Something in the air...

[polymods]

✖ The Isle That Blooms

Ⅰ. ARRIVAL
You can read all about your character's arrival in the game lore.
This is the first isle you can smell before you see it rising on the island. It starts with the faint hint of growing things that blossoms into a floral scent that teases you with the combination of familiarity and the unknown. The next breeze seems to carry you closer even as it coats everything in a delicate wash of golden pollen that only the Ferryman seems to be able to avoid.

Do you like your lips to taste the gritty sweetness? Or are you already starting to sniffle? Either way, the island starts as a smudge then turns into a riot of color as it reveals itself.

The Isle that Blooms lives up to its name as flowers vie in a silent war of roots and strangling vines to cover every viable surface with sprays of color and vibrant pulsing life. There are signs of human life in the form of a village built on stilts and full of little anachronisms like a glowing neon sign that hint that the island sees a large number of Travelers come through this place.

And who wouldn’t be drawn to the abundant flora, brightly painted houses, and lively locals?

Everyone seems to be glowing with health as the locals gather near the dock to welcome the latest set of tourists. They come with arms full of flower wreaths and friendly smiles, clearly in control of their faculties and interested in trade. Their clothing is as bright as the paintings on their buildings, as the flowers that surround them, and perfect for the warmth of the day.

Do you notice, though, the absence of any babies or prepubescent children? Or that while there are old people, no one shows signs of the infirmities that come with age? It might be easy to miss, especially as the Isle starts to affect you, too.

The ache in your back from that terrible fall, the craving for that next drink, the trauma that’s too close to the surface, all the petty hurts the build up in a lifetime start to fade as you, too, start to bloom.

Notes:
1. NO GUNS are allowed on this island. The Ferryman will keep them safe for you.

2. These residents of the island are normal humans. Killing them is possible and may affect the color of your Scrywatch.

3. Any type of flower could exist on the island, blooming somewhere, regardless of its real world requirements. Rare ones are difficult to find and magical ones need a check in with the mods.

4. There is nothing preadolescent of any animal species on the entire island, including insects.

5. The island’s ability leaves people as the healthiest, most energetic version of their current selves. Examples: A blind person in otherwise good mental and emotional health would notice minimal changes. A person with a disorder would find themselves having a string of good days. A 50 year old probably hasn’t felt this good since their thirties.

---

Ⅱ. THE TEMPLE
Orchids in shades of yellow and pink so bright they glow have been trained to grow along the walkways and bridges of the elevated village to guide Travelers to this island’s Temple. The building stands alone at the edge of the Village, extending out in the ocean of flowers that fill most of the isle.


The temple is made of simple stout wood that has been carved and painted in patterns ornate and lovely in a way that speaks of hundreds of hours of creation and maintenance. The same orchids that guided you here gild building and act as camouflage the sleeping porches ring the outside. They are kept private and safe from insects by fine netting, and you will find the bedding soft and fine.

This Temple’s Guardians are a pair of lazing cats with strange spots and scaly wings that regard you with affectionate disinterest as you explore the facilities. There are toilets and sinks, but no baths or showers. The pantries are stocked with edible flowers and fresh fish and the space and tools to cook. If you are brave enough, the Guardians will probably give you practical advice on how to use those supplies. There are new clothes and sandals better suited to the heat, and even practical machetes.

Notes:
1. The Main Temple is still open to those who are brand new to PM.

2. There are paints and carving tools if you want to add to the temple decorations. (Maybe mention it during the Oracle Event if you do.)

3. All fabric items are ridiculously bright and vaguely tie dyed.

4. The marker orchids have a distinctly strong smell of vanilla with a hint of lime.

---

Ⅲ. THE LOTUS BATHS
CW: fantasy setting drugs.
There’s only so long a person can stand to be covered in pollen, and when you ask the locals, they grin. Oh, you want a bath? There’s a path back to the ground and through the tall flowers to a natural spring. Make sure to head out early, they warn.

It’s always better to be in the village before nightfall, and you are clearly going to take a while.

As you walk the winding path to the baths, the everpresent flowers seem to thin out and even disappear as ground warms and rock rises from rich soil. You can smell the mineral richness of the bright blue pools that form waterfalls over a series of rising ledges. There is life, though, even here, in the form of delicate lily pads that float in rafts around vivid lotus flowers.

If you test the water, you’ll find it’s warm enough to melt the knots out of muscles and make it easy to understand why the few bathers seem to be so languid and relaxed. If you sink all the way in, well, not only will you manage to get clean, but you might find yourself mellowing out even more. So mellow you’ll hardly notice when the pleasant hallucinations start.

You’ll find yourself drawn into visions of your most private joys and of the pleasures you keep to yourself. Maybe it’s a matter of shame or maybe it’s because they’re too precious. There’s one small problem, though. If someone else gets in the same pool, not only will they start to share the same vision, but you’ll start to see theirs too.

Will the fantasies become a nightmare or will you manage to navigate them together? Will you ever be able to look at each other the same way again?

Notes:
1. The hallucinations will end when you leave the water, but only once you and your bathing partner are both out.

2. The flowers are magical and will affect everyone, even robots or super powered people.

---

Ⅳ. NIGHTBLOOMING
CW: abduction, violence.
You are warned to stay in the elevated village at night. The flower fields are safe enough during the day, but things happen at night. It’s hard to imagine during the day when stingless bees that glitter in jewel colors bumble along and hummingbirds the size of chihuahuas feed from the abundant flowers while squeaking their strong opinions at each other.

But as the moon rises, and most of the flowers close, there’s rustling sounds that make it clear that there are big things moving through that growth. Things that make the hair rise up on the back of a person’s neck. It would take a big prize to make it worth finding out what makes those sounds. A big prize or a reason to face your fears.

There’s a scream in the night. You can ignore it, of course. Not everyone is meant to run towards the scream. It might not even change the color of your ScryWatch.

But if you go to the source of the sound you’ll find a mother weeping openly while other locals gather around to comfort her. It seems her teenager decided that the best way to woo their lover was with glowing flowers that only open under a full moon. The teen has been gone for hours, and the grim expressions on the people around you say his chances aren’t good.

You have a choice to make. Will you go into the dark to face the unknown dangers? Will you offer some other form of comfort? Or will you go back to hide in the safety of the Temple?

Notes:
1. The danger in the flowers consists of six foot tall nocturnal orchid mantises who have the teen pinned in a tree. They are currently singing a human language lullaby to the kid to get them to go to sleep and fall out of the tree.

2. The mantises have a hive mind and will retreat if one of their number is killed, but can also be talked to and negotiated with. They will be willing to trade a regular supply of fish for no longer hunting people.

---

Ⅴ. SPECIAL EVENT: THE FLOWER ORACLE
In the center of the village, there is a giant flower bud that is bigger than a man is tall. The villagers tell you that you are lucky. You will be here when the Flower Oracle blooms. You will have a chance to speak directly to the Ancient One through the Oracle, and She even answers. All it takes is a little sacrifice.

Notes:
1. During the week of July 12-18, there will be a special event post where characters can choose to interact with the Flower Oracle for a chance to be rewarded, get an answer, get silence, or get punished by the Ancient.

2. Any starter posted during this window will be honored, specifics to come.

3. This event is optional!

Bonus: music to watch the flowers bloom to.

Network · Logs · OOC · Memes · Plurk

Comments

Questions, comments, concerns?

[polymods]

As usual, they go here, Travelers! ;)

[unkindled_madness]

Okay, I've got a few, sorry!

