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The Mods of LifeAftr ([personal profile] lifeaftr_mods) wrote in [community profile] lifeaftr2020-03-03 08:53 pm

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
LOGSOOCSTORIESMAIN NAVIGATION

( CODED BY BOOTYCALL )
mockiri: artist unknown, searching for source (if it bleeds we can kill it)

[personal profile] mockiri 2020-03-19 02:47 am (UTC)(link)
[She looks up, and... sees nothing. Apparently the bird-eating elevator has vanished as quickly as it came. Well, that's unhelpful. She doesn't really have an answer, so instead she shrugs, responding in Aziraphale's voice.]

Quite curious, isn’t it?
postictal: (jay was just waiting that whole time)

[personal profile] postictal 2020-03-19 06:53 am (UTC)(link)
...yeah.

[So, that's a "no idea" from her, he's guessing.]

You, uh, want me to help you down from here?
mockiri: umbrellaville.com (Bird-eye Fjord!)

[personal profile] mockiri 2020-03-19 09:18 pm (UTC)(link)
[She glances over towards the edge, and- yeah, you know what, she's just gonna nod. Better to not mess around with heights, and she can't fly herself down. One fall is enough! Guzma's voice next:]

Yes, please.
postictal: (just pretend you're not lying)

[personal profile] postictal 2020-03-19 09:32 pm (UTC)(link)
All right. Uh, hang on, there's a ladder. You good with using a ladder?

[Just asking, 'cause she did just fall from an...unknown height. Might not be good with heights.]
mockiri: umbrellaville.com (a kid.)

[personal profile] mockiri 2020-03-20 08:37 pm (UTC)(link)
...Be careful.

[Thankfully, sudden fall aside, she's not exactly traumatized, just a little wobbly. Cautiously, she toddles her way over to the ladder, giving it a little shake. Does it seem stable enough? Because if it doesn't feel like it's about to fall apart (or over), she'll try climbing down.]
postictal: (objectively the best outfit in mh)

[personal profile] postictal 2020-03-20 10:43 pm (UTC)(link)
[The ladder's sturdy, no worries. Tim's used it plenty, and he's pretty stocky dude.]

It's all good. Here, I can...you want me to get down there first, to catch you or something?

[She's...not that heavy, right? He can probably try or something, can't he?]
mockiri: katy-grierson @ twitter (a mighty big bird!)

[personal profile] mockiri 2020-03-22 09:04 am (UTC)(link)
[She chirps at the offer, considering it, then shakes her head. She's a big girl, she can do it! But it was nice to offer, so she beams at him as her head bobs downwards as she gets a few rungs lower, using Beau's voice.]

Don't worry about it.
postictal: (im Tired)

[personal profile] postictal 2020-03-22 06:09 pm (UTC)(link)
If you're sure.

[She seems to be managing all right. Regardless, Tim's gotten pretty good at getting up and down the roof without a ladder. It takes a bit of maneuvering, but he ends up on the ground with a bump and a stumble, sliding down the wall as best as he can.]

You okay? You fall from pretty far?
mockiri: artist unknown, searching for source (Come eat your food!)

[personal profile] mockiri 2020-03-24 04:51 pm (UTC)(link)
[She's a little slower getting down, and she doesn't want to lose her focus, so she only trills a response as she climbs all the way down. Once both feet are on solid ground, she jumps once to make sure, then spreads her arms, looking proud.]

I'm okay! [Then in Guzma's voice, because she's capable of doing so now-] I'm sorry.

[She hadn't meant to fall on anyone. Actually she hadn't meant to fall at all...]
postictal: (howdy. bang)

[personal profile] postictal 2020-03-24 07:17 pm (UTC)(link)
Sorry for what?

[He doesn't quite smile, but one side of his mouth quirks upward in a vague twitch that almost approximates one.]

Pretty sure it wasn't your idea to fall on top of me.
mockiri: umbrellaville.com (she’s a mighty big bird!)

[personal profile] mockiri 2020-03-25 04:55 pm (UTC)(link)
[She lifts her shoulders in an unhelpful shrug. True, but that doesn't mean she can't be sorry for the inconvenience. At least he doesn't look like he was hurt by it.]

