lifeaftr | March Undercurrent: Lost Connections

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March Undercurrent: Lost Connections

MARCH UNDERCURRENT

Who: Everyone!
What: We remember those lost, and connect with one another
When: March 3rd to March 19th
Where: Everywhere!
Warnings: Please mark anything as it comes up!

From Stardust to God

Those months since the Water's introduction to you all have been...tumultuous, haven't they? These two gods have more or less been trying to consistently undermine each other, and you all have been caught in the middle of it - whether or not you wanted to be! Kind of a miserable state of being to be stuck in, right?

All that is going to change.

For the duration of this particular month, both the Storyteller and the Water will be operating under a tentative ceasefire as they commit their efforts to one singular, joint goal:

They wish to remember those who have been lost. Those who have left the archipelago, those who have died, those who have come and gone, those who you lost in your homes...and these gods will be, also, commemorating those who they have lost.

This commemoration will be facilitated with the use of memorials and offerings to those long past.

The Storyteller will provide you with materials to craft paper lanterns that can be illuminated and sent sailing into the ocean waters. They can be decorated with colorful paper, cut designs, and so forth. The Water will guide the currents to allow the lanterns to drift to...wherever it is they need to go. You can send as many lanterns as you like, and as many nights as you like. The skies will always be clear, and the water will always guide them to the horizon, where they eventually fade from view...

Both the Storyteller and the Water will be available for discussion for the duration of this event.

The Highs We Trade for the Lows

This month isn't only about remembering what's been past. To conjure Ai'tuoh back to the archipelago, it will also entail that all of you do some reflecting on what has been lost in your lives, and sharing in that pain together. This may be a somber month for some of you, or it may be an introspective one.

At any point during this event, your character may wake to discover that one or more thin threads of colorful light appears to be emanating from their chest and trailing through the empty air. These threads cannot be removed or influenced in any fashion; attempting to grab at them will simply cause one's hands to phase uselessly through them, as though they are ethereal constructs of some sort.

The purpose of these strands of light might not immediately be apparent, but if you spend enough time observing your fellow islanders, it might get a bit clearer. Each tether connects you to someone else - someone who has a pain similar to your own. Should you follow your tether to whoever it has linked you to, you may find yourself compelled to comfort or relate to the other party. This compulsion can honestly vary, from a gentle nudge to a sudden impulse and anything in between. There may or may not be a subtle pressure on your thoughts that may help you discern what you might have in common with this other person, whoever they might be.

This facet of this event is completely opt-in, naturally, and we encourage you to interpret this however you like. What counts as shared pain? It can be as literal or as figurative as you like. Whether characters underwent the same events in this game or another, or whether there are certain parallels you wish to explore within certain canons or across multiple ones...or if you just want your character to have a nice sit down and talk about their problems for once, the choice is yours. Your character can be connected to as many others as you like - there is no limit to how many characters you can share any related trauma with!

Should you choose to reflect on that which you have endured, and the shared pain of others, what follows is fairly intuitive. The tether binding you together will fade, though hopefully a stronger bond will be forged, and ideally you'll all feel better afterward...but that's not necessarily a given, now, is it?

This is No Place Like Home

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 February'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 Monthly Rundown post!

March Timeline

[ ♆ ] March 1st: "The Return of Your Special Lifting Friend" begins and lasts until March 10th
[ ♆ ] March 3rd: "Lost Connections" begins and lasts until March 19th
[ ♆ ] March 12th: "Spring Forth" begins and lasts until March 21st
[ ♆ ] March 20th: Ai'tuoh returns to the archipelago
[ ♆ ] March 22nd: "The Happy Hang Glider Vacation Society" begins and lasts until March 31st

LOGS ● OOC ● STORIES ● MAIN NAVIGATION

( CODED BY BOOTYCALL )

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

Oh! Jules, hello.

[Perhaps Ignis should have addressed him as 'Dagger' since that is how the man first introduced himself, but it's been a while since Ignis thought of him that way and so 'Jules' just pops out.]

What brings yo-

[Well, and then he has his answer in typical Jules fashion. Ignis sighs. At least now they don't have to go hunting for whoever is at the end of the string connected to Ardyn. That person has found them.]

I suppose it's about time you two properly met. Ardyn, this is my friend Jules. Jules, this is my beloved, Ardyn. Please, I beg of you in advance, do not try to kill each other while we sort this out.

[He knows you both and your prickly attitudes. It never hurts to try and ward off disaster whenever possible.]

I haven't purposely killed a single person in all the time I've been here.

[well, there was wash in the labyrinth but really that didn't count as far as ardyn was concerned]

Honestly, it's as if you think me some kind of murderous lunatic. [Beat.] ...I am, but that's hardly the point right now.