1 - Since it's our first move island-to-island, I was wondering how that process goes? Are characters notified the ferryman has arrived and asked to come to the docks? If they don't show up, are they coerced somehow? Or do they just magically find themselves on the boat again?

2 - Since the High Temple is accessible from every location... where do characters perceive it to be? How do they experience being barred from it?

3 - Is there anything resembling a library on this island? v important

4 - Are there any other weapons to be found besides the machetes?

[helpdesk_hero]

The description for the island seems to imply that this place sort of helps with mental trauma, am I reading that right?

Deadpool | OTA

[what_fourth_wall]

I. Revival Arrival

"AHSHIT!!!" Deadpool's sneeze probably startles you. It definitely startles whoever is nearby. One person starts to say something, perhaps to bless him or perhaps to politely inquire if his 'achoo' really did sound like an 'ahshit', but Deadpool waves the person off with a tiny hand and sneezes again. "AHSHIT!!"

It's not just his hand that is tiny, either. Deadpool is a large normal sized head on a teeny tiny body. It is...disconcerting at best...to look at him. He's like one huge bobblehead. Kyle had gotten his disembodied head to the Temple, and he'd been given space to start regenerating, but before he could finish he'd found himself here. Regrowing a whole body took some time, and it had seemed to be taking longer than usual on the last island. Or maybe he'd just been impatient. Either way, 20's health care healing factors, amirite?

"Huh. What is that I AHSHIT!!!!" He wipes at his nose with the back of a baby hand. "hurgh, sense? My healing tingles are more tingly than usual." He waggles tiny toes as if he can see them growing. "Maybe I won't be a Funko Pop for as long as usual. That'd be AHSHIT!!! nice."

He clambers up to the prow of the boat he's on and puts a little leg on it, striking a truly bizarre looking Captain Morgan pose. "AVAST, ME BUDDIES!!! LAND HOES!!!"

If any of the locals react to his red Scrywatch as they pull up to the dock, he barely notices. Instead, he's hopping off and looking up and around.

"Is it just me or am I the most childish one here?" Hey, it was a free opening, but he had to give them out occasionally at least.

III. The Lotus Bubble Baths...Wait...there aren't supposed to be bubbles...gross.

Well, he wasn't really all that grown up yet. But then, he had not waited long at all to find this place. Baths? Nudity? Telling the pollen to fuck right off? Yeah, he was totally into that. Some kind local, seeing him sneeze his giant bobble head off, had actually suggested this place; Deadpool had not even had to ask.

As far as the nudity part, well, he assumed this was a clothing optional spot. If it wasn't, other bathers were likely in for a nasty surprise. And even if it was...other bathers were in for a nasty surprise.

He lowered his tiny body into the pool and slid into a shallow part. Ahhhh...that was nice. That was good. Fuck yes, he could just feel the regeneration happening now. Hey, was that Rogue across from him? And Jenn off to his right? Siryn over there? Vanessa to his left? Crazy Inez? Shiklah? Damn, his whole rogue's gallery of crushes was right up in this pool with him.

"Heeeey ladies, I've missed you all so much. Well, except you Jenn. I just saw you. Did you enjoy the lingerie?"

And behind them, his daughters. That guy who may or may not be his father from that time he thought Loki was his father. Logan. Anyone he'd ever thought of as family.

"Welcome to Krakoa, Wade," one of the mutants said, "You have a home now. A place to belong and be accepted for who you are."

He smiled and tipped his head back.

IV. Nightbooming

At this point, Deadpool is not just a tiny body - he's a giant wrinkle. Sometime during the day, he fell asleep in the Lotus Baths and night fell. Was it the scream that woke him, or something else? Either way, he reluctantly clambers up out of the pool.

It doesn't take long to make his way back through the locker rooms, putting on his child clothing that he'd found himself in when the travel commenced to the new island. Unfortunately, he doesn't have his Tommy Gun. As hard as he'd worked to get one to travel here with, too. Stupid gun free zones. Now he was unarmed again, and heading off to where he heard the screaming and wailing.

"Glowing flowers, you say?" His aren't words of comfort, but curiosity. "Where?"

In addition to the glares, he did get a few fingers pointed in a vague direction. He starts to make his way in that direction, ostensibly to check out the flowers - but we all know that he'll end up trying to save the kid too. Well, most of us do. The wailing mother and her comforters don't, really. To them he's just some asshole who cares more about glowing flowers than a lost child.

V for Verily, Deadpool shall do the event when it occurs!

I

[unkindled_madness]

They haven't really met in person, so Sephiroth isn't aware that this... person doesn't always look so dispropotionate. He's like some sort of goblin... A deformed goblin.

He isn't particularly interested in associating with the goblin, especially amid all the sneezing, but he does make that one observation that Sephiroth hadn't. He takes another look at the welcoming crowd even as he fends off someone with a flower wreath. No children... Is that odd?

"Perhaps they don't come to the dock."

It would make sense, wouldn't it? Not to bring your children to greet a group of unfamiliar and potentially dangerous individuals?

Jean-Paul Beaubier/Northstar | Marvel !616 | OTA

[speed_of_snark]

The Temple

"What d'fuck." It's a statement more than a question, uttered flatly. Arms crossed over his chest, mouth downturned in a moue of distaste, Jean-Paul stands inside the Island Temple, looking down at the clothes hung for the taking.

"So my choice is this ridiculous robe or an epileptic's tie-dye experiment? Chrisse."

He sighs and looks at one of the strange cats guarding the place. "I don't suppose you have Gucci on this island?"


The Lotus Baths

If it's remotely luxurious, Jean-Paul is there. If he must be stuck on some sort of... self help retreat or whatever this is, he's going to make the very best of the situation. The baths are undeniably pleasant, and he strips and sinks in with a pleased hum. Head tipped back, eyes closed, he stays that way as the stress held in his body gradually dissipates.

"Wake up, babe."

He opens his eyes, aware that he's still in the bath but feeling at the same time that he is in fact home in bed. Regardless, his husband is snuggled up close to him, smiling.

Jean-Paul smiles back brilliantly. "Non. I'm never getting up again. And you have to stay with me." He can just barely smell fresh coffee over the scent of the flowers. He reaches for Kyle's hand and is surprised when he can't quite seem to catch it.

Gradually what he sees will change, and the baths will seem far away and unimportant. Instead of feeling the soft, warm water there is instead the rush of air and the sensation of falling, faster and faster.

Which might be terrifying, if you're not used to it.


Nightblooming

Jean-Paul is a pretty terrible superhero. He has had to be practically blackmailed into action in the past, after all, and his temper and ego aren't particularly heroic. That said, Jean-Paul has also spent time as a teacher and guardian, and the idea of some stupid teenager out there in the dark alone with god knows what?

No. He can't allow that to happen.

He turns to whoever is closest to him and says, "Well, are you coming with me to help?"


Wildcard me, baby!

Temple

[helpdesk_hero]

The voice was what brought David from his explorations of the Temple. Live with a guy long enough and you know not only his voice, but his favored curses. And, in a lot of ways, it's a voice David hadn't heard in so long that of course he went to seek it out.

"Something tells me that Gucci isn't an option, boss," David spoke as he entered the space, smiling. He'd abandoned his robe quite readily for the vibrant clothing, happy to just not be in a robe. "And come on, you've worn way less tasteful stuff than this."

Sephiroth | OTA

[unkindled_madness]

I. Arrival / Temple

[Anyone who came from the previous island might have noticed that Sephiroth did not get on the boat of his own free will. He just appeared there, magically, back in the plain robe and sandals they all started with. He isn't thrilled about it.

