lucetilogs | Post-Event Blues

Entry tags:

Post-Event Blues

Who: Everybody, everybody!
What: The battle is won. Now what?
When: The eleventh, twelfth, and onward
Where: Luceti
Summary: With Zompano dead and the cultists routed, Luceti is restored. Kind of.
Rating: F for Feels

On the eleventh, things were slowly breaking down. Memories of their true lives were breaking through. The village, scarred by the battle with the cultists, began to rebuild itself. Community buildings that had vanished were returned to their rightful places. The battle dome was uncovered from the earth that had covered it. Hundreds and hundreds of fake homes slowly faded away. Paved roads gave way to trees and grass. It was an incredible sight for anyone who was willing to sit aroun and watch it happen.

Things wouldn't be easy for the villagers, though. The memories perpetuated by the last ten days would not be easily removed. The feelings and hatreds it had created would take time to conquer and remove. Perhaps, in a way, that was Zompano's nastiest trick of all. The village itself may heal from his invasion, but it would take far more than a few Shifts to fix the people left behind.

Towards the end of the day, their wings returned. Much like some of the buildings, they seemed to just reappear, as if they had never been gone. Their barcodes became visible again as a singular reminder that they were, ultimately, just the property of another entity who as a whole were not much better than Count Zompano.

By the twelfth, the village looked as though nothing had ever happened. Sure, the contents of buildings might have been messed up or destroyed during the battles, but things were otherwise as they were supposed to be. The night before, people would have had to find their old beds to go sleep in, as they no longer possessed the old ones granted to them in another life.

The village was peaceful.

Modly Note: That wraps up the event. As noted in the prose above, you have the option to play up the after effects of the event more than in other ones. While it won't have the same impact universally, the Shift was constructed in such a way that people may have difficulty shaking off the emotions they developed during the event. In effect, it was a cruel send off to Luceti so they would have to deal with the loathing and hatred that came with the less desirable parts of it. Of course, that means the feelings of familial bonds will also persist for awhile as well. It's up to you, as players, to decide how much or little to play with it!

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[He didn't actually have a family. That was what filtered through the hardest the morning after everything was said and done, as he'd watched his house, a home he'd thought he'd made over years and years, crumble away into nothing and become just more trees in the scenery. It had all been a piece of imagination, a maybe.

And even during that maybe, the first chance he'd had he'd rallied people, took up a leadership position, and thought himself invincible, of course. He no longer called himself Pein, he no longer called himself the god of Ame, he no longer did any of those things, had resolved, on his first death, to leave it all behind him and move on. But, even if his first week here had been oddly tranquil, in spite of the mess at Naruto's house that is, it had still been... a time of waiting.

Temporary.

He'd become a leader somewhere along the way and he couldn't bring himself to let it go. His mind drifted to Konan, to the... the everything that had been their life in the dream. His wife, his dearest one, the mother of his daughter. He'd had a daughter. Would the girl even want to speak to him outside that fiction? Would he be anything to her?

He didn't think he could let go that easily. He knew, in his heart, that he'd be unable to unclench his fingers and ignore Kushina, family he still had, if more distant than the dream wrote her out to be. Minato, Naruto, Kakashi...

Relationships that weren't real but the idea of letting them go...

He didn't want to.

He'd finally had family again, more than just Konan silent and cold at his side and he'd been so happy...

He... wouldn't let go. He'd start at the easiest, hardest?, ones. Barnaby, Ikki, Elie. He hadn't known them before. He'd talk to them. Naruto would be easy as well, at least, compared to Minato, or Kakashi.

But... Kushina? Kushina... no. She would be the hardest, and he would need to start with the hardest. If...

If he could just bring himself to move, and leave behind the place where his dream had been.]

