lifeaftr | Returning Island: Umui

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Returning Island: Umui

RETURNING ISLAND: UMUI

Who: Everyone!
What: Umui returns to the archipelago of LifeAftr
When: January 20th, and onward
Where: It'd almost be beautiful, if you didn't know it could kill you
Warnings: Please mark if anything comes up!

I Found a Plot of Weeds Instead
Perhaps some of you remember the island of Umui...its mysteries, its dangers, its eerie quiet. Almost everything here was both overgrown and Overgrown - remnants of an old civilization were buried beneath layers of the flowers that eventually killed them. And travelers got to unpack and hunt down whatever clues they could find about just what happened to the people out here, until the answer became all too obvious.

When Umui resurfaces on January 20th, you might be startled to discover that everything has become even more overgrown than before. No, really - almost every landmark and building has been rendered more or less totally unrecognizable. It looks very much as though centuries of growth has now overcome this entire area, as though you've left it like this for a period of millennia and not merely a period of months. The buildings have been utterly buried beneath grasses and flowers, and if there were any of those automatons left lying about, they're probably buried pretty deep under the ground too.

It's not recommended that you go digging too deep. You probably don't want to awaken any old strains of the Overgrowth, right? You already dealt with that earlier in the month! And that's the good news in all this. As long as you don't go digging too deeply into the island, you won't have any fear of encountering the Overgrowth again.

Well, unless you're after something or someone in particular. Some of you might remember robotic entity that several of you worked together to save. They're probably underneath all this stuff somewhere, right? Still deactivated, but...maybe there's something you can do to save them...?

If anyone has questions about what you might find if you poking around Umui's landscape, you're free to ask them here! It's worth noting, however, that except for the flora, this place is almost completely devoid of other life. Nothing sentient lives here...anymore.

Buried Deep Underneath the Tree
That doesn't mean Umui is bereft of any of quirks entirely, however. While you might recognize some of the flowers poking up from the humps of moss and greenery, a certain type of bloom is definitely new...and definitely not one of your standard types of flowers, either. If anyone thinks to ask one of the gods about these flowers, they will receive an assurance that they are not innately dangerous - but they are innately linked to the dream island of Mu. They glow with a strange, vaguely ethereal light, and if you get too close, they'll waft some thick spores of pollen in your direction.

These spores have all sorts of ways of latching their effects into you. Whether they get breezed into your mechanical parts, inhaled, ingested, if they land in your eyes, whatever the case - pretty soon, they're going to start working their magic. And once they do, you'll soon find yourself feeling inexplicably and incredibly tired. Inexorably, you'll find yourself settling down for a nap, regardless of whether you're not one for sleeping, or even if you're one who requires it.

The moment you close your eyes, you'll find yourself entering a dream state on Mu, and one that is linked with all other dreaming entities. This means that it's highly possible that your dreams will be bleeding into other people's, or that you may end up wandering into another's dreams. It's very probable, in fact.

The dream-state you enter may vary in depth. You might end up completely beholden to Mu's wishes, or you might find yourself in a vaguely lucid, almost "sleepwalking" state, where in the following effects are "projections" visible to the waking world. Most likely, you'll all be bumping up against one another's heads within Mu's vast and comfortable shores. Whichever of these it is, once you're caught within Mu's grasp, you'll find that it's a trove of memories that await you - your memories. You may find yourself re-enacting them or simply watching from afar...but the same may be said for others who might stumble upon your mind. Perhaps they find themselves in place of another character, or watching invisibly from the sidelines. Either way, Mu tries to make each instance as close to the real thing as possible. When it has completed, it may either restart itself, or simply fade entirely.

Should you be affected by Umui's pollen, any one or more of the following will occur:

[ ♆ ] True Bliss: Mu recreates a memory or a time in which you were truly happy. This may be as simple or as grandiose as you may like, but it had to have really happened.

[ ♆ ] True Judgment: Mu recreates a memory or a time in which you felt exceptionally guilty. And no matter what you do, you'll find that it is impossible to change. Try as you might, you can only ever witness the same end result that has stricken you with so much guilt. And the same can be said for whoever might have gotten caught in this instance, and is watching it happen...