The locals do not manage to get a flower wreath around his neck-- partly because of his height and partly because he tears away the first one to get close enough and tosses it into the water. Some flower petals get caught in his hair though. How shoujo of him.

Obviously the first order of business is to escape the crowded dock and explore the village. His distaste for the bright colors and abundant flowers is clear enough, but... it does seem peaceful.

Peaceful enough that by the time he's walking through the temple, he almost feels that he could sleep there. Even if it has been provided for him...

He has no interest in exchanging his robes for any of that bright clothing, but he will be picking up one of those machetes, weighing it in his hand like someone very used to handling a blade. It's still not a proper sword, but it's closer than a knife.]


II. Lotus Baths

[Sephiroth likes to be clean. It's as simple as that. Or, it should be.

While he's skeptical of the villagers' warnings, he does make his first trip out to the baths in daylight. Unconcerned with being seen, he ties his hair up into a loose bun (because washing that really would make this a lengthy process), strips naked, and climbs into the water.

It's... nice. The heat of the water easing the tension from his muscles. He doesn't mean to linger, but he does.

He's actually relaxing for once when the other man approaches--or at least, Sephiroth sees him. Tall but not quite as tall as Sephiroth, with a soldier's build and uniform, black hair and blue eyes and a friendly face. A friendly voice, too.]

Hey, Seph. How's it goin'?

[He's enough at ease that he almost accepts it. There were newcomers on the boat; let Zack be one of them. Even if that doesn't seem quite right, it's not so easy to muster a desire to banish this.]


III. Nightblooming

[You can't just tell a person that "bad things" happen at night and expect them not to be curious. Sephiroth is already on his way out of the village when he hears the scream. He alters his route to head towards it-- but only until he's near enough to see that any attacker is already gone.

He isn't interested in dealing with some sobbing woman. He leaps from the raised platform and into the flowers, intent on finding the source of her distress, and killing it. Hopefully it's a challenge.

Care to join him?]

((Interested in something else? Feel free to hit me up at yinza for plotting!))

( arrival )

[dothelokimotion]

[ loki observes that before speaking up. ]

You have to balance it with your palm.

David Alleyne | OTA

[helpdesk_hero]

II. Temple - Cooking Makes Me Feel Good
All of this was, needless to say, weird. A new world, a creepy boatsman, the idea of making up for their actions to earn some ticket home or somewhere else because a higher power said so, it was all just weird. Sure, it was weird in a way that David was very familiar with, but strange didn't even begin to cut it. The atmosphere, though, was peaceful. Soothing. Like Krakoa enough for David, not twenty minutes after they made shore, to just smile and move to explore.

While the anxieties and fears were ebbing away a mild sense of euphoria washed over him, and there was really only one thing for him to do when he was this happy and at peace for himself. Which was, amusingly enough, also what he did when he he was stressed: cook.

So it was that David, clad in a shirt of two different shades of vibrant yellow with a V-neck so deep that hippies and disco loving dudes alike would approve. As for the rest of people?

Maybe they'd approve of the scent of fish steaming wrapped in large leaves and stuffed with some of the tastier fruits that had been in the cooking area. And now he was chopping up ingredients for a fruit salsa.

III. Baths - Visions of Peaceful Times
David was lucky, not having to suffer from allergies. But even he could only stand so much pollen. For him, it took three days and only three days. The man was too big into cleanliness. So the first time he went he slipped into the waters in a pool he found that was empty. The waters were so warm and soothing, so wonderful. And David closed his eyes, letting the stress slip from his body.

Moment later, it felt like he was floating. Strangely, for all of the heat around him, he had barely closed his eyes before he could feel the rush of cold air over his skin. The chill of winter bit at him in the most wonderful way, and when he opened his eyes he could see it all around him. There was no way he was in an ice rink, clad against the chill, gliding easily over the ice with the skill of the experienced.

A week later the lessons learned from his first dip in the heated waters had been forgotten enough that the overwhelming sensation of pollen. Once more he let himself sink into the warm waters, and this time the experience started with the feel of hands against his skin. No, not his skin in general, just hands reaching for his. Before him on one side a man with bright red hair and the iciest blue eyes, smiling at him with fondness and mischief. Holding the other hand a man with hair the color of pure snow and piercing green eyes that never seemed to settle on one spot.

"Welcome home, idiot," Tommy said, smiling. The other man, Damian, just nodded.

IV. Night - Missing Persons Investigations
Nothing like screaming to awaken someone. The noise pierced through the night and before David could stop himself he rolled out of sleep, dressed quickly, and rushed down to the source. It took so little time to find the source, and it broke his heart to see.

A little listening, a little explanation from the locals, and David was resolved.

"I'm going to find the kid," he said. Whether he had support or not didn't matter. "Anyone with me?"

Cookin'

[kyley_b]

"Your tits are out, dude."

Which could be construed as a way of saying, 'why hello, David, pleased to see that you're here.'

Kyle inhales and wanders a little closer. "Fish? Ooh, it's like revenge against your almost-bride."

Hawks | BNHA | OTA

[nanban]

A; THE TEMPLE

Hawks isn't sure about this new island, just like he wasn't about the last one. This one sure is flashy, though? He has some Questions(tm) about the whole going between islands thing, of course. Was it resolved? Was it supposed to be? Who the hell decides when they leave and why? The Boatman hadn't answered his questions on the boat, so that was a nonstarter. Of course. (You might have heard him ask about this if you were on the boat here.)

Well, anyway, the temple seems to be a decent first stop. Catch him trying to coax a cat to come nearer. Look, they have wings, he has wings, surely they should be friends, right? The cats don't seem very interested in him, though they aren't afraid, either.

He accepts the change of clothes, settling for shorts and sandals. The tie dye clashes with the bright red colour of his wings, but he doesn't seem to mind. You can also catch him examining some fish and flowers like he might actually be considering cooking it. That might be a disaster, who knows. He holds up a fish and a flower and says, "Hey. You think these actually go together? Because I'm having serious doubts here."

B; LOTUS BATHS

The lack of baths is pretty apparent right away, and eventually, Hawks can't stand it anymore. He's sure he's not the only one. Finally, someone tells him where to go. Natural spring. Go early. Yeah, all right, he can handle that. He's got to get some of this pollen off somehow. It's dulling his feathers, okay?

He's alone when he gets to the bath, by virtue of flying there. Sorry to anyone walking who gets sprayed with pollen as he zips past. He settles into the water, glad to get that clingy pollen off. Too bad no one warned him about the hallucinations!

Most of Hawks's good memories, the ones that he holds dear, are the standard fare: there are good things about being a hero, after all, even though he didn't precisely choose this for himself. But his best ones are always fighting alongside his hero, Endeavor. Endeavor can't fly like Hawks can, but they're a good team. And once, Endeavor even told him he did good, grudgingly, in that way that the current number one hero has. The big guy isn't good at social graces at the best of times, but Hawks makes up for that by being an obnoxious extrovert.

This isn't a terribly embarrassing memory, unless it's obvious how pleased Hawks is with that little bit of praise. What a fanboy, jeez.

C; NIGHTBLOOMING

There's absolutely no choice to be made when that scream sounds. Hawks has to go, has to figure it out. That's the hero thing to do, after all. He didn't get to be number two by slacking off or not caring, no matter what the persona he projects to the world might seem like. So he's there immediately, landing near the distressed mother and figuring out where to go next. You can catch him at this stage if you like.

Or catch him in the field with the runaway teen:

All right, so he's seen some pretty weird shit in his time, but these giant freaking bugs are absolutely up there. Yuck.