[In the end, it was all a lie, like some elaborate genjutsu that made them feel as though they'd lived a lifetime in just over a week. It left memories and attachments that Konan couldn't easily disconnect herself from, in part because one side of her had genuinely wanted to believe this was her reality. She and Nagato married, with an adopted daughter and another child well on the way. Then there was their extended family. It wasn't easy to go back to the true reality, and be faced with the consequences of her past mistakes when some of the people impacted by those past mistakes were people she had familial bonds (even if they were artificially forged) with.

As much as all of this troubled her, she knew Nagato would be worse off. His emotions were more intense than hers, and his transgressions against Konoha were worse as a result. Nagato didn't do things half-heartedly. His way of making amends was a perfect example, sacrificing his own life to restore those lost the day they invaded Konoha.

She didn't approach right away, leaving him some privacy and time to process everything. Eventually she appears, the first sign of her arrival a paper butterfly that flutters over and sits on his shoulder. It's her way of letting him know she's nearby if he wants to talk, and if he doesn't, she's still around when he needs her.]

[The butterfly actually startled him. That was probably something she noticed before anything, the fact that he twitched and looked at it as though he for some reason hadn't expected it...

And he'd been so absorbed in his inner crisis that he hadn't. The flit of a thought that touched him let him know that...

That he would always have her, reality or no, the dream hadn't replaced her, hadn't taken her from him, and that grounded him, gave him a place to start. One hand lifted to touch the butterfly delicately, then he looked in the direction that he was sure she was in.]

You've always been so patient with my theatrics.

[She comes out, walking over with quiet, barely-there footsteps. There's warmth in her eyes, but also a little weariness. She may be able to maintain more emotional distance from the situation, but it isn't as though she doesn't feel the impact of those false memories. She has accepted that Elie isn't their daughter, but she does feel protective over her and hopes they'll be able to befriend her. She's already on varying degrees of friendly terms with Naruto, Kushina and Ikki, and she's at least met and been on neutral to positive terms with Rainbow Dash and Chien. Kakashi and Minato...well. That will be more challenging.]

I've had nearly a lifetime to become accustomed to them.

[Nor does she mind, although she can't deny that Nagato takes things to extremes sometimes and that his decisions are often ruled by his heart. She stands beside him - a place that feels more natural than anything else.]

[He reached up, running his fingers along the back of her hand delicately, his eyes on where he was touching... and then he pulled his hand back, curling his fingers and looking up to her face.]

So you have. Things were... shuffled, in those memories, but I still had you.

[Thought he changes in their relationship... while he couldn't bring himself to regret having experienced them, he knew they weren't real, and it hurt, because he'd never thought about what it would be like to have that kind of bond with someone. What he and Konan had in reality was different, though no less precious, of course... but very different.]

And you always will.

[Although part of her has the feeling that she betrayed Yahiko. She doesn't know which was the greater betrayal - forgetting that he existed when her memories were tampered with, or the relationship she'd had with Nagato in this fake reality. Despite that, she knows he wouldn't hold it against either of them, so she tries not to feel guilty about it. Tries being the operative word.

Then again, there are worse things she is fully culpable for, that she should feel guilty over, so she can redirect it. Especially with the remnants of those artificially forged family bonds still lingering in her mind. They'd turned on and betrayed Jiraiya, and they hurt a lot of people in the process.]

...what would you like to do about our various connections to people?

[There's no doubt in her mind that he has given it some thought already.]

[He wanted to say something about how he wished he'd always been there for her... but then she moved on, and he wasn't going to weigh her down with his own regrets. She wouldn't want them, was too forgiving of him and the things he'd done and thus, he held his silence on that point. Instead, he focused on the one that had been chasing itself around his mind.]

I... will need to talk to Kushina. Naruto, at least, will be easier, and Ikki was a girl you knew before, wasn't she?

I'm going to find Barnaby to talk to him, I had a friendship with him, among others... So I believe it's a matter of sorting out everyone case by case and extending our hands.

I did know Ikki before. Amongst others. I met Rainbow Dash before, but I barely knew her.

