❧ Just Breathe

[luministimods]

[For days, the zombie invasion of the Luministi town and spacestation has gone on, but through various means, there have been less and less zombies appearing by the day. And now, only a few remain, stubbornly shambling after their prey--

--or rather they were. With a bright, blinding flash of light, their bodies instantly change. No longer are they dead and decaying, but are that of full-fledged living beings with absolutely no desire for brains or flesh of the living. In fact, while they take a moment to blink and look around to see where they are, these townspeople merely shrug and continue on with their business like they did months ago. For them, it's back to their normal routine, and if asked, they won't even remember being a zombie. No one does. Even those who were killed during the fighting are back, right as rain.

But something else has changed.

Something big, yet the sound was so soft and heard by none. A door has been opened...

And from the surprise left in the town square, it seems other metaphorical doors have been opened as well, a fact that the sender of a text message to all of the CATs, is very well aware of:]

Enjoy this respite from chaos while you can.

[The moment that text is sent, anyone still injured will be blinded once again--but will find all wounds have been healed.]


Plot Details: Just Breathe

Welcome to Luministi's Fourth Wall event! If you have never participated in 4th wall with us before, the portion above the cut there is an IC continuation of the story that has been in the making for the past two seasons (a summary of which can be read here if you are curious, but it's not required reading!) Unlike past events, the town is not only fully populated with people who will just talk about mundane things about Luministi, but the pathway to the spacestation via the Mayor's House has been opened. How long that will remain open is anyone's guess, but for now, take advantage of it!

Also, visitors have a choice of physically appearing in the town square or communicating from their own world via the CAT.

Now, for those of you new to the game, the CATs, or Communications Audiovisual Transmitters, are personalized communication devices about the size of your palm, and for this day only, visiting characters will have this device. They'll have found it randomly on their person with no idea how it even got there. From a video broadcast standpoint, you'll be able to see the the immediate surroundings of the person you're talking to. More information about the CATs can be found on the FAQ page, which also has some handy tips about how the game is run and other questions about the game that aren't answered elsewhere in the mod journal. But if you don't see your question answered anywhere, please don't be afraid to ask!

In-game time, this event lasts a day, but you can tag for however long you want!

If visiting players do app into the game they will be able to remember visiting the town (or viewing it in a video feed), as well as everyone they met, the moment they show up in the town of Luministi for real. Yeah for ready-made CR, right?

And for current players, consider this a plot break! I'll have the game's next proper plot update for you guys tomorrow, so enjoy the breather while you can!

This event is the last one the game will hold, unfortunately, as Luminsti is in its final season. All of the storylines and mysteries introduced back in June 2010 when the game first opened will be brought to a close, and how it all does will be up to everyone involved. There are choices to be made and tasks that need to be accomplished--but only if you do it. Not doing something also will result in something, but whether it's for better or worse, well... You'll just have to come along for the ride and see, won't you?

Apps for luministi formally close July 28th, 11:59pm EST. I look forward to seeing everyone here! ♥

Now, let the fourth-walling commence! Have lots of fun~

Comments

[manicurious]

[He obliges, sitting down gently with a sigh. The fact that the townhomes are all rather similar makes him feel even more comfortable than he ordinarily would. He'd love to stretch out and nap on her couch, but instead he just sits on the very edge and crosses his legs, staring down the tea cakes. The sight of the little snacks sends his empty stomach into action, making it growl and gurgle quietly.]

Thank you so much again, for being willing to hear me out, for your hospitality, for everything, really. I feel like I should've brought a gift.

If you hadn't invited me here for a rest, I probably wouldn't have stopped trying to talk to as many people as possible until I was too tired to move. I've got so much going on in my head that I just want to pour all of it out somehow so that I can enjoy life fearlessly for a little while.

[fortune_sought]

[Sophie's townhome is very neat, though also homey in that she has various knickknacks decorating the surfaces, and she's added her own accent pillows and other items to the furniture that was provided. there is also a pot of orchids in the window]

It's no trouble. [Sophie sits across from him as she waits for the water to boil] Do start pouring it out, if you'd like. [she pauses] I'm...not sure I entirely understand all of what has happened, but I really am extremely sorry to hear about your...ordeal.

[and she sincerely hopes that nothing like that happened to anyone else either]

[manicurious]

I don't completely understand what happened, and I was the one that it happened to. But I can attempt to explain what I know of it.

The creatures that the townspeople turned into are something that I've heard of before, but to both myself and Agent Washington they were always just something in stories. They're called "Zombies," and the cause of their condition varies depending on who's telling the story: some say that it's a parasite or virus, others say magic, and others say it's the act of an angry god or a force of nature.

Whatever the cause is, the rest of the story remains fairly consistent: The people afflicted are essentially dead, they're driven only by a strange hunger for the flesh of people who are still alive, anyone who is bitten by one will gradually become one, and the only way to eliminate them is to destroy the brain.

Those last two items are why after I had been attacked, I didn't bother requesting medical attention and asked Agent Washington to just kill me instead.

And that's where...

[Here come the tears.]

I'm so conflicted! I was killed, and yet I've never felt so grateful for anything in my entire life! And Jamie, he was there too, and he kept his hand on my shoulder, I could feel it right up to the point when I couldn't feel anything at all.

I've never felt so cared for. To me it felt more like love than a moral obligation or a common courtesy, and yet when I spoke with him just before coming here he acted like it was nothing!

Is my perception really that abnormal?