He's not above squashing some bugs or whatever, but he's also not here to kill sentient beings first and ask questions later. If it comes to it and he's about to be a snack, then it would be self-defence, but he has to try other avenues first.

He has one of his long feathers in his hands when he lands to confront the bugs. He can use it like a sword, but that's probably not readily apparent.

"Hey, fellas, there's got to be some better option for a latenight meal, right? I'd rather not do this the hard way. That's wayyy too much work late at night." Despite his casual tone, he's absolutely serious and his smile doesn't reach his eyes.

Help him, hinder his progress, pick a fight with some mantises, whatever suits you here. He'll be reluctant to Do Murder.

PLACEHOLDER

[ custom starter for the event will be happening when that comes up! ]

WILDCARD;

[ Hit me with whatever you'd like! Hawks can be pretty much anywhere, and he's very personable! For plotting or custom starters hmu at boywonder ]

Temple

[helpdesk_hero]

It's not uncommon for someone to associate the smallest things with specific people. A noise or a scent, or sometimes a color. In this case it was a combination of color and sound. The sound of feathers and that specific shade of red drew David from his investigation of the temple.

"Jay?" he called out, expecting that combination to, well, mean someone familiar. Instead he found a man that, well, could easily be a strange mix between Jay and his older brother Sam. And he felt weird, over the fact that he'd said a name that clearly had no place here.

"Uh, sorry. You were asking something about the fish?"

Saxsice King | OC

[queenking]

i. arrival

Ohhhh, this is more like it! [Saxsice all but leaps off the boat, arms held out wide as if she's about to embrace the cloud of pollen coming their way, a huge grin on her face. The powdery substance immediately coats every one of her curls and gets itself into all the nooks and crannies of her clothes and, judging by her expression, she couldn't be happier. Turning on her toes in a little circle, Saxsice tosses the nearest person a beaming look.]

This place smells so good! And it's warm!! [She bounds forward, all energy, almost knocking over an approaching person in her haste to bury her face in their armful of flowers.] Oh my god, I need to buy a bikini!

ii. the lotus baths

[Saxsice's good mood lasts right on up to when she happily sinks up to her neck in the bath. She'd tossed her clothes aside, as unconcerned with her nudity as always, stretching her legs out and letting out a long, luxurious groan. She isn't sure what it is, but ever since arriving she's felt less...twitchy. Anxious. And her old creaky bones haven't been as old and creaky (no, she isn't a million years old, she's just close to 30 and doesn't eat/sleep/live healthily). She could almost fall asleep right here...

When the hallucination comes, it's so natural that Saxsice doesn't even realize it's all in her head -- a small, sort of shabby apartment, just this side of too warm, a cheap box fan stuck in the open sliding glass door in a vain effort to get some cool air circulating. There's a dingy, threadbare couch, an old TV, rabbit ears and all, sitting on a stack of milk crates and playing some old movie that's as much static as it is picture. Saxsice herself is lounging on the couch, wearing cut-offs and an oversized t-shirt, a sweating beer can in one hand, bare feet tapping away to the music. And, curled up by her side, sound asleep, is a nine or ten-year-old boy, cuddled to her shoulder despite the heat, his hair sticking out everywhere. With her free hand, Saxsice smooths the child's hair back, an impossibly gentle, tender gesture, the look on her face one of the utmost peace--

The scented water of the baths sloshes everywhere as Saxsice (the real one, the one stuck on the damn island) lurches up and out, her face stricken. She's out, standing naked and shivering with her arms over her chest, breath rattling in and out of her chest. If anyone had seen that -- is still seeing it, still witnessing her deepest, most precious secret -- she doesn't acknowledge them. She just stands there, trembling.]

iii. nightblooming

[You know what's a great way to not acknowledge your innermost hurts? Playing vigilante. Plus, y'know, maybe Saxsice is a little more...sympathetic to a bereaved mother as of late. Don't read too much into it.

She squares her shoulders, glancing over at another would-be rescuer and giving them a grim, serious look.] All righty then, if we wanna go full badass, I gotta just -- one sec. Promise not to freak out. [The usual disclaimer dropped, she cracks her knuckles, rotates her shoulders and then drops forward on all fours to -- well, to transform into a bigass fluffy white wolf.

Listen, if she's gonna kill a bug hivemind, she wants to do it right. You promised not to freak out, damn it.]

ii. the lotus baths

[extrasensory_problems]

[It's interesting how much two strangers lives can mirror one another.

Not that Carter is thinking about that in the slightest as he slides into the mineral waters, all he is thinking about is soothing his tired body. The locals had told him that a trip to the lotus bath would help ease his aches and pains and after what had happened to him on the last island he needed it, more so he thinks he deserves it. He deserves a chance to just relax and let himself unwind.

And so he is completely caught off guard when things start to change.
He feels so warm and comfortable in the waters and it's only when he opens his eyes does he realize he's seeing something that isn't there, more so it almost seems to be doubled. As if two memories have been set on top of each other, like two panes of colored glass.

His own memory is of him, much younger and much smaller, sitting on the couch happily drawing with markers and pencils. His mother sits next to him reading a copy of the Weekly World News, she glances up briefly and favors him with a smile.
It's a smile that he would give anything to see again.
He leans forward and she reaches out, stroking the top of his head, smoothing back his hair in an impossibly gentle, tender gesture...

Carter jerks as if someone has slapped him because for a brief moment he actually felt that touch but it wasn't his mother, it was....]

What the fuck?!

[He pulls himself out of the water, wiping it off his skin as if it was something corrosive and painful. His eyes are wide and frightened, ironically making him look much more like his eight year old self. He looks up and sees the shaking woman next to him but almost doesn't register her.]

What....what the fuck was that?!

Wrench | Fargo TV | OTA

[wwrench]

arrival | temple

It's a strange sort of honor to bear witness to the last moments of a person's life. With all the pretense stripped away and the sinking realization of that finality taking hold, a man tends to become more himself than he's ever been since birth. And while -- for the most part -- Wrench has never been one to leave his victims to languish in their final moments, he's seen plenty of different reactions in his time. He used to think maybe they held the clue to what lies on the other side, but over time he's convinced himself they're nothing more than the chemical reaction of the brain in its own death throes.

Which is why none of this makes any sense. A boat and a ferryman waxing on about quests and redemption, a metal band around his wrist glowing an eerie orange, and the overwhelming taste of pollen on his lips. Wrench is still reeling when he's dumped to port to be greeted with braided, flowering blooms and open arms. His stature makes it difficult to blend in among the crowd, but the cloud of his silence and the hard stare he pays anyone who tries to place flowers in his arms lets him wind through the better part of the chaos largely unfettered.

He can be found doing his best to orient himself to this strangeness, or later at the temple, picking through the dyed fabrics and considering both a bowie and a kukri.

the lotus baths

In the midst of so much that's unfamiliar, bathing in a natural pool of water is a tale as old as time. Wrench is glad to find the spring so inviting in its warmth. It is, fortunately, nothing like sinking into a clear Minnesota lake on an early spring morning. In fact, once he's got one toe in the water he's happy to throw caution to the wind and let the runoff from the formation above pour over his head and down his back. After a little while, he almost can't help but risk closing his eyes.

When he opens them again, Wrench would swear he's been transported. In the midst of this strange place, he's found something as precious and as familiar to him as anything he's ever known. He can feel the threadbare bedsheet pulled over his head and see the amber glow of light streaming from the other side. He's just a boy here, no more than twelve, and the brunette boy hiding next to him puts an elbow into his ribs and points at a book laid between them.

How do you sign this? The boy's finger casts over the vocabulary in their science text.