[She did know both of the Lokis - the elder had been in a few of her university arts classes, and the younger one had been one of her students prior to her maternity leave, in those false memories.]

I would like to befriend Elie. Even if she's not our daughter in reality, I still feel protective toward her.

[Enough that she'd hurt anyone who attacked Elie without regrets or hesitation. The same applied to Ikki.]

Edited 2013-08-24 01:19 (UTC)

[He nodded at once. He shared the sentiment. He couldn't just... let her go. Even if the girl desired no further contact he'd still protect her after this.]

One can't forget raising someone or watching them grow... even if they are false memories.

No...

[It's difficult knowing that any of it was false, but she can't forget the experience of motherhood. It is for the best that she's not pregnant. With the drafts, and without knowing how her paper transformation would affect a baby growing within her, it's better if she never becomes pregnant. No matter how happy they'd been at the possibility of having a second child.

Adoption, on the other hand...if a small child were to arrive without his or her parents, she'd talk to Nagato about being surrogate parents. They don't need to be romantically involved to be good foster parents.

That shift has even left her confused about her feelings for Nagato. It goes without saying that he is the most precious person in her life, but she's conflicted as to whether that's as a best friend and partner, or if her feelings are also like those of a wife for her husband.]

We can offer our friendship to her. I think if we're affected, she may be as well.

[He immediately gave her a small, warm smile, and nodded once. There were a lot of depressing things about the return to reality, it was true... but they didn't all have to be. It could be moving forward into good things, nice things. Relationships with people they'd never known, or people that they had wanted to know better.

He pushed to his feet and touched her shoulder, slowly, finally, starting to relax.]

I think that would be a good idea... do you want to come with me when I find her?

[When he touches her shoulder, she brings her hand up to rest on his for a moment. It's good to know that if nothing else, they'll always have one another. She wants more - she wants to have friendships and familial bonds with others, too. But Yahiko and Nagato were always the center of her world, and that's not changing.]

I'd like that. I want her to know that if she ever needs help, that she can come to us.

[A thought occurs to her.]

If you would like, you could join me at the next Art Club meeting. Ikki runs it, along with Rapunzel, who I should introduce you to. She's one of the people I've been teaching.

[He paused a moment, then started to nod, looking thoughtful. He'd been puzzling over the plushie thing, and he had, after some thought, come to the conclusion that it was an extension of the careful artistry he used to put into his Paths.

So maybe he was more artistic himself than he'd ever let himself be.]

I think I'd like that. After the entire... sewing thing... I think I should explore that side of myself a bit more.

[She'd found that she had a small mountain of flower plushies, each carefully crafted by Nagato over the years. That's what made it all the odder - it was a fake reality, but something somehow became more than just an illusion. She's just glad it was something as benign and harmless as Nagato's plush crafts.]

Ikki and Rapunzel will be pleased to have another member.

[She's also glad that it's something she can share with him, not just showing him her own work, but being able to see his, and to work on little projects side by side.]

I think it would be a good idea to join, though. The peace here is pleasant, but without hobbies, it can get dull here.

And I've already been disabused of the notion that I have the ability to handle boredom given even the slightest motivation to do something. [He huffed a breath, shaking his head and looking sideways at her.]

The moment something was the slightest bit odd, in that illusion, I was off after doing things, handling people...

Clearly I can't just sit back like I'd had the thought I might try after all.

I don't think sitting back has ever been in your nature, Nagato. Perhaps for a day of rest now and then when everything is going well, but beyond that...

[She shakes her head. It's really not in either of their natures. Konan has learned to manage all of that extra free time she found herself with in Luceti. A good chunk of that time has gone toward training and planning. It has been nice to have time left over for her art, and she does get to enjoy the odd strategy game.]

We can form plans to protect others here, and in the meantime, you can experiment with new hobbies there was never time to indulge in before.