[Jules is about to snap back something violent when Ardyn beats him to the punch. It's probably a good thing he did too. There's another flash of fang from Jules, though this time it's from a smile and not a growl of annoyance. Even in that one statement he can tell that Ardyn would fit right in with Jules' band of homicidal maniacs with serious attitude problems.]

I'll be on my best behavior, though admittedly my best behavior is not going on a killing spree and instead simply removing one being from the face of the planet. Personally I think you just got lucky, Ignis. Since there's only two of you and I know you, your partner had a pretty high chance of getting the short end of the murder stick even if he is close to you. At least until now. Now I think he's just the type of asshole I usually hang around with. There are never enough of us in the world no matter what anyone says.

[Ignis can't help but shake his head, a small smile turning up the corner of his mouth.]

And apparently, I have a type. Lucky me.

[Or he just is part of the type and hides it better. Who knows? At least now he is fairly certain Ardyn and Jules aren't going to attack each other. He'll take it as a win.]

Why don't we go in and sit down? There is no sense in standing out here while we try to figure out what exactly the purpose of these strings are.

You could try, but I fear any attempt at killing me would only result in a terrible black mess on the carpet we don't have, and my own faint amusement. As it is, don't threaten me with a good time.

[Ardyn, why are you like this.]

And you, little flame, don't get to act as though you're a harmless innocent angel. You attract those with a similar troublesome streak to yourself.

[...arguably, correct]

Regardless--it's a bit too bright today for my taste, so retreating back inside sounds vastly preferable.

A quick, partially intention sift through Ardyn's mind tells him the other is probably right about that assessment. Still, Jules is Andarian. It's literally in their blood to pick fights with beings stronger than they are. Brutality and picking fights, particularly underhanded ones meant to gain power admittedly, run rampant through Jules' direct bloodline.]

I don't think you realize what you're saying to an Andarian.

[Despite those words, Jules merely follows them inside. Neither of them likely notice the tension that action brings. He doesn't really do trust, and walking into his friend's home with someone he's never met only happens due to the amount of trust he has in Ignis. Still, he will never NOT be on guard for attack.]

((Hoping Jules reading Ardyn's mind very briefly is okay. I can come up with another strategy if not. On another note... so glad we started this as the school I work at is now under a minimum of 3 week quarantine. Guess I'll have something to do with all the extra time - other than considering the lack of paycheck, but whatever.))

[More than arguably correct. Ignis flashes them both an innocent smile before they head inside.]

I have no idea what you could be implying. Of course, I'm an angel.

[No. No, he's not. There is at least one literal angel on the island now, and it's not Ignis by a long shot. Once inside, Ignis takes a seat and Leo flops down next to him, putting his big head into the advisor's lap.]

We were actually just discussing what the string was like from Ardyn's end when you arrived. Could you two summarize what you are feeling and seeing for me? I am guessing it's similar on both ends, but considering all this place has thrown at us, I don't want to assume anything.

(OOC: Oh goodness! Stay safe. I hope the quarantine does its job and no one gets sick. Honestly, there should be some kind of compensation for you when something like this happens. You shouldn't have to just take not getting paid when this is basically an act of nature/god/whatever you would like to describe it as.)

(what she said, and s'all good, don't worry about it)

It's only an incorporeal thread--the same color as my Armiger, painless and naught but mildly annoying. I can't discern anything significant about it, and neither can I say I feel all that different right now. If anything's changed, I've not noticed.

Only compared to me maybe.

[Because Jules would be the absolute last being anyone would describe as an angel. Devil incarnate was used more often in reference to him.]

Same general conclusion on my end. Can't exactly say my little heads up gave me much to work with either. Just showing up at your door and walking away without it existing.

((Personally think this is all happening too early. I would put money on the fact that the governor will extend the closures. Hoping not, but realistically? If the worst is supposed to hit mid April to early May, this could be a long lock down. Thankfully my boss is working on finding something for us financially though the thought of dealing with applying for unemployment does not sound appealing. Scary that I'm more worried about the disaster that's waiting for us when we get back more than not having pay...))

[Ignis looks mock affronted by Jules' disbelief for all of a second and then focuses his attention on the situation at hand. At least their descriptions match up, and if Jules' vision is to be believed, they have the key to solving things at hand. It's just finding out what that key is.]

And you don't feel any compulsions to do anything or talk about something you normally wouldn't? You know how this place likes to persuade that kind of thing.

[He is double checking this specific point just because of how many times it has happened, but Ignis really isn't expecting either of them to change their answer. That is why he is already thinking ahead as to what their next step is. Maybe it's something they have in common? Or maybe it's just the opposite. Either way, it is going to probably fall to him to figure it out since he knows them better than they know each other.]

(OOC: Apologies for the delay! You know RL right now. I hope things are still going well on your end.)