A much younger Wrench rolls his eyes. Come on, you know all this. I think you've been signing longer than me.

Yeah? Well maybe I just like the things you do with your fingers. What about that?

At the falls, Wrench sinks further into the water.

nightblooming

There's no chance in hell he's closing his eyes here tonight anyway. Wrench isn't looking to provide any kind of help, but when he finds himself caught up in the crowd drifting around the sobbing woman he finds himself enlisted. A cursory point at the blade he's tucked in his waistband is all it takes, and truth be told he doesn't mind the excuse to explore a little bit more of his new home.

None of this could be any different than the frozen tundra of the upper Midwest, but tracking is tracking no matter how you slice it. He may be with the group, but it's increasingly clear he's only here to serve his own purposes.

temple

[unkindled_madness]

If you want someone who really doesn't blend in, try the 6'7" man with silver hair down to his knees. Despite wearing the same robes as the newcomers, he seems considerably less disoriented by the situation, moving with a certain decisiveness to explore the village. He's been through this before, he just didn't get to keep his updated wardrobe.

Which may be contributing to his visible frustration at finding nothing but brightly-colored clothing available at the temple. He's picking through a pile in hopes of finding at least a reasonable shade of green or blue, but if his only other option is bright yellow shorts (they would match his ScryWatch), he'll stick with the robes.

Chloe | Detroit: Become Human | OTA

[neverwither]

⭕ TEMPLE

( A place filled with flowers and somewhere to cook? Things are definitely looking up in the world of island-hopping. She’s also managed to find a long dress in vibrant hues of pink and yellow. Rather garish, certainly, but it also serves to help the android feel a little more like herself.

All too keen to get stuck in, and bring some small sense of normalcy, Chloe is busy preparing a selection of brightly coloured candied flowers. They’ll serve as edible decoration for the baked apples filled with fruit jam that she already has cooking. Because everyone deserves a treat, don’t they? The bowls and cutlery she has stacked up and laid out on the work space suggest she has no intention of keeping these spoils to herself.

There might not be as much scope for culinary creation as she would have wished for but she seems to be making herself at home with what there is – a Martha Stewart in the making. )



⭕ LOTUS BATHS

( The warm water is undeniably soothing. As it washes over her, Chloe feels an ease she hasn’t felt in a very long time. She has always been a fan of the water (and is fortunately waterproof enough to be able to indulge) and this wonderful bath is no exception.

As the scene around her shifts, Chloe shifts too. She turns so her arms and head rest upon the edge of the spring. Only that natural water source and its surroundings have become a red pool in a spartan room. A room that holds one of her best memories as well as one of the very worst.

Right now, she bathes in a pleasant memory. One that makes her feel full of light and life. A man with a naturally imposing and commanding presence crouches by the side of the pool. He looks at her with a small, and rare, smile. She, too, smiles at him. He reaches for her, tucking his fingers around her chin so he can lift her head to better gaze at him. Or perhaps to better gaze at her. When he speaks, his voice is quiet. As gentle as he ever is. )

I’m not going to say I’m proud of you. There’s no need. You passing the Turing Test was a mere formality. And I know you’re also wondering if I’m pleased with you. Yes, Chloe, my flower, I’m pleased with you. Very pleased. The first of my androids was as impeccable as I imagined. Soon the whole world will change.

( Chloe herself just continues to smile, basking in the praise of her creator. )



⭕ NIGHTBLOOMING

( Chloe would have been very, very content to bask in the niceties of the island and to not get involved whatsoever in whatever things might happen at night.

However, she can’t quite force herself to ignore screaming and sobbing. Maybe it won’t be any sort of thing. Maybe it will just be someone in need of the sort of help Chloe may be able to provide. But the thought that someone could be in trouble, and that it could be one of the Travelers, gnaws at her.

So it isn’t long before she goes to investigate. And while she probably isn’t the best individual to recruit for a search and rescue mission, she finds herself being recruited all the same. How can she deny a distraught mother and those concerned faces of the villagers?

Here’s hoping that the teenager found their beau and the two of them are currently doing what teenagers do. Though Chloe still glances around for anyone who might be willing to provide some backup. )



⭕ THE FLOWER ORACLE

[ There will be text here, but there isn’t now. Except for this. ]



⭕ WILDCARD

[ Feel like something different with Chloe? Catch me at Another_thoughts_hat or via PM and we can do a thing! ]

temple

[nanban]

[ Hawks has been hanging out in the temple a bit for want of something better to do. He doesn't mind the weather, but the pollen sticks to his feathers and he'd rather not become a walking (or flying) allergy attack for anyone else.

He has his own brightly coloured clothes in green and yellow that clash with his red wings. But any port in a storm, right?

He follows the scent of baking to the kitchens and lingers in the doorway. ]

Oh, man, I hope you made enough to share of whatever smells so nice.

𝐌𝐀𝐋𝐄𝐅𝐈𝐂𝐄𝐍𝐓 • disney

[medeiun]

THE TEMPLE

( It is beautiful, here. It reminds her of home — of the Moorlands, lush and vibrant, smelling of warmth and life. It presses slightly bittersweet against her heart (she misses home, misses her daughter, and every golden shimmer of sunlight or floral scent wafting through the air feels as though it should be accompanied by Aurora's honeysuckle-sweet laughter), but Maleficent finds an ease in this place, one she does not fight against as she normally might.

Though she still keeps some distance from her fellow Travelers, she does a lot less sulking alone this time around, and can often be found within the Temple. The clothing provided for them isn't quite in the realm of her comfort zone (...black seems to be a nonexistent option here, and there are certainly no raven skulls or leather to work with...a pity), but despite the offensively-bright, airy garments she finds herself in, and the strange shoes slid onto her feet (did someone call them 'sandals'? She finds them as ugly as they are uncomfortable, doubly offensive), Maleficent welcomes a certain freedom in this place. Unlike the sharp, gilded city of the last island, this humble village is dominated by nature. She allows her long hair to stay down and free, lets her wings flutter in the breeze that drifts through any open space. Her body feels younger, spry even.

On a sun-soaked afternoon, one may find her preparing food: an assortment of flowers spread out over the counter, the dark fey sifting through them. She organises them by various ways: scent, colour. Some are flora she's familiar with, and others are not. ​Nearby, a modest amount of fish has also been extracted from the cabinets, though it's thusfar left untouched. Maleficent is hardly a homemaker; she isn't used to preparing meals over a counter, and certainly not with the use of any tools. If she needed to cook or otherwise alter food, it would be done with her magic — of which she is capable here, but she still doesn't trust these circumstances not to suddenly leave her without her powers. If that were to happen, she would be... not helpless, never that, but far less capable. No, she needs to learn how to cook and prepare meals by hand. And if you don't speak up first, expect a sudden, quiet and stern instruction as her back stays turned, not yet knowing who might be standing behind her, simply aware to the feeling of their presence— )

Make yourself useful and start working.

( Maleficent can also be found wandering just outside the temple, quietly studying the painted patterns winding their colours along the wood, or just as quietly tending to the multitude of flowers outside — fingertips brushing the petals of the orchids that cover the temple, or crouched down near the flowers leading up to the temple. On occasion, one might see a soft shimmer of gold dancing from her fingertips to a particular flower she feels the need to baby. In response, it will perk up even more brightly if that were at all possible, seeming to dance beneath her open palm, and one might catch her smiling softly to herself. Her role was Protector back home: of the Moors, of its residents both creature and plant. )

THE LOTUS BATHS

( She quietly sheds her clothing, letting it drop right to the ground, where the bright garments gather at her feet. Stepping out of them, Maleficent eases a leg into the brilliant blue water, carefully. It is warm, and so very welcoming, and even more rich than the natural pools to be found in her home.

