.] Hi.

And yeah, this is how it works. We thought we’d only deal with it once. [At the time they all thought they would die and that was it. He pauses and clears his throat slightly, his voice is deep and a little raspy.] If you have...any questions about it or anything, I can tell you what I know.

[yakyuuman]

[ Oh...! The guy seems to be very calm and polite despite bleeding like mad. Jyushimatsu isn't intending to waste time wonder if it's morally okay to ask, then, coming down to sit next to him. ]

Well, first! What do you mean with what you've just said? About dealing with it once? Did you guys get to bleed flowers before?

[thermalwind]

[Some of his calm bleeds away, his shoulders falling. He just looks tired and worn at the edges. This is his worst fears come to life. Keith nods and turns his head to cough.] Started on Umui.

[He says as he wipes the blood from his mouth and sticks his hand back into the water.] Islands used to be brought close by Storyteller.

Depending on what island was close...new arrivals showed up there. They arrived inside a mass grave and we dug them out. Releasing the old form of the sickness. We all got it pretty fast after that.

a dying breed, jan 8th

[blindfoster]

[By now Quentin has gone from coughing up a few petals to having flowers break their way through his skin in places, most hidden by his clothes. He knows people can be turned into trees and plants, and he'd rather avoid that if at all possible.

He's still not used to being sick because that's not the way being Fae typically works, and the coughing fits have been the worst of it all. Breathing still feels strange, like something is fluttering with each breath, like leaves caught in the wind but trapped inside his lungs.

He's not far enough gone to miss the sight of Keith though, and to see that he's struggling too.]

Keith?

[But whoa hold on now that word that he catches sticks.] There's a cure for this? Where? What is it?

[He will go find it now right now.]

cw: blood and body horror.

[thermalwind]

[Keith curls up and his shoulders shake as the force of his coughing wracks his whole body. Blood trickles from his lips and he spits out a few petals that didn't make it out with the first hacking cough. It takes him several minutes to get it all out of his system.

For now.

He swipes his fist across his mouth, swearing blood like war paint. His voice comes out raspy and deep like the growl of a tiger.] Emotional honesty. You have to come clean about whatever is bothering you. Or it keeps growing until it reaches your head and blooms out of your head and eyes.

[He says it matter of fact but his eyes are haunted. This isn't his first foray into it and the long nightmare is only getting worse.] It's up to the individual to decide if they want cured or to die. We don't stay dead here.

cw: blood and body horror, all the way down at this point

[blindfoster]

...okay, so that's terrifying.

[Quentin grimaces and rubs a hand against his arm through the sleeve of his jacket, where a small bloom of heather has begun its way down along his forearm. But there's a cure. Keith said there's a cure.

And it sounds relatively simple? At least in theory. Sure emotions are a minefield. But if the alternative is dying painfully.]

Right, okay. Not staying dead, also creepy, but good in this case I guess? But not dying at all sounds like the better option.

[Just saying. But he sees that look in Keith's eyes.] Do you want to talk? Maybe we can help each other?

You look worse off than I-- [And just because he said that, he doubles over in a coughing fit and a fall of bloodied petals.] Root and branch I'm sick of this.

cw: yep, from here all just blood and body horror

[thermalwind]

I've died about four times here. It was in a trial designed to 'teach' us about our flaws. [The words come out without any prompting. Yes, he will talk. If someone doesn't want to die he will spill some of the ghosts in his closet.

It means he can protect them and as he sees them all as his responsibility? It's perfect. Keith leans back against the tree and rolls his sleeve up, exposing all the flowers covering his right arm.]

That cloak was a reward for passing but we all died in that trial. Every time we did it reset and we had to go through the traps again. I hated it. [He sinks anger into the word. His eyes flash, the rage simmering beneath the surface. It dies away as he gestures widely with his left hand.] Most of them are gone now. I still don't get why Storyteller called us Heroes. We just suffered. That's not...I hate that word too.