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

[yakyuuman]

[ ...

For a long time, Jyushimatsu heard so many ugly things spouted from Ichimatsu's mouth in regards of their second eldest brother. Sometimes those words strayed too far, but that also became normalcy in the Matsuno house. He hadn't said anything about it before, only because Karamatsu seemed to have grown accustomed to his role as the one who's always on the losing side, even if it's... a rather sad thing to get used to, because he doesn't really deserve it. All six of them are fit to be called Shittymatsu - not just him.

Yet, now that the sickness is pushing Ichimatsu to speak so honestly, something else pops out. Jyushimatsu already caught on that, but now is, ironically, the best time to talk about it. Come clean and discuss it with his older brother, to bring out more honesty. Both so the flowers will wilt away and the bleeding will stop, and to hopefully bring some peace in Ichimatsu's cracked heart.

The last sentence pleases him, and at the same time pushes him to also speak truthfully, even when truth hurts. ]

When you talk about Karamatsu-niisan like that... by logic, you're also talking about yourself. Am I wrong?

[ His arm slips under Ichimatsu's, locking the two together. ]

What would you have done if I was there, instead, when Osomatsu-niisan went missing? I can't think for a second you wouldn't check on me. I know for a fact you care a lot about my wellbeing. Karamatsu-niisan cares about you, too. A good older brother does that, and both of you can and will be good older brothers when there's need for that.

[ He leans in, resting his head against Ichimatsu's shoulder and closing his eyes with a sigh. ]

Am I wrong?

[ichininyaanshi]

[He cringes, and his eyes slide away from his little brother. No, Jyushimatsu isn't wrong. And the question he asks next is one with an answer that Ichimatsu would ordinarily keep to himself - tucked away in his head, because there's no point in saying it out loud. But he feels the threat of itching at his throat, and exhales slowly.]

You don't need me hovering over you. B-but... of course I would. That's normal.

[It comes out a bit awkwardly, but there's no bitterness. It's the honest truth. There's a difference between being needed and being wanted, and for someone like Ichimatsu, the latter is entirely fine... he needs others, but he doesn't need to be needed. Being wanted is good enough. All it means is that unlike him, Jyushimatsu could stand on his own two feet if he wanted to. That's a good thing.]

[The jealous, selfish asshole he was a few years ago might've thought differently, but he's changed a little since then.]

[... as for that first part.]

[Ichimatsu lets his head fall against the top of his twin's, eyes fluttering shut. His little brother is trying to help him so badly... and he can't really think of anyone else in the world he'd be this willing to let help. He's just annoyed that Jyushimatsu has to see any of his older brothers this way.]

[When Ichimatsu didn't.]

This Overgrowth... it gives all those liars and posers what they deserve. It was a pain at first. But as soon as we all realized that, I just kept thinking... "at least Osomatsu-niisan and Shittymatsu aren't here anymore".

[He wouldn't have been able to help them. The admission sits on his tongue like a thorn, but he can't get it out; he coughs wetly instead, a drip of sap and blood beading at the corner of his mouth. He swallows, and unthinkingly reaches to grab at his brother's hand. Like an apology for two deaths that never happened; for one death that did, and he did nothing to stop, and won't directly admit no matter how many flowers he has to hork up.]

I still don't know about that idiot eldest, but... Karamatsu would've died for sure.

[yakyuuman]

[ Then it's also normal for Karamatsu-niisan to worry about you! Dumb nii-san!

Though his tone would be cheerful, Jyushimatsu doesn't voice that out. It really isn't the proper time to call Ichimatsu out on his hypocrisy. Rather, he focuses on the times his older brother stumbles on his words, coughing and expelling blood... from the top of Jyushimatsu's head, precisely, which is a bit gross but he can deal with gross, even if it's blood and sap mixed together.

Either way, when Ichimatsu does that, it means he's holding back from details he should instead air out. Bad.

There's no mincing it, though: all his brothers would have gotten sick except himself. And they would have probably died without the proper... cure, that is. But the fact Ichimatsu keeps mentioning the idea of "dying" from the illness, as though there was no escape from it the first time around, fills Jyushimatsu with dread.

Was it really bad back then because people didn't find the solution sooner? Or is it still bad, and even if he helped Ichimatsu, he would still...

A snort. He squeezes his brother's hand, trembling lightly. He doesn't Ichimatsu to die. It wouldn't have been a big ideal back home, but here, everything is so out of his comedic range he's pretty sure what awaits him is emotional pain he might not be ready to face head on so dramatically. They almost lost their father once... he can't deal with seeing Ichimatsu slowly wilt away.