The rest of her follows, a soft sigh exhaled from her parted mouth, eyes a pleased, peaceful golden. Carefully, her wings join her, well coated in pollen, eased in on either side of her body, where they gently sift through the water. If you happen across her soon enough, you may find Maleficent cleaning her wings, fingers slowly brushing through the feathers, stroking shimmering pollen from them, and giving them a much-needed, very thorough washing. She may not appreciate company so much, depending on who it is — but of course, this place is not only hers to occupy.

Or perhaps you come across the pools a bit later on, after she has sunken deeper into that enticing water, having let it wash over her hair and horns and then slowly coming back up — to rest with her head against the edge of the pool, her eyes calm, lulled. Perhaps you have slipped in as well, to no protests from the fey who is entirely soothed by this point, body limp and blissfully still. And what she sees, what you will see from her, is borne of one of her most fond, precious memories.

The area shifts into nighttime, the pool expanding outwards into a bog surrounded by bright green grass and moss, illuminated in places by ethereal purple and pink flowers. It looks very reminiscent of something that could be found on this island, though there are strange creatures flittering about: buzzing winged things, glowing beings, small fairies. Knelt by the edge of the water is a girl — flaxen-haired, rosy-cheeked. She lifts her head and smiles brightly, reaching out to gently greet the floating creatures with soft hands.

Maleficent gazes at the scene with a gentle fondness, eyes narrowed softly, dark red mouth held in a calm smile; on the surface, she is very controlled. But her eyes are warm, and filled with love.

You may witness hers for a time, or perhaps a vision of your own may begin to ease in. )

NIGHTBLOOMING

( Maleficent is no hero. She does not act unless there is reason, purpose, unless it suits her or protects those she has deemed worth protecting. Her focus is selective, and she has no general obligation to humans.

But as the mother sobs for her lost child, Maleficent doesn't have to think about it, doesn't have to reason it out. She's off, flying at first, a large creature soaring over the island, sharp eyes on the lookout. But eventually she comes back down, and you might be near her as she lands, perhaps even be caught in the wind of her great wings sweeping downwards as they support her weight to the ground. She needs to be able to search through the trees, and for that she must be on foot; perhaps she makes her way close to your position as she moves, quickly, and inhumanly quiet. Her eyes are now an acerbic green colour that glints through the darkness; she is ready to fight whatever has stolen the child. Ready to kill, if she must. But first she must locate it — and she'll be willing to work with company, provided they can keep up. )

---

WILDCARD / ETC

_{ooc → So I fizzled out hard last month and let a lot of threads taper off as a result. If anyone's game for something fresh this month, I'm down!
Feel free to : holler at me if you'd like to plot something specific • respond in prose if that's your preference, and I'll follow suit ♡}

1

[cryptsleeper]

What is it that you're trying to do, precisely?

[Alucard's taken to the kitchens immediately, happy enough with the constant supply of fish. He's not the one pulling it out of the water source, and he's found that any leftovers he has on a given day are worthy enough offerings for the temple's felineish guardians. Besides, he actually knows what he's doing - cooking is one of his unsung skills, and it shows now as he is in the middle of de-scaling one of the fish.

He's not sure what Malificent is going for here precisely, based on what he can see. Flowers can be a fine enough salad, yes, but the fish feels an afterthought.]

Alucard | Castlevania

[cryptsleeper]

II. Temple
--Here.

[Alucard is not inclined to waste food, and what leftover fish he's cooked for himself has been set on a small plate and currently being given to the temple's (mostly) feline guardians. The fish has been prepared simply enough - poached with some of the more edible flowers, the taste light and sweet while letting the fish itself shine through. And it is good fish, the variety unfamiliar to the dhampir and welcome for the novelty.

The kitchen and the pantries are wholly unfamiliar, but they are a much more comfortable space to occupy. There's a mess to clean up now (dishes, the pot still full of too hot poaching liquid, the cutting board and too sharp knives), but Alucard lingers a minute, observing the guardians instead. He likes them much more than the last ones.]

IV. Nightblooming
[In retrospect, Alucard will note the fact he didn't just turn away and ignore the plight of a family breaking apart was the first sign that he wasn't entirely lost in his own trauma and depression to the point of becoming his father. Here and now though, Alucard's thought process is far simpler: he wants to know what dangers are in this place and how they compare to the last island.

So here he is in the middle of the flower fields, machete in one hand and moving as carefully as he can. The blade in hand has been used sparingly, which is to say not at all yet. Any quick movement will give away his approach, and that isn't the game. Not yet.

The giant mantises give Alucard just a moment of pause has he comes across them finally, taking the moment to duck low beneath the cover of flowers. If there are others approaching this scene (and it has a touch of madness to it, giant bugs singing human songs to trap their prey), he needs to account for that as well.]

Wildcard
Alucard will generally be found around the Temple or else exploring the fields if you'd rather encounter him there.

II

[prodigalmess]

I wonder if that's how they usually take their tributes.

[ Malcolm had watched the other man offer the fish to the feline guardians, one of whom is smelling it curiously. He's in the kitchen gathering some fruit to eat for a snack. Malcolm doesn't eat large meals, and fortunately the fruit here is really sweet and fresh. The sense of calm that pervades this place is allowing him to eat more than he usually does at home. ]

Maybe they also accept belly rubs?

loki | mcu | ota

[dothelokimotion]

( i. arrival )

[ it was like a conscious weight had been lifted. all the fear and exhaustion that had cluttered his veins seemed to have cleared up. he feels brighter, lighter, more like himself. even the pain of ragnarok seems to exist as nothing more but the faintest of throbs in his chest.

after receiving the flowers, loki turns them over in his hands critically before using his illusions to make them look like calla lilies. it was his mother’s favourite flower after all. he sings an old norwegian song, dulcet tones drifting over the temple as he threads the lilies into his hair with small braids.

if anyone wants some braids, he’d be happy to do so. ]

( ii. the lotus baths )

[ it was especially nice to have the heated baths. loki used to have a large one in his room back on asgard, but obviously, that is no longer an option. he can’t go home. loki pushes that thought out of his mind as he reclines against the wall of the baths, letting the water sap away the aches and pains. he finds his mind drifting, to pretend coronations of the past and a moment of brotherly reconnection. loki closes his eyes, breathing it out. ]

Oh what could have been . . .

( iii. nightblooming )

[ it had been the mother crying that prompted him. loki doesn’t examine it too closely. he doesn’t want to think about it for too long. thinking about frigga always reduced him to a sorrow he couldn’t overcome. but that wasn’t important right now. loki heads towards the flowers, letting the magic hum in anticipation.

though, once he finally arrives, seeing the giant mantis was . . . new. he blinks, trying to parse that. ]

Well, that’s new.

[ should he kill it? it’s a giant bug. killing giant bugs is messy overall and loki hates a mess. he approaches it carefully. perhaps diplomacy is the better option. he glances around, palms up. ]

I can get the boy from the tree if anyone can provide a distraction?

( iv. wildcard )

[ got an option in mind? pm this account with ideas / hit me up @ timmtams ]

ii | lotus baths

[assemble_the_lovbacken]

[Thor hadn't woken at first light with the express intent of going to the baths, but after catching the sunrise, he decided to see what the locals were talking about. Besides, a good soak after such a harrowing journey was too enticing to pass up.