Oh, yes, let's just have a rousing chat about my brother ruthlessly slaughtering me and an eternity's imprisonment to follow. My terrible, plague-ridden inhumanity? Or maybe about the time I tried to level the Crown City, killing hundreds in the process. Attempted regicide? Successful genocide? Take your pick, really.

[The sarcastic comments came with a roll of his eyes, before Ardyn seemed to process in mild horror what it had actually entailed.]

...I couldn't possibly have just said that out loud.

[Jules growls at the thought of compulsion. He knows it exists here, but that doesn't make him like it. He dealt with enough forcible compulsion to do things he didn't want to do at home before coming here. It's a thing with him.

Thankfully he's not feeling it as bad as Ardyn. He'll just wind up sharing slightly more details about what he'd willingly started to talk about than he would typically.]

Check on the ruthless brother part, though Nykyrian only threw me through a wall last time I saw him. Admittedly he vowed to kill me if he ever saw me again. Not that he could. Only reason he could throw me through a damn wall was because my fat ass was high as a kite at the time and I couldn't defend myself. Though at the time I did deserve to get thrown through a wall, but how the hell was I supposed to know that his adoptive brother as as much of an ass as our genetic family? You can check off the killed hundreds column too and the attempted regicide. Tried that a few times. Haven't managed to succeed yet, but I swear to all the gods that I one day I will remove the former Tadara's head from her shoulders and hang it from the minsid palace flagpole. The bitch.

And yeah, I didn't even have to pull that out of your head. You shared that the old fashioned way.

[He also realizes that he shared far too much, but he's seriously hoping if he doesn't bring attention to that fact Ignis might not notice some of the details he'd let slip. As for Adryn, he honestly figures the guy is too mortified by his own revelations to really process Jules'.]

Edited 2020-03-21 02:02 (UTC)

[As they speak, Ignis turns his head first toward Ardyn and then Jules. After he's had a moment to process what each has said, he can't help but sigh and reach up to rub at the bridge of his nose.]

Apparently, I really do have a type.

[Sorry, Jules. When he's not half dead in bed, Ignis doesn't tend to miss much. Fortunately, he isn't going to pry more than necessary to solve their current predicament. After all, he already knows full well how badly Jules has been treated.]

There would be the compulsion. Just much more subtle than before. Wonderful.

[Are the islands learning? That's not a very comforting thought in the slightest.]

Is the string still there?

[It can't be that easy, can it?]

...Still there. Apparently a slight slip isn't enough to solve this problem, and I'd rather be done with it lest we all become attractive houseplants again.

[Ardyn scowled at Jules, but little else; he didn't look like he was going to throw a punch or anything, at least.]

The only thing that stopped me from slaughtering my usurping little brother Somnus was the unfortunate fact that I possessed mortal reservations at the time. [A long-suffering sigh--might as well just roll with it.] Then he killed me and stole the crown, but oh, wouldn't you believe it! I can't die. Funny, that. [Ardyn smirked, in a cold and sharp way that didn't reach those inhuman yellow eyes.]

So I spent a couple thousand years imprisoned, and eventually decided to just burn his pretty kingdom to the ground. Had a fair bit of fun in it, too, until Bahamut decided to actually do something for a change and put a stop to it.

I'd ask if you thought it would be that easy, but I don't need to.

[Because Ignis isn't that stupid and Jules knows it. As for Ardyn, his irritation rolls right off Jules' back. When you spend you life purposefully trying to piss people off you can't get mad about succeeding. If anything Jules just finds it totally entertaining. Or he would if it weren't for what they were discussing.]

Damn it all to Tophet. Is every royal family in every world screwed up? [Because seriously he's starting to think they are. Arydn's story matches well with Bastien and Darling's, and they both ruled other empires. Jules was just fucked over by the one already ruling his.] Minsid hell. Decades imprisoned was bad enough. Hoping at least you weren't imprisoned with others who despised your brother and therefore your entire bloodline and decided to take their hated of him out on you.

Not all of them are that bad. Unfortunately, most of the bloodline never knew it was birthed in the blood of another and raised in the shadow of lies.

[Ignis signs. He doesn't blame Ardyn for his anger, but he also can't stand by and let those who never knew any better be blamed for Somnus' sins.]

In someways, I think his fate was worse than that. One's own mind is very adapt at torturing itself when given nothing else to do.

[Especially when it echos with the voices of an untold number of daemons. Still, that is Ardyn's story to tell, not his. He will let the redhead decide how much he wishes to share.]

Goodness, imprisonment with other people, aren't we special.

[Ardyn pulled off his fingerless gloves as he spoke; they vanished in a quick flicker of red light shaped like crystal shards, Ardyn holding up both hands to reveal scars lancing straight through his palms where metal stakes had once been.]