He needs more of the truth he's hearing. Really needs it. ]

Nii-san... if you were sick back then, does it mean you were among those who died?

[ichininyaanshi]

That's...

[He sighs, and like everything else, it's a reedy sound that catches in his voicebox. Jyushimatsu really just went and asked him directly, huh. Well, that's just how he is. Ichimatsu wanted to avoid this topic if at all possible, but considering how his death was the punchline to this exact set of issues last time... now that it's been brought up to his face, there's not much room for him to wiggle away from it.]

[Not that he wants to as much as he should. Sitting here, with his immediate younger twin, sick and splayed up together in an overwhelmingly nostalgic way... makes it feel okay, somehow. Like more of a dream than something he actually let happen and accepted without a second thought. Maybe that's the difference between who he was then and who he is now - or who he is without anyone, and who he is with his brother.]

[Jyushimatsu is scared, though. He can feel it in the hand trembling against his. So even though Ichimatsu is the joker of the family who spits out blunt things like tacks, he keeps his voice low and gentle for his little brother, one of his hands moving up to brush away the bloodied petals he'd coughed into Jyushimatsu's hair.]

... death here isn't permanent, Jyushimatsu. I knew that before it happened. Anyway, for me, it was like... the same way a sick cat feels. They prefer hiding everything and going off alone, too. [It tastes a little bitter as he says it. That's the exact same analogy he gave to Drifter last time, too; they hadn't found it a good enough excuse, either.] Even then, though... I kept thinking of those two right until the end. A-and the rest of you, too. How you'd all handle it, and if... you were there...

...

I-I think... maybe... it was the wrong thing to do.

[yakyuuman]

[ The voice he hears is so gentle, puffing over his hair matted in spit and blood, it feels fresh if it didn't fill Jyushimatsu with sadness. Cats tend to do that when they're near the end of their life, and sometimes Ichimatsu seemed as though he was born in the wrong body of a human instead of something that made more sense - like a cat, indeed.

It's easy to believe Ichimatsu would have also left their house, their real house, if he...

Well, it's not like they would have grown that old together, right?

God, no, no, Jyushimatsu tightly presses his lips together and curls his toes in frustration. They're still way too young for that, and still... what his older brother had done here in a past timeline now holds a heavy weight in his chest.

Ichimatsu finishes speaking, and he finds himself automatically nodding, in return. ]

It was. You should have... asked for help.

[ Something stings in the back of his slowly glistening eyes. ]

I can't immagine how much you suffered and then... [ He curls his free hand, tight. If it wasn't covered by the sleeve, it would show white knuckles. ] You were alone the whole time, weren't you? I should've been there with you. Why was I not there for you?

[ It hurts, just, thinking about it, but after that bit of faltering he also carries on before Ichimatsu can get a word in. This isn't about Jyushimatsu. ]

This time I won't let you die alone and in pain, Ichimatsu-niisan. You're gonna be fine, with me.

[ichininyaanshi]

[He should've asked for help.]

[That's the funniest part, right? He didn't even need to ask. People were already trying to help him. Ren, the Drifter, Lup... they all had their own flowers growing from their skin, but they still reached out to him. And he just pushed them away.]

[It's been like that for as long as Ichimatsu can remember. Being blessed with kindness and companionship he didn't ask for, didn't deserve... it's like some karmic scale weighed down for him with multicolored stones. Red and blue and green and pink and...]

[The sun.]

[Even now, Jyushimatsu feels warm at his side, like he's the one boiling with fever and not Ichimatsu. He can't help but lean into his brother and soak in his words, even when they're tinged by tears, the tension in Jyushimatsu's muscles and the redness on his face. Ichimatsu thinks briefly about pushing it away, like he does everything, and feels nothing but the threat of icy darkness on the other side.]

[He feels his own eyes stinging at the corners, because maybe Jyushimatsu could have saved him if he were here last time, or maybe he couldn't have; that doesn't matter right now, and it's not something Ichimatsu wants to hear his little brother beat himself up over. Jyushimatsu promises that he'll be fine with him, and Ichimatsu hears what it means.]

[He won't leave his brother. Maybe he was content to disappear last time, like all the felines he knew and named back home, but...]

[Cats love the sun. That warmth. More than anything else.]

[Gulping quietly, Ichimatsu lets go of Jyushimatsu's hand to grasp at his other one instead, over his sleeve, gently squeezing the clenched fist.]