Once there, he found a relatively secluded spot in the water, first slipping in a foot. It was hot, but not terribly so. The rest of his body quickly followed, and he exhaled a gentle sigh as he submerged himself to his shoulders.

He lost track of time, reveling in the dissipation of the aches and pains he'd been carrying. It didn't take long before a memory slithered into his mind, and it was a fond one. A smile plastered on his face, eyes closed, he let out a quiet chuckle and murmured:]

You're really not so bad after all, Brother.

Jennifer Walters | OTA

[grayshulk]

Ⅰ. ARRIVAL
Jennifer stops on one of the rope bridges, staring out into the overwhelming tangle of growth that surrounds the village.

Somewhere, mixed with the perfumes of a thousand other flowers, is the smell of her mother's garden. It's a mix of oleanders, roses, and something else she doesn't quite remember because it's been more than a decade since Elaine Walters was alive to tend it. Jennifer closes her eyes and breathes it in, and lets the memory of her mother come without the sense of loss or anger. She has completely forgotten what that feels like, and the sweetness of memory is sharp and piercing.

"Do you smell that?" She asks, which is, of course, a ridiculous question given the overwhelming sensory wave of an island so aggressively full of flora, but there's a vulnerable sincerity to her at this moment. A hint of who she might have been if her life hadn't been touched by violence and the need for justice.

Ⅱ. THE TEMPLE
One of the temple guardians watches Jennifer in the supply room with a focus and slow flick of the tip of its tail that could be either amusement or a gentle threat. You see, after her particular debacle in Carcosa, Jennifer has got it in her head to try and figure out a better way to deal with her particular clothing woes. For the moment, that involves sorting out all the tie-dyed clothing by type, size, and dominant color. Given the lack of size labels and the magical nature of the Temple, this is a more challenging project than she'd originally predicted.

The guardian flicks its tail again and another pile of clothes suddenly appears in the middle of the section Jennifer just got organized. Some very colorful language echoes throughout the Temple in immediate response.

Ⅲ. THE LOTUS BATHS

There is no power Jennifer is currently aware of on the island that could have kept her out of the baths. Not even revisiting the topic of public nudity. She wants to clean her body, but also to soak in the sunlight and pretend for a little while that this is something other than what it is. Besides, when she sinks down so even her shoulders are under the water, she can use one of the floating rafts of pretty flowers for a little extra modesty.

She doesn't notice that the hand that nudges the lily pad is green until she does, and then she laughs, deep and joyful. Jennifer holds her hands in front of her face like she's never seen them before, still laughing, elated. Because it isn't just her hands, it's her whole body and the simple, pure joy of being in this true expression of herself that is so strong and abundant. Clearly something in the pool has allowed her to manifest the body she can trust and that feels like it actually belongs to her, is a part of her.

Not that anyone outside of the pool would see what she's seeing. There is no jade giantess in the water, only a woman remembering her body before the trauma.


Ⅳ. NIGHTBLOOMING
It's the Hulk that answers the scream. Adrenaline and being woken from sleep in a dead panic didn't leave any room for Jennifer to keep control, and she is still quick on her feet, moving towards the threat. There's not much patience in her for listening to the mother or waiting for an explanation, but when the locals point in the general direction, too concerned by their own loss to be focused on the hulking grey figure with glowing green fissures, she nods. This is something she can down.

"We will find them." The sentence is short with little room for a response as she vaults over the railing and lands on her feet with an audible thud. You are, of course, welcome to follow her as she plows through the flowering fields in roughly the right direction, especially since she clears an easy path behind her.


WILD CARD
[Hit me up here or on plurk at uncleanpurifierif you want to plot something specific.]

2.

[bookerlesigh]

Booker follows the impressive stream of cussing through the halls of the temple, his own rainbow-colored flip-flops clopping away down the halls, the tunic of ridiculously clashing colors fluttering around his knees.

The scene that meets his eyes doesn't seem to warrant such a visceral reaction, and he glances between the guardian and the woman with the mess of clothing at her feet with bemused curiosity.

"Making a mess, or making it neat?"

Elenore Evans | OTA

[hostile_encounter]

Ⅰ. ARRIVAL
If Elenore could have had literal hearts in her eyes, it would not have conveyed the open, overflowing joy she felt on seeing the biological abomination that was the Isle That Blooms. She was was practically hanging over the side of the boat after realizing that there was something wildly unusual about the pollen that covered the travelers, and a whoop of pure glee escapes her as the landscape that should be an utter impossibility starts to reveal itself. Somehow, someway the ScryWatch with its persistent yellow must be lying because being granted access to this diversity of plant material is surely heaven.

Except there's one little problem she remembers as she disembarks from the ship, stopping in the middle of the flow of Travelers with an audible "Fuck". Other than some very rudimentary portable equipment she gathered from Carcosa, Elenore is without even the most basic equipment from her personal lab. "FUCK!"

Ⅱ. THE TEMPLE
Elenore hasn't looked this much like a mad scientist since her postgrad days with a pair of 1920s era goggles, thick rubber gloves, four pots boiling at slightly different temperatures with strange concoctions, and her hair doing unreasonable things in the strange humidity of the kitchen turned temporary laboratory. There's even a notebook open with arcane sketches and diagrams as she records her first round of data collection. She's half-forgotten that other people might want to make something to eat in the glow of discovery, and seems startled by the arrival of another person.

"This is going to take a while." The statement is clearly not an apology.


Ⅲ. THE LOTUS BATHS
Even a mad super scientist in biological wonderland needs to take a break. Elenore is not excited about the public nudity component, but the draw of getting clean in combination with the lure of seeing how the plant composition shifts in response to the different abiotic factors are more than she can resist.

And it's delightful. All that heat and the weightlessness lull her into letting her overloaded mind relax until she drifts into a half-drowsing state. It's lovely, especially when she finds herself in the company of another person who lets her lean on them, eyes closing as she feels safe for the first time in a very long time.

"When's the last time you slept, Nore?"

She doesn't question the nickname she hasn't let anyone use in years, or the comfort of the arm wrapped around her, keeping her from slipping into the water. "Mmm, a day, maybe two?"

"You have to do a better job taking care of yourself," he says, even though he's been dead for years. "That brain of ours might save us all someday."

"Mhmm," Elenore murmurs, drifting closer to sleep. It's a damned shame there isn't actually a person there to make sure she keeps her head above water.


WILD CARD
[Hit me up here or on plurk @ uncleanpurifier if you want to plot.]

Wildcard: Into the Flowery Unknown

[kyley_b]

"'Let's see what's in there.' That's why you guys get into these situations. Because when you come across a spooky, ancient ruin, you say 'Let's see what's in there.'
Every time bad things happen, you guys end up putting yourselves deeper into the middle of it, because 'that's just the way it is.'"

Words from the past that now echoed in his head as he followed Elenore deeper into the verdant bushes of the island. At the time, he'd thought Craig was an asshole, but now that he was older and had the advantage of having not lived such an adventurous life for a few years, he sort of wondered if the guy had had a point.

"Is this a good idea?" he asks aloud, ducking under a low hanging branch heavily laden with flowers.

[bookerlesigh]

II. The Temple

Booker doesn't pack, nor does he willingly place himself on the ship. There's nothing for him to miss, no personal effects that are worth keeping. For a moment he thinks that he might have had another incident where the drink had been impossibly strong, and he'd woken up here with no memories due to alcohol, but the grave frown that the ferryman offers him indicates more magic instead of self-inflicted repercussions.