[There are many good things she wants for Nagato, although they all fall under the umbrellas of happiness and peace. Hobbies will help him handle idle time, and she suspects he'll enjoy the chance to explore them. Perhaps she should see if a talented cook might be willing to give lessons...]

[He would be wiling to try if anyone actually tried to give him lessons, there was no worry there. Still... he knew she was right. He'd never been able to keep himself tranquil without doing a great deal. After all, hadn't he learned so much so quickly as a child because of it?

He should have known better... but the mind would only be distracted so long, and sooner or later he'd have to really look at the things he'd been putting off grieving about.]

You'll simply have to make me aware of what you already have in place beyond what you've told me and we'll sort out how I can fit into what you've established and improve it.

I've achieved less than I would have liked.

[Of course, it's hard to achieve much when most of the other shinobi here barely trust her. There are a few notable exceptions. Still, she's not complaining. The trust she's been given is more than she deserved to begin with, and she's since been complying with the original arrangement.]

The Malnosso's shifts, and their tendency to bring people here and send them away at random make trying to establish things a little more difficult. Instead, I've been focusing on training individuals, and I've been keeping an eye on select people.

[Still, she has faith in Nagato's ability to do what she didn't manage. She's always considered herself a pillar of support rather than a leader anyway.]

[He studied her, then nodded, giving her a soft smile as he considered her words. She was right, and in an odd way, while he might be bound by some things... not all agreements were approached the same way by all parties, and that too would be a detail for him to sort out.]

Then it's simply a matter of making that small group grow, right Konan? This is something we can do, we've done it before.

(ooc: IDK if we were supposed to handwave the treaty signing or what exactly we were doing with that, please let me know if I should edit my tag)

You're right. We do have that treaty to sign...this might be the best time to do it.

[After all, Kushina and Minato may be feeling more inclined to want to be on good terms with them. If she and Nagato are impacted by the memories of that fake reality, it stands to reason that Kushina and Minato were, too. They may be more forgiving with those feelings in mind. Perhaps it's a little opportunistic of her to want to time the treaty signing this way, but if everyone sincerely wants to get along, there's no real harm in it. It will also make Nagato happy, and if she's being honest with herself, it will make her happy as well.]

I think taking the formal approach now would be the best way to make amends and move toward friendlier discussions for the future.

[She has faith that they'll be able to at least get on civil terms with all of the Konoha residents in time, and friendly terms with some.]

Edited 2013-09-12 02:28 (UTC)

(OOC: I'm just as clueless as you, no worries x.x)

I... yes. Yes, this probably would be the best time to make that contact, if we can pin anyone down to do it. [It was a murmur, his reluctance to approach warring with his awareness that this needed to be handled while it was still opportune.

They really wouldn't get a better chance.]

Minato--

[She hastily corrects herself from using such a familiar form of address.]

--ah, Namikaze-san suggested the treaty in the first place. I doubt he will object to us taking the initiative to draw up a rough draft and present it to him for review.

[Doing so also means having a little more say in the terms of the treaty. Just because they are atoning and trying to establish peaceful relations doesn't mean they shouldn't get some input in a formal agreement they will be signing. Konan has every intention of going over every last sentence in the document with a proverbial fine toothed comb.]

[He inclined his head at once. Yes, Konan had always been good at fine details, and she would ensure that nothing outrageous crept into the papers that they would be drawing up for this political mess.]

That would be excellent, perhaps we can sit down and draw that up tonight, make sure that we present ourselves well and clearly?

I think that would be best.

[They can balance one another out and proofread for things like tone and wording choice. A treaty needs to convey a willingness to co-operate and help while still setting limits and guidelines for how to proceed.]

Once we're happy with it, we can use your journal or mine to send a message to Namikaze-san to let him know we have a first draft of the treaty ready for his review.

It would probably be better from mine. I have yet to use it since arriving here, and truthfully if I'm going to act as a leader, then at the very least having my name on it seems more... sincere?

[Not the word he was going for, but it's the only one that came to him.]

Post-Event Blues

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