... there's one big difference between me and Karamatsu. B-but... it's something different between you and him, too.

[He smiles into his brother's hair, his voice filled with warmth.]

Y'know what that is?

[yakyuuman]

[ Ice is spreading inside his muscles. Every second they speak, every breath they take, every word they shed, feels crucial for Jyushimatsu. His older brother might cough massive blood up and die on him anytime. It's difficult to think his efforts will be rewarded. He hates being uncertain, knowing jackshit about this curse, shooting in the dark even when there's supposedly a way out of dying from those shitty flowers.

When Ichimatsu moves, taking a hold of his other hand, Jyushimatsu feels the skin to skin contact with his painfully clenched fist, and inhales shakily. Ichimatsu's only so gentle with cats, and while Jyushimatsu's not new to the feeling, it's so refreshing and wonderful and just so good he eventually can no longer hold the tears back.

It's okay if he's a little fragile right now, because Ichimatsu's with him... but man does he hate being this bare when he's supposed to be the pinnacle of support for his sick brother.

His head tilts slightly, perking to attention. ]

... No, I don't know.

[ He could know, he could just think about it some, but he's not up for guessing games and he'd really like to hear Ichimatsu pour more of his feelings out.

Even if they're going to be ugly and hurtful for his ears. ]

What is it...?

[ichininyaanshi]

[He's been okay so far. He's been holding it together, as best as someone as fragile as Ichimatsu can. Wanting to be strong for his younger siblings one of the few, actual honest parts of him - he has a little bit of that older brother pride, they all do, even if they act like it doesn't mean anything. For Jyushimatsu and Todomatsu... he always tries a little harder.]

[But he's run out of rope.]

[He bites his lip hard, and that makes his next shuddering breath less obnoxiously loud than it could be, but the sound of his voice choking up in a sob is unmistakable. It's so damn embarrassing. Having to confide in and be strong for the same person... this is more painful than he'd even imagined it would be. He really did just take the easy way out last time.]

[But he's not finished. For Jyushimatsu's sake, he reminds himself, pushing off the instinct to wipe his tears and letting them drip and tangle into his brother's hair. He has to show his brother that he's trying... and even more importantly, he has to prove Jyushimatsu right. Show him that he's doing the right thing. Even if Ichimatsu is resisting him.]

[That's why he's bringing up Karamatsu again. All three of them, from back then. Because....]

Back then... you and me were the liars. Right? We were so full of bullshit. But Shi- ... Karamatsu was honest. A crybaby who was way too timid to do anything, b-but that was just... how he was.

[The way he still is, underneath all that glitter.]

I'm still the same way as ever. But now Karamatsu is a liar, too. You're the only one who turned into someone honest, Jyushimatsu. I - I look at all of those idiot older brothers, and they're all hopeless, but whenever I think about how you started being yourself like it was so easy...

[He trails off. Squeezes his brother's hand again; hard, this time.]

... I hate it. 'Cause... i-it makes me want to try, too.

[yakyuuman]

[ He would sell away all of his love for baseball if only he could forget the shame that was his high school life. After thinking he could get anything in life by acting like a delinquent, and failing spectacularly at it. Ichimatsu bringing it back bears a weight in his stomach, most of which is undiluited embarrassment.

His brother was right - the both of them were liars, believing that they could be something they were not designed to be. It wasn't part of them at all. Jyushimatsu liked laughing more than growling like a feral dog to random passerbys and letting his pants loose to show some superiority he didn't have, literally flashing his ass to everyone. He wanted to cringe hard at the memory.

But eventually they both changed. It's just that Ichimatsu didn't become fully honest and genuine, trapping himself in denial and putting up the front of a borderline criminal surrounded by darkness when in reality he just wants to hang out with cats and get some friends.

The friends part seems to be a little settled thanks to Ren and some other people here, but it's clear that's not enough. Ichimatsu caught the sickness, which means a lot of work still has to be done.

He takes the clear hint behind those last words. Ichimatsu wants to try. With that information now available, Jyushimatsu slowly pulls away, keeping their hands joined but now looking at Ichimatsu in the eye. They're both tearing up, but there's a shine of determination in Jyushimatsu's gaze. ]

You should try, for your own sake! Nii-san, I... you have no idea how liberating it is to just be myself and not put up a front! How great it feels when I laugh and disregard the laws of the universe cuz I'd rather do what I want! It's hard and it can be embarrassing, but you're gonna feel so much better after that!

It gets easier.

[ He nods to himself, and holds up Ichimatsu's hand in both his own. ]

How about that?