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

Church | ota | cw: mild body horror

[motherfucking_ghost]

i.
[Despite being a robot, Church still manages to feel a lot of things that shouldn't be physically possible. Feeling nausea when he doesn't have a stomach sucks. Feeling an itch in his chest that makes him cough when there are no lungs nor phlegm to produce those feelings, irritating. He can still feel tired when his power's running low, but he just recharged, so this lethargy is unusual.

In a world with magic but no technology, can he still catch a virus?

Still, better take it easy. Ugh, and the itching, too? His skin isn't even skin! Fuck, was it duality island? Was it the fucking ice side of the island and he picked something up? Nope, he's staying inside or relatively close by on the islets, mostly relaxing, feeling sick as a dog. Cuddling a tigerlily if she's not opposed to it.]

ii.
[Okay, a lot of people know what this sickness is, and it's really fucking horrifying, especially when small yellow flowers start budding from the hole in his gut, and also start creeping out from under his armor, worming their way out between joints, even curling up from under the seal of his helmet.

Moving feels worse. Pulling them out ends up being one of his worst ideas even if it's a reasonable reaction. His right arm is starting to seize up from the growth. He can feel his inner workings straining against the growth.]

Okay. [Maybe you're coming up to him. Maybe he's ambling around while he still can and grabbing you by the shoulder. This is probably a bad idea if you don't have sleeves, given this flower has a property that can cause sores and redness and blisters when exposed to sunlight. Which doesn't impact Church at all. His skin's not skin, remember?] Okay, the cure is talking, right? About...feelings? What do I have to tell you?

[Sometimes he bats flowers away from his visor. Sometimes he coughs, and petals squeeze their way out from under his helmet. It's all very frustrating.]

Seriously, I can talk all day, I just have to know what to say!

Also body horror

[atailoftwoworlds]

[Zidane yelps when his shoulder is grabbed. He'd get his knives out except that is currently a little difficult considering his arms are still stiff and have flowers growing out of them. So instead he glares daggers at Church.]

What the hell are you doing you- [And then he stops, realising this man has the disease too. He's clearly scared and wants help. The young thief's glare fades and is replaced by a look of weariness and frustration.]

...Sorry.....That was real shitty of me. [His own anger and fear of the disease has made him uncharacteristically crabby but still he shouldn't have done that.] But you're right. We're supposed to talk about our feelings......our honest ones.....

[motherfucking_ghost]

I'm honest! About my feelings! I wear my god damn heart on my sleeve!

[The rue petals shiver, and he lets his hand drop from the kid's shoulder.]

I just. I don't--like, how honest does--I mean, how specific should this be?

[atailoftwoworlds]

[Well, that's one step from him then. Zidane's not afraid of giving his perspective on things. That's easy. Cheering up people is easy. Talking about really personal feelings though? That's another matter.

Although in that case, it might be easier for him than Church, embarrassing as it is. Anyone who finds their feelings so easy to convey and just talks about them all the time....ugh.

Still, Zidane wants to help Church in any way he can.]

It might be....something you haven't really talked about to anyone. Can you think of anything like that?

[motherfucking_ghost]

Well, yeah, I guess, but, what, you just have to spill all your secrets to some schmuck?

No offense. I'm sure you're probably not a schmuck. I mean like, just anyone.

That's not how people work.

[atailoftwoworlds]

[The schmuck comment just gets a shrug. If you grew up a thief and have had been called several names because of that, add to the fact you've also been called 'monkey' a lot because of your tail then 'schmuck' really isn't the worst thing you can be called.]

Hey! I wasn't here the first time this flower crap happened - I only know what I've been told! Don't get me wrong, I know it's not how people work but....[Angrily, he kicks the ground.] Dammit! If there is someone responsible for all this then when I get my hands on them....!

[motherfucking_ghost]

Pretty sure we gotta be angry at the gods. Just. All of them. Collectively. The Avatars of the shitfuck islands in this crapsack archipelago.

ii

[forwearemany]

(They turn and look at him. He is, as far as they understand, synthetic.

And he needs their help.)

...Uncertain.

(Unfortunately, they do not know how to give it.)

Previously, when this disease occurred, those who experienced troubles recovering did so as a result of inability to perceive or acknowledge what needs to be said.

(That does not mean they will not try.)

[motherfucking_ghost]

Uuuuuuugh. [coughcough, a puff of yellowed petals squeezes from under his helmet] So you mean even if I want this gone...and I really do...that these things might make me not even realize what it is I need to say?

...I mean, if that'd kill them, that's a valid defense mechanism, but also, that's bullshit.

[forwearemany]

(A short burst of chatter. Basically the Geth word for error, though no one is really capable of understanding.)

Negative. You misunderstand: it is not that Overgrowth makes you unable to discuss secrets and/or emotions. It is that what needs confessing is likely that which you have trouble acknowledging or admitting to yourself.

(They chatter.)

Is there a topic you strongly prefer to avoid?