It's as Ignis says, in fact. Brother dear went on to be a beloved and venerated founder of a line spanning some hundred and fourteen generations, and it's quite like everyone forgot he went about setting people on fire. As for me, he struck my name from all record and replaced it with a myth of the terrible, unknowable monster Adagium.

[The falsely amused tone dropped for an instant at the last word, spoken in much the way a snake would spit poison.]

As it stands, the only one who hates the blood of House Caelum quite so much as you describe is standing right in front of you.

Edited 2020-03-26 02:09 (UTC)

[Jules' eyes flash in anger as he would have given almost anything to be imprisoned alone. He'd tried, multiple times, to commit crimes on other planets so he could be imprisoned alone there instead of being shipped back to Andaria. Unfortunately every attempt only led to his return to the vorgate.]

Yes, other andryokin. The most hardened criminals on the entire planet who despised my grandmother and the entire eton Anatole bloodline with every last fiber of their being. A pack of vicious, murderous adults thrown in with a scared and defenseless child of the same bloodline they hated more than any other. They couldn't get revenge on my grandmother, but what do you think they did to another of the eton Anatole blood? One they had full access to and knew they wouldn't even be punished for harming?

[Jules lets the two of them figure out the answer to that question themselves. He has his own scars, both internal and external. While he's willing to talk about the drugging and assassination attempts made by his own family members, he doesn't like even thinking about his time in the vorgate.]

The only one who hates the former Tadara more than the entire population of Andaria is standing right in front of you. Funny though, the entire population of Andaria thinks I love her, and the only one of eton Anatole blood they hate more than her is me. They were all beyond thrilled when my grandmother secretly put out a thrill kill contract for me and then totally behind my dear mother for striking me from everything as well and allowing the contract to have me tortured and brutalized before being murdered in the most painful way available stand. I would have taken being given the myth of a monster instead. It's what I always referred to myself as anyway. Dagger.

Edited 2020-03-26 15:10 (UTC)

[Ignis, for once, doesn't know what to say. Of course, he knew Ardyn's side of things and bits and pieces of Jules'--in particular he remembers Jules mentioning the thrill kill contract before--but the imprisonment? In those kinds of conditions and to one so young? How can someone hate another so much just for merely existing? For all Ardyn did, Ignis never hated him that much. He can't imagine hating someone that much.

Astrals, how did he ever manage to win Jules' trust? After all of that his wariness makes heartbreaking sense.

Feel free to continue, gentlemen. Your mediator needs a few minutes to digest all that before his head explodes. He's not as used to hearing of such horrible things as you are.]

Oh, I like this one, little flame.

[Ardyn, meanwhile, was just short of delighted. It wasn't often he met someone as openly pissed off about existence as he was. Chuckling under his breath, the gloves reappeared in the same crystal flicker and were pulled back on as casually as anything.]

He's fun.

[It's lucky for Ignis that Jules is too pissed and too focused on Ardyn to catch anything that might be going on in his head. Instead his lovely Trisani mind reading flashes Ardyn's thoughts through his mind.]

Pissed at existence, sure, but generally speaking more pissed off at other beings. If my pissed off at existence had been higher than my joy of pissing off others I'd be dead now. Deciding it would piss everyone off who was trying to kill me was all that kept me alive most days.

This may have been a grave miscalculation.

[When Ignis finally gets his mind around him enough to speak, it's with fond resignation. This is just his life now, isn't it? Well, if he is going to be bringing down gods and changing the whole fate of a world, these two would certainly know how to go about it.]

You two will be the death of me. How are the strings? Dead yet or will they need you to do detailed kill counts as well?

[At least that little joke sounds more like him.]

Wait, did he just--

[Ardyn looked from Jules to Ignis and back again for all the good it wouldn't do.]

...I'd advise you to stay out of my head, you might find something you don't like. Or several somethings, as I've killed and sublimated enough people for a veritable legion of memories to be rattling about in there. Quite maddening at times, really.

Ya, think?

[He was about to make some comment about the strings when Arydn mentioned his memories and he got sidetracked. Jules grit his teeth but managed not to sound too snappish when he replied. Well, sort of.]

You think I want to be in your head? I've got enough of a mess from killing my own legions rolling around in my brain to want to add anyone else's pain. It's one of the downsides of Trisani gifts. You can't control the mindreading. It just happens.

[It was also why those with the ability tended to self-isolate. You couldn't read anyone's mind when nobody was there.]

Easy, easy.

[Ignis holds his hands up in a calming manner for what little good it will do. Neither of them mean harm, but they are both also on edge.]

As I recall, you also mentioned you've not had the chance to train with the abilities nearly as long as most do either, so even if you could control it, it would be harder. I trust that was what lead you to our door, though? You mentioned a vision earlier.

March Undercurrent: Lost Connections

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whoops straight up forgot to track this

that's always the fun of 3 way threads

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