[ ♆ ] True Peace: Mu recreates a memory or a time in which you felt the most at peace, whether with some aspect of yourself or the circumstances around you. Perhaps this sense of peace bleeds into your own consciousness as you witness or act it, or perhaps it only serves to unsettle you...or maybe it affects those who go wandering into your dreams.

[ ♆ ] True Balance: Mu selects a memory or a time in your life...and warps it so that it is experienced in the opposite manner that it was initially. For example: that happy memory of you rescuing a bunch of kittens from a burning building? When you experience it this time, it will be in a relentlessly negative light - you absolute monster, traumatizing those kittens by carrying them through the fire like that! You should have been more careful! What if the fire was your fault all along? That horrible memory in which you slaughtered a bunch of innocent people? Well, it was all for the best, wasn't it? It was good that you did this. You have nothing to be sorry for. There's a bright side to everything - even this.

[ ♆ ] True Fate: Mu creates what it understands to be your final destiny, whether it be the place where our story ends, or the circumstances under which you perish. Perhaps this is something that is known to you, or to others. And perhaps it isn't.

You may pay witness to any one or more of these dream-states at a time. Perhaps you visit the island five times and receive the same "effect" each time, or perhaps you visit only once but find yourself looping through all five "effects" in the same space. The memories may vary, as well; for example, you might experience the "True Bliss" effect three times, and experience three separate happy memories each time. The choice of what your character experiences is up to you!

While there are no inherent risks to this dream-state, it should be worth noting that your body will not be immune to entropy should you stay in it too long. Your body may suffer from hunger or thirst, or require recharging at a mana pool. For the most part, however, the only things you have to fear are the, uh, trauma that this might inflict. Or the trauma of other people seeing some of your most private memories.

Where My Friends Plot to Bury Me
Of course, there's a lot going on in the background as well. Characters are not required to go to Umui; you're free to explore any other minor events listed on our Monthly Rundown post. You are also always free to create your own individual logs and posts as needed!

Also remember that if you died this month, to fill out the corresponding form over on our Deaths page!

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

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( CODED BY BOOTYCALL )

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[That unexpected offer throws her mind through a loop. To her, she's always had a choice, but chosen the wrong one every time out of fear. Tim's soft voice is actually giving her a chance to make it and for once-

She doesn't fear the consequences of making a choice, even if it's too late to stop this. Maybe Seto can do it again. Maybe it doesn't matter-it already happened. Seto stopped it before-it can't happen here. It wouldn't happen here, so-]

Leave-I want to go. I don't want to be in this place again. I want to go home.

Okay.

[The word is quiet, but he holds onto her hand, resists the urge to just...]

[He could pick her up. Carry her out of here. That's not something he tends to do, really, but it would keep her safe from all this, whatever this is. If it's from her world, she sure as hell kept this under wraps. Doesn't matter, really. It's behind her now.]

[Or it will be.]

Tell me when you're ready. We'll get outta here.

[She was ready the second she laid down on the cold steel panel and saw the glass slide over her. Ready the moment she she realized that her life was going to be tests and experiments and poking and prodding until she finally died and-

There's still some hesitation in her actions, her expression-Shin isn't here. He won't find her here, even if the memory shows otherwise. He can't find her here. He's gone-Seto took care of it. This isn't even real, but-

She waits and listens and tries to get her vision back by rapidly blinking her eyes to see if his ghostly form is nearby. Tim might not be able to see them. Him. Can't hear him. She can't either and that's probably-

It's good.

And she starts to push herself up. It's exhausting and every little movement makes her wish she had never come back to Umui, but she manages to slowly get up, feel her way to the edge of the machine and, while still gripping his hand tight, lowers herself to the ground.

She still can't see, but he's got her. Manuevering around the lab equipment in this large room shouldn't be too much of an issue though-

She inches her foot forward, trying to feel out where the wires are on the ground. It's gonna be slow moving for her-tripping is a very real outcome, but she sorta remembers where the little things are.]

We can walk. We can go.

All right. You want help?

[One way or the other, he's not about to leave without her. Whatever the hell this place is, whatever it's meant to do, she can do without it. A place that puts kids into some kind of machine, whatever the end goal, seems more like an act of supervillainy than anything else.]