[fortune_sought]

[Sophie gasps at his description of the creatures. she remembers seeing what happened to Natsuo, and suddenly it all makes perfect, horrifying sense. she stares for a moment, shocked into silence as Ichijou continues his tale. when he finally stops and asks her a question, she doesn't know what to say] I...I... I'm afraid I really...didn't know about those creatures.

But... [she pauses, trying to collect herself and gather her own thoughts after that shock] Mr Ichijou, that sounds like friendship. Do you not have friends like that back home?

[manicurious]

Well, possibly...

It still counts if they were being paid to be that way, right?

[fortune_sought]

[she blinks, confused by the question] You mean...paid to be your friends?

[manicurious]

W-well, not explicitly. I had a bodyguard who always seemed very concerned about my happiness and well-being.

[fortune_sought]

[she frowns, saddened by this whole conversation]

Well, if he's worried about your happiness as well as your physical well-being, then that sounds like friendship as well. Don't you think?

[manicurious]

[His expression starts off somewhat blank, but slowly transitions to something more fearful. His eyes dart about and he even turns to look behind himself at some point, as if expecting someone else to be watching him.]

I don't know.

The Chairman wouldn't approve of that...

[fortune_sought]

[that's confusing--and unsettling] Wouldn't approve of...friendship?

[manicurious]

Yes! He already suspected that I was too emotional and weak-hearted. If I had the kinds of feelings toward some people that I have now, he would've put me through more of his rituals.

I would have lost my mind. I'm absolutely certain of that.

[fortune_sought]

[she is absolutely taken aback by that and stares, speechless. she's starting to understand why Ichijou wishes to stay in Luministi. after a moment's pause as she tries to collect herself, she says:] Then...I'm glad you're here, Mr Ichijou. No one should have to live without friendship.

[manicurious]

That wasn't really a concern at the time. The Chairman was a living nightmare--

[He winces as if expecting to be struck for a few seconds.]

-- But I thought that he was the only one who would give me a chance of survival in the world. I think he may have targeted me - preyed upon me, to be honest - in the first place specifically because I didn't have friends.

[fortune_sought]

[sternly] Then thank goodness you know better now!

[the kettle starts to whistle then, and Sophie jumps] Oh, the tea! [she stands and hurries to the kitchen to start it steeping]

[manicurious]

I really was an impressionable kid, huh...

[The kettle startles him just as much, if not moreso. While Sophie is occupied with the tea, he makes a mental note to stop talking about the Chairman. It makes him too nervous. Aside from trying to puzzle out his confusing emotions and Jamie's equally confusing response, there's something else he came here to try to sort out.

When she returns she'll find him wringing his hands with an intensely focused look. Would Sophie even know the answer? Did he even want to know?]

[fortune_sought]

[she doesn't hear the comment as she's busy with their tea. after a moment, she returns with a small tray with two cups of tea and a pot of sugar, in case Ichijou wants to add any. she frowns at the sight of him, though]

You really should try to relax for a bit. Here, have some tea and cake. [she sets the tray down and offers him one of the cups]

[manicurious]

[His reaction is a bit delayed, as he's still contemplating his other question while staring at his squirming hands.]

Huh? Oh. Yes, thank you.

[And he uncrosses his legs and takes the cup, then his hand hovers near the sugar pot... but he ultimately decides that it's probably a bad idea right now. He sips the tea and sighs deeply after swallowing - he seems to find it pleasing, at least.]

It feels like it's been ages since I've had a nice cup of tea like this.

[fortune_sought]

[though she feels a bit of an awkward hostess, she lets him handle this in his own time and meanwhile sips her own cup of tea. but at his comment, she nods in agreement] Between having to ration our food and the monsters, I think it has been ages.

[manicurious]

[He looks genuinely saddened by that.]

I sort of lost track of it all after a certain point. Everything started to blur together after a while, since I started sleeping through most days to try to get away from it. There's only so much you can deal with before you shut down entirely, you know?

Even now with a break from everything, I still feel terribly anxious.

-You received that message earlier, right? The one about the "respite from chaos?" Or is he still harassing me exclusively?

[fortune_sought]

[she frowns somberly] No, I received that message. But...what do you mean, harassing you exclusively?

[manicurious]

You didn't know? I must've forgotten to mention it...

Since the day everyone came back I've been desperately attempting to contact Nathan, but the only responses I've received have been mocking or threatening messages from someone else.

Highly personal ones, at that.

[fortune_sought]

You mentioned a message like that--a threat, but I thought it was to all of us. [what Ichijou is implying now, though, is rather unsettling. she cradles her teacup in her lap, watching his expression] But...you mean to say that person was targetting you? They knew who you were, specifically?

[manicurious]

[And a rather severe expression it is.]

I have no doubt about it. He even gave me a nickname based on something that I used to be known for - something I've never shown or told anyone here about. I haven't received a single hint as to who this individual is, but they clearly know me quite well.

[fortune_sought]

[her eyes widen at that] I wish you'd said! Then...do you think it's someone from your own world? Or does someone here simply know that much... [thoughtfully] Has anyone else tried to contact Nathan that you know of?

[manicurious]

Hnn, I don't think so. I don't think anyone I used to know would have gone so long without giving themselves away.

[He sets his tea down and goes after one of the cakes, vacantly taking little nibbles out of it.]

Nobody else has mentioned trying to get a hold of him, aside from Proctor. I can't imagine I would be the only one, though.