Okay okay okay.

[She points up towards the roof with a questioning chirp.]

What are you doing out here?
postictal: (sounds fake)

[personal profile] postictal 2020-03-25 07:42 pm (UTC)(link)
Fixing up the roof. Turns out tiling the thing with dragon scales takes some adjustment.

[Some leaking in the past couple weeks, stuff like that.]

You...uh, weren't flying or anything, were you?
mockiri: artist unknown, searching for source (mimicking things!)

[personal profile] mockiri 2020-03-26 04:55 pm (UTC)(link)
[Kiri shakes her head, brows furrowing, then mimics a few things: first, a pair of jaws chomping down, then a wobbly transport from one side of him to the other, then a drop to the ground, accompanied by the cheery voice of Upsy,]

Bye, I love you!

[If... that helps at all.]
postictal: (over the shoulder)

[personal profile] postictal 2020-03-26 06:21 pm (UTC)(link)
[Yeah, that...doesn't really help. The tone of voice sounds familiar, but only vaguely. Tim scratches at his chin for a moment, frowning, then holds up a finger.]

Hang on. Just gimme a second -

[His pack is lying on the ground outside the building. A minute to dig through it, and he emerges with a notebook and pen, which he holds out to her.]

Can you...draw it, maybe?
mockiri: umbrellaville.com (a bird!)

[personal profile] mockiri 2020-03-29 10:41 pm (UTC)(link)
[Oh! That is a good idea, isn't it. She finds herself the nearest flat surface and tucks down to get busy drawing. Give her a minute, she's certainly not the fastest or the most skilled at this. When she at last lifts the journal back up towards him, he'll find a childish and rudimentary but mostly recognizable drawing of the offending elevator robot.]
postictal: (gdi jay)

[personal profile] postictal 2020-03-29 11:31 pm (UTC)(link)
[Tim shuts his eyes for a moment after he takes that drawing in, swipes a hand up through his hair, and blows out a sigh between clenched teeth.]

Goddamnit. It's that fucking...elevator. That thing is back, seriously?
mockiri: diamancris @ tumblr (i am very sweet)

[personal profile] mockiri 2020-04-01 06:03 pm (UTC)(link)
Fucking... elevator.

[She nods agreeably, echoing his words back. She doesn't know what an elevator is, but it's clearly done her a misdeed here, so. Fucking elevator.]
postictal: (cool the sass boy)

[personal profile] postictal 2020-04-01 06:59 pm (UTC)(link)
[The side of his mouth twitches a little, like he's about to smile, and he ducks his head.]

Good news is that it's...mostly not very harmless. It can drop you from pretty high up, though. You can't fly or anything, can you?
mockiri: artist unknown, searching for source (if it bleeds we can kill it)

[personal profile] mockiri 2020-04-08 01:33 am (UTC)(link)
[She shakes her head and spreads her arms out to demonstrate- while she's covered in feathers, they're much too short to be of any use for flight.]
postictal: (bullshit detecting meter)

[personal profile] postictal 2020-04-08 01:47 am (UTC)(link)
Yeah, I didn't think so. I think most people who could fly can't anymore.

[He rubs at his chin with a scowl. It'd be nice to have access to a parachute or something, but that doesn't seem very optimistic. Could always ask for one, maybe?]

Well, you're free to...stay in here if you want. [He jerks his thumb over his shoulder to indicate Denny.] I don't think the thing can get indoors.
mockiri: umbrellaville.com (a bird!)

[personal profile] mockiri 2020-04-11 09:22 pm (UTC)(link)
[She looks up at the sky, gaze darting cautiously around to confirm, and... you know what, good idea. Play it safe. Have a Ginko voice-]

Sounds like a good plan.

[And she scampers inside. Hopefully she doesn't track elevator goo all over the floor.]
postictal: (that boy needs therapy)

[personal profile] postictal 2020-04-11 11:58 pm (UTC)(link)
[Eh, the place has been in worse shape than that.]

Lemme know if you need anything else, all right? Stay as long as you need, [he calls after her.]