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!

LOGS ● OOC ● STORIES ● MAIN NAVIGATION

( CODED BY BOOTYCALL )

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

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.

It's okay. I know. It...when someone's in charge and they tell you to do something, it feels like you have to you do it. Right?

But you don't. You don't anymore. Not right now, and not - ever.

[He shouldn't make those kinds of promises. He can't keep them, and he shouldn't. But he doesn't - god, he doesn't want to see her in a place like this. Who would? She's just a kid.]

[She's just a goddamn kid.]

[He gets it.

He always seemed to and even though his form is just a shadow next to her, she tries to look up at his face anyway. She wishes she could see him because he understands in a way that makes her feel like he's reading her heart, though he's said he can't many times.

Even if it's bad-even if she's bad for doing it, it's nice that someone understands how hard it is to look in the eyes of a person who's ruled over your life for years and say no.

It's been hard without Taako-without people who get her instinctively and without effort. It finally feels like someone does again and her voice sounds calmer for it.]

I'll try harder. To make my heart better, so I can say 'no.' I don't want to hurt anyone.

This isn't on you, buddy. This is on them. On - Shin, and whoever made you do this. They're hurting you. You're just a kid. You shouldn't have to carry all that, okay?

[Right there, up ahead - blood. Vents. And a big door. Hopefully it's unlocked.]

Okay, I think I see it. The - door, I mean. D'you know if it's locked or not?

[If Tim knew the extent, he wouldn't be so forgiving and quick to absolve her of guilt. A feeling she can't shake, no matter how much he tries to placate her. She did something wrong and that won't change. Seto saved her and the few people remaining on earth-she didn't even try.

So she doesn't answer and wracks her brain over the door instead-it's been a long time. They used to lock it, back when there were people wandering the halls. She doesn't think they are now-not when there's only ghosts around.

She reaches a hand out, frustrated when she can't feel a door because they aren't close enough yet, but it's fine. It's whatever. Maybe she'll be able to see when they pass through it.]

I don't think he locks it anymore.

[He tries it, and - good. Not locked. He has to grunt a little to get it open, but he manages it.]

All right. Come on. Do you know where we go next? 'Cause I don't.

[Hopefully her eyesight will return soon. That's really the most he can hope for, since she's the best shot they've got in navigating out of this place.]

[She hasn't responded to any of what he just said. That's fine. They can talk about it some other time - when they're not running for their lives.]

[This room is smaller and the walls behind them are covered in x's and that blood is still leaking out from the vents, into a nearby bonfire that someone tried to put together. There's another set of doors here, in this oddly sterile room and she waves a hand forward.]

This way, but-

[Maybe this'll end. The memory can't go on forever. Maybe if she tries to shake it, tries to do anything to get out of it-they can escape and not worry about Shin ever again.]

It's scarier past here. There's a lot of bad things and-

[Shin'll find her no matter what and Tim may need to run on his own. She can't guide him around if her sight's gone. Can't tell him which doors to go through if she's stepping on her own toes.]

There's a place we can't breathe. It's hard to run through there. I need to see.

[As much as she hates to admit it, they have to wait. It can't be much longer now.]

All right.

[Much as he wants to grab her and get out of here, he's not about to force something that won't end well for either of them. So he breathes out, takes note of the doors, tries to steady his hammering heart. He has to stay calm. If he panics, she might too. Or worse, she'll want to calm him down.]

We can stay here for a minute until you get your sight back. I'll make sure no one finds us. Okay?

[There's a quiet okay that comes out of her mouth and while she's still grasping his hand, she slides to the metal ground to just-

Rest, for a minute. On her knees, so she doesn't have to let go of Tim, but it's enough to give her aching muscles a break. The shadows are becoming defined and the light doesn't feel as piercing as it did during their short walk, despite how bright this particular room is. Shin would go into the other room first, if he remembers to let her out. She's sure he will, eventually. They've got time. More time.

And maybe it won't matter. The edges of the room are starting to fade a bit-the memory coming undone at this particular part. Not that Ren can see it quite yet.]

I'll hide you too-very soon. I know where the good places are.

Sure.

[He settles down into a crouch next to her. He doesn't wanna get too comfortable, naturally, since he's got no idea if this place is safe and is willing to hedge closer to "not safe at all." The edges of the room look a bit misty, a bit too colorless. Maybe, if they go far enough, it'll fade away completely.]

[Wouldn't that be nice.]

Yeah? You know all the best hiding places here?

Yes, I remember them all.

[It was easier when it was just her. She can recall bigger storage areas and while most of the rooms house spirits, there's still places they won't go. She just has to think and remember to point them out to him.

And she starts to rub at her eyes-keeps them shut for about a minute, reopens and rubs again. She can see things closer to her now, at least. The outline of her hand against Tim's, the purple medical gown, the floor-

It's better. Getting way better.]

I know places you can hide-they're bigger, so you'll be safe too. The ghosts won't get you.

I haven't seen any ghosts here. Have you?

[He might not be able to even see them, which doesn't really bode well for their survival rates. Boy.]

You can close our eyes if you need to. Rest 'em for a minute. I'll keep an eye out, and make sure, uh...no ghosts see us or anything.

Not in this room, but they're past here. They're always out there-you have to be very careful.

[He offers her an out-a chance to truly recuperate from the experience. She laid on the panel and held Seto's hand the last time. The moments before they she would just wait until they said it was okay to go back to her room and-

She does rest her eyes. Shuts them completely and listens to the sound of her own breathing, of Tim's, listens for his voice and just-

Waits three, four, five minutes before opening her eyes again. They're watering a bit, but it's better. She can make out shapes and-

It makes her tense up, seeing this place again. She knew they had walked in here, but the visual-

It feels far too real.]

Okay. I think I feel better. We can go.

If you're sure.

[He speaks quietly, as gently as he's able.]

I'll...keep an eye out for the ghosts. [He has no idea if he'd even be able to see them. Hopefully he would, because he doesn't think Ren's eyesight is altogether back yet. Her eyes look like they're watering, and he's not entirely sure that she's really better, but he's not about to make her stick around in this place longer than she has to.]

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