[motherfucking_ghost]

......................

Yeah, I'm not--

[The yellow rue seem to like this. He thinks he can feel joints further tightening, tangled in roots and organic matter. He bats the flowers from his face.]

I'm not doing that. Get fucked, flowers! --hoooo boy, okay, dizzy spell, that's dizzy. Fuck you, flowers. You don't control me.

[forwearemany]

Continuing to avoid this topic is worth you life?

(If that is the case, it is his right to choose, but they want to make sure he's aware of the consequence of his decision.)

[motherfucking_ghost]

Wouldn't be the first time I've died. Probably wouldn't be the last.

...Hell, wouldn't be the first time I've died because of this thing. Topic. Details of which I do not care to acknowledge.

Things, uh. Things...happen to people, here, right? When they die here. They come back...different, for a bit, or something, right, they're...they come back kind of wrong?

ii!

[lesbeau]

[Out of all the people she expected to be immune to this bullshit, it was him. Truthfully, she was looking around for the more robotic residents of the island for that exact reason- this might be some kind of magic disease, but it's still a disease. She had theories to test and needed the help anyway, but when she spies him, she just rolls her eyes and slumps further on her staff that she has planted into the ground as a walking stick.]

Oh come on!

[Her fingers are gripping tight, but blue petals can be seen curving over her shoulders from where they're jamming into the blades, others poking out at her hip and making it hard to walk.]

Seriously? You? What did they do, jam some seeds in your joints, this is bullshit.

[motherfucking_ghost]

Fucking right? Like you'd think me and Legion would be like pesticide to this, but heeeeeey, magic!

Fucking growing out of everywhere, makes a guy wanna go take a dip in lava land because at least then it'd burn all the plants away.

And everything else, but eh, side-effects.

[lesbeau]

I mean yeah, you'd uhhh, you'd be a puddle.

[Not that she hasn't ever wondered about that. Logically it's just feel like burning, but dang it looks smooth. All of that's far beyond the point for now, though.]

Can you like, feel it? Last I checked that trash can didn't really do a good job with touch n' stuff. I mean, don't really see how it could root into your electricity brain or whatever anyway, but again, magic bullshit.

[motherfucking_ghost]

Man, the shit's getting into everything. I can feel 'em wrapping around my joints. And like, at first it's fine, just keep moving, inner workings will just mash up all that plant matter.

But it all keeps. growing.

I'm feeling pretty...bogged down and gummed up.

[lesbeau]

Damn. That sucks.

[Beau knows plenty well from every bit of research on this thing she knows of that there's only one cure, but her brain still reels through options. What if they used fire? A pesticide? Sure, they couldn't do it for the organic people here, but for complete golems--

Ugh, that's too complicated. She shakes her head, trying to stop the way her neck feels stiff and head seems to stay from the movement.]

Well, guess everybody needs to spill their shit now. No getting out of it. You have feelings, you gotta pay the flower toll or whatever. Do you know if they'll just fall off? If you just. Say it or whatever.

[motherfucking_ghost]

Man, I have no idea how this works. What if all they do is stop growing? And you have to like-- [He makes a motion of pulling them out.] Which, honestly? Seems like that'd be worse. Maybe they just magically fall off, or disappear or something. Cuz they recognize emotions. I guess.

ii.

[agathokakological]

[Crowley himself isn't quitr as far along. He's certainly aware of who he caught it from, having spent most of his day caring for a very sick friend, but he's also been fairly honest about most things lately, which while he doesn't realize it, has possibly saved his life.

With Church approaching, Crowley coughs and covers his mouth (something he too is very not used to).]

Wait, you know the cure?

[motherfucking_ghost]

I think? People have been leaving or delivering warnings. So it's like...being honest? Emotionally honest about the things you'd rather just keep inside and someday you'll die over, only putting that to the test.

As I understand it. Apparently this shit happened before.

[agathokakological]

Oh good, more of that. Lovely. 

[Crowley has recently been forced to be honest by this island, a little treat turned into a veritable truth serum. Sure, this was a bit different, but he wasn't really shocked anymore.]

I don't know you, so believe me when I say I truly couldn't care less. Speak your mind.

[motherfucking_ghost]

Wait, have you done this before? I thought you hadn't done this whole bullshit plant thing. Was it back home or was it one of the wonderful magical effects of one of these nonsense dipshit islands? Cuz I'm gettin' real sick of some of the shit these places pull.

[agathokakological]

Ah, I ate a lolly and it made me gush my heart out. Real embarrassing, rather not do that again.

[That's the short version, the long version involves millennia of unspoken feelings, an absolute nightmare.]

[motherfucking_ghost]

Oof. Man, sometimes I miss eating food, but given all the magical personality-altering shit that's been popping up on island lately, and by lately I mean...this isn't a new thing at all, I'm glad that I can't.

On the other hand, there's always something else going around to make me lose my shit, so. Whatever, I guess.