[Either way, he's not about to let go of her until he knows she can make her way on her own. That might not happen right away. That's fine.]

I'm okay.

[Inching forward is the way to go. If she goes this pace, she can't trip over all strewn about cords and wires on the ground. The worst part is she has to rest every few seconds-the simple act of moving being almost too much right now.

But she has to leave before Tim really sees what this is. Before he figures it out and she has to explain herself and-

Panic wells up in her again and she's sure her fingers are going numb from how tight she's holding his hand-it probably feels like a vice, at this point. Like a trap he's never going to get out of and-

A machine shuts down, or maybe it turns on-whatever the reason, she abruptly halts and stands perfectly still. She probably isn't breathing and-

Nothing else happens. It's just another noise-one she should be used to and one she hoped she never had to hear again.

She just hates this place.]

You don't see anyone? It's just us?

Didn't see anyone around, no. If anyone shows up, I'll...hit 'em or something. I dunno.

[Not that he's the most threatening guy in the world, but if she needs assurance that she's not gonna get found out, then she has it. That's the least he can do, aside from getting her outta here.]

[Getting her outta here is the priority.]

We move fast, and nobody'll know we were here.

[Fast is how she would prefer to leave, but she can't and-

They need to leave. Shin might come back-she's not sure. Maybe Seto would come in and that would be ideal-Seto could help them both. He could fix everything, even this weird dream world.

Tim said he would hit 'em and she knows that Shin has a bite just as bad as his bark and he's one of the few people left on the earth that could show up here.]

He'll hurt you-you can't do that.

[Which means-

As he said, they have to move fast and as much as she hates to admit it, the only way out is if she gets help. The large room is going to take to traverse at the pace she's going and Tim might get hurt if they stay here longer, so-]

I need help to go fast. My eyes aren't working yet.

Yeah, well, I'll hurt him first. Just keep holding my hand. I'll help you get outta here.

[Him. Who's him? Is it too much to ask - overstepping, maybe? Either way, he needs what they'd be up against, so - ]

Can you tell me who's gonna try and hurt us? [A question - she doesn't have to answer. But if he doesn't know who might stop them, he's not gonna have a chance in preventing it. Maybe he can't prevent it. That's not about to stop him from trying.]

[His soul's all red, after all. He's seen it himself.]

[It would be easy enough to see him come in, if Tim has the ability to notice spirits. He's good at most things-she thinks it's possible for him. He seems to see other types of beings, so-

She doesn't loosen her grip and continues walking beside him, keeping an ear out for any static or noise that might denote he's coming back. He got what he wanted from her though-it's unlikely he'll return soon.]

Shin. He's-

[Bad, even if Seto 'helped' him. Even if Sai forgave him. Even if he gave that speech and the power of love made him better-

He scares her.]

'In charge.'

[Not to mention the spirits and ghosts haunting the lab. The malfunctioning robots, the gas filled rooms, the AI's with a single minded goal to complete the project-she can deal with all that. It's just Shin she can't handle.]

Can you describe him, so I know what he looks like?

[Shin. In charge. In charge of this machine? Sounds like someone Tim would be happy to hit in the face, no matter how likely it'd be to get him hurt. He'd be more willing to fuck himself up over it if Ren weren't here. But if something happens to him, then what?]

[Then she's stuck here with no way out.]

[That's not gonna happen.]

He's scary. His heart is scary.

[Which isn't a description, so much as warning. This is the most she's ever talked about him, even when Seto was asking her questions-

She tried to avoid it. Not matter what because the memories that accompanied his image wasn't worth it.

He used to be nice-that's something she heard. Used to give the catalysts candy and was the only scientist that would give them the time of day, but-

She doesn't remember that. Only recalls the cold heart of a broken man who didn't care about anything other than the project.]

He's the only one left. He's got hair like mine and his eyes are red and he wears that white coat. You have to run if you see him.

[White hair. Red eyes. White coat.]

We'll both run. Okay?

[He's not about to leave her behind with this guy, whoever he is. He hasn't heard her talk about people as though their hearts are...scary, whatever that means, but if Ren doesn't like him, then neither does Tim.]

I haven't seen him, so I don't think he's here.

[This temporary blindness is going to keep her from getting far and if Shin says stop, she doesn't trust herself to actually keep going. She's always listened to him.

She doesn't say a word to that. As long as Tim's running, that's all that matters.]

I think-

[He's got a copy of her. Unless he breaks it, she's effectively served her purpose here.]

He won't come back. Until he need something else.

All right. Good. That means we can get outta here, and we don't have to see him again. Yeah?

["We." Plural. That's important. She needs to know that she's getting out too, because he's not leaving without her.]

Problem is, I dunno what this place is or where we are. You know the way out, kiddo?

[The lab's intricate hallways are something she's used to and it's normally easy for her to find her way around. They run fast through the gas hallways, jump over the scary robots and-

It's easy when-]

Yes, but I can't see. I don't know which way. We have to go through the door and-

[If they're lucky, the dream will just fizzle out before then. She hopes because it's going to be nigh impossible to navigate the gas room or the bypass the alarms the activate when you step in red lights and the malfunctioning robots and-

She can't save Tim from all that. Not like this.]

A big door with blood by the vents. That's how we leave.

You can't see?

[So he really needs to lead her out. He only has to process that for a moment before his mouth tightens into a thin line. Then he's moving slowly, guiding her by the hand.]

[All right.]

A big door. Do you think if you felt it with your hands, you'd recognize it?

Yes, I can do that kind of thing.

[She's been through these doors so many times it'd be impossible to not know. If Tim can lead her there, she can get them out of this horrible place-hopefully.

She's gonna slowly plod along beside him until then.]

All right. C'mon. We're getting outta here.

[He keeps an eye on their backs, though. Better to make sure no one's creeping up on them.]

How bad is your vision right now?

I can see shadows.

[Tim's form beside her is easy to spot and she can make out some of the larger equipment in between patches of bright light. It's enough to maneuver around without running into something.]

It'll come back soon. It always does.

This has happened to you before?

[The question is measured, like he's having a conversation with her. Nice and steady, as if they're not potentially running for their lives right now. They're moving at an even pace. It's fine. He doesn't need to know why there'd be blood by the vents. Not yet. She can't be in a very good way right now, and the last thing he needs to do is upset her further.]

That's how it is-for someone like me, I'm supposed to do that.

[Lay there and take it and wait until the aches leave her body, until her sight comes back, go back to her room and wait for whoever needs to test her next and wait for another set of pills to come through the door and-

Rinse, repeat. That's how it was, even after most people died, Shin was still around to activate these machines.

It's okay. I'm okay.

It's not supposed to - kids aren't supposed to go through this. Are you -

[No. Shut up. God. Not now. Breathe. Try again.]

Do you like it? That you have to...deal with that?

[There's a tension in the air that didn't exist seconds ago and-

He asks that and her answer is immediate. She doesn't like it. She doesn't like it at all. She didn't want to be a part of this-never asked for it. Thought she would gain freedom when she became too sick to go through with the project and found out otherwise.

It's just how it is. That's what happens when you're born for for one purpose and you fail at it.]

No, I don't like it. But they made me for this kind of thing-that's why I'm supposed to.

Look. Ren. You...don't have to do what people tell you to do if you don't like doing it. It doesn't matter if you're "supposed" to.

[He was supposed to "get better" at the behest of the doctors, and he sure as shit didn't manage that, did he? No. But their intentions there were mostly benign, when they didn't just want him to stop screaming and be more manageable and just plain have a diagnosis that made sense, and here...]

[It's not the same. Not really.]

[His words reach her. She knows that, deep down, that she should be making these choices. That shouldn't have come back, even if she was supposed to. She could've hurt Seto. Could've hurt Tim in this memory and still-

She wasn't brave enough to pull away from it. Couldn't escape Shin's voice, even after all those years trying to be better. Trying to make her heart better and-

She's scared of saying No-of making that choice. Guzma told her time and time again-she doesn't have to be this way.

She can be better and-

She's still not.]

It scares me. Even when my heart wants to say 'no'-it doesn't work. It doesn't come out.

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