He finds himself in the temple, swapping out the drab brown robe for a splashy, rainbow kaleidoscope patterned one. For the first time that he can remember, his mind seems... quieter. Calmer. He doesn't think about the nightmares that follow him like a curse, the memory of them faint and the anticipatory dread muted. The simple staples in the temple harken back to a time before the bustle of fast food and the whirlwind of innovation, and while he's not nearly as talented as Nicky, he manages passable meals, sharing them with anyone who happens to stop by.

III. The Lotus Baths

Booker peels off his robe and leaves the flip flops on the edge of the rocks. Slips into the water nude, the ease and peace he's found here settling in his muscles and bones and reminding him of a simpler time.

He submerges his head without a single thought of drowning entering his mind. Actually, there don't seem to be any thoughts entering his mind and he floats over to a rock where he can settle, closing his eyes.

Unbidden, he hears soft laughter, then a pair of giggles, then three sets of happy laughs that roll over each other; young, all of them, and he remembers exactly the moment. He doesn't seek an immediate distraction though, and he's too immersed in the memory to remember how it ultimately ends - until the fringes of someone else's life start bumping against his.

[ there will be other memories depending! ]

IV. Nightblooming

Booker hears the scream, and while he doesn't run to it with the typical eagerness of a distraction, he still arrives with the machete from the temple. There's often a certain kind of help he can provide, given his unfortunate ability to not die, and he's more than happy to use it to help the locals here, though he'll insist on going alone lest anyone else discover what he is and what he can do.

( ii )

[dothelokimotion]

[ loki squints, surprised to see booker expend . . . effort. ]

What possessed you to cook?

Gabby Kinney | Marvel 616

[honeybadgered]

(Outside the) Lotus Baths

It was very nice of the random adults to inform Gabby of a non-drugged up bathhouse for 14 and under. But it does have her a little concerned that a) no one is telling the 15 and older people about it and b) apparently people who are 15 and older don't have the option to take a non-drugged bath? That seems sketchy.

So Gabby has taken it upon herself today to be a walking PSA. She's lurking around outside the baths, and when she catches someone approaching, she makes a beeline for them. "Just so you know? Bath water's totally drugged." She raises her hands. "I mean, no judgment if you still want to go, I don't think it's dangerously drugged, but like, thought you should know."

She probably can't keep this up forever. But maybe she can inform enough people that she can get the word out. And then... deal with everyone being smelly and unbathed. That'll be fun with enhanced senses. But that's future Gabby's problem.

The Temple

Gabby's enjoying her cool new tie-dyed duds. She's always been a fan of bright colors. But more exciting than new clothes even is the fact that there are amazing winged kitties outside the temple.

And she has approached one of them and is now petting it and this is the greatest day in her entire life.

The only thing that can make it better is if she gets to touch that tummy. Cats are supposed to not like that, but these aren't normal cats? Finally, she very slowly reaches out to touch the belly.

Then there's a whole lot of yowling and Gabby ends up clawed up to hell. She's okay, of course. She heals instantly, but her new clothes are shredded and have blood on them now, and worse, the kitty has gotten up and is stalking away.

"Wait, I'm sorry! I won't do it again! Let me keep petting you!"

...still totally worth it.

Nightblooming

When Gabby hears the scream, she sits bolt upright, eyes wide. "Oh, fuck yes."

She's probably not meant to get this excited that someone's in danger. That's probably the whole reason she's on this stupid redemption island thing. She gets that. But also?? She's been so bored. And here, finally, there's something to fight! She heads out into the night.

When she hears what's up, she tilts her head, frowning. "Is that why there aren't any kids around? Is this a child-eating monster?" Her eyes light up. "Oooh, I could be bait!!"

Event

[A PLACEHOLDER]

Wildcard

Gabby's an adventurous kid. She can be found all sorts of places, especially places she probably shouldn't be, like on roofs or climbing around the trees or snooping behind any locked doors she can pick open. But she's cute and invulnerable, so it's probably fine.

[For a custom starter/plotting hit me up on plurk! antivillain]

Temple

[grayshulk]

The instinct to run towards yelling never quite goes away, so Jennifer manages to arrive just in time to see Gabby get bitten quite badly by the Temple Guardian only to instantly heal from it. She slows her roll a little, trying to assess the situation. By the time she could conceivably interfere, the girl and cat have separated, and that leaves a few questions.

"...Are you okay?" Jen will save asking about the only people she knows with similar healing factors for after she makes sure the kid is okay and properly clothed again.

Malcolm Bright | Prodigal Son

[prodigalmess]

I. ARRIVAL

The only explanation that Malcolm has for any of this is that he's dead. He's not exactly sure how or when he died, but after listening to the Ferryman talk about this being a journey of redemption, Malcolm is sure that this must be the afterlife. It's a weird afterlife, but who really knew what the afterlife was all about anyway?

Apparently it's a tropical blooming island.

If he believed in a spectrum of heaven and hell, Malcolm would have to guess that this is heaven. He's surprised that he's here, though maybe he shouldn't be. He's not perfect by any means, but he's tried to live a good life. Perhaps he deserves to be here more than he gives himself credit for.

After disembarking from the boat, he smiles at the locals as they put a lei around his neck. Turning to one of the other Travelers, he lowers his voice and leans in. "Are we dead?"

II. TEMPLE

He's made himself a bunk on one of the sleeping porches at the temple. It's surprisingly comfortable, considering it's outside. Malcolm's not much of a camper or sleeping outside type, but he's dealing with it the best that he can.

The consensus seems to be that he's not really dead and that everyone has been magically transported here. Malcolm still has a lot of questions that he wants answers to. The fact that he feels better and less stressed than he has in years is making the need for those answers not as urgent as it might be. He's even sleeping somewhat normally, and without nightmares. It's almost... unsettling.

Another thing he hasn't done in years is cooked something decent for himself, but with the extra time and sense of relaxation, he decided to try to do something with the abundance of fish that the temple has available to eat. He's at one of the cooking stations, sautéing a fish filet while he looks through the other food options.

"These flowers are edible?" he asks out loud. What the hell? He takes a bite out of a large pink petal. "Tastes like... citrus of some kind."

III. THE LOTUS BATHS

Malcolm relaxes back in the water, letting it flow over him. This is better than any spa vacation that his mother could have booked for him. He takes a deep breath of the sweet aroma that surrounds the baths as he slips into the hallucination.

In his mind's eye he sees himself happy and laughing with his friends and family. They're listening to him as he tells a story, not acting like whatever he's saying is annoying or macabre. His mother doesn't look worried about him at all. Gil looks proud. His father is a blip on everyone's radars, easily forgotten. When he goes to sleep at night, he doesn't have to use restraints in bed because he no longer has nightmares. He sleeps soundly.

As much as Malcolm knows this is a fantasy, he still never wants to get out of this bath. Suddenly though, when someone else enters the bath, his hallucination starts to change and shift.

IV. NIGHTBLOOMING

The scream draws his attention and Malcolm appears with some of the other Travelers to see what the source of the disturbance is. When he hears that teenager has gone missing, his cop instincts kick in. Apparently even paradise isn't perfect.

After retrieving a machete from the temple, Malcolm returns to find that a group of Travelers is ready to mount a rescue mission, even if the locals think it's a hopeless endeavor.

"Does anyone know what kind of flowers they were looking for and where they might grow?" he asks.

Malcolm's trying to form at least half of a plan before they all run out into the dark unknown.

[ Want to do something else? Hit me up at sparks_fly. ]

I.

[necrosaint]

"Yes," says Harrowhark—whose face is fully painted up as a skull, so she is a terribly good person to ask—in a tone that sounds like a priest giving guidance to a member of her flock; or perhaps a nun, since that is what Harrow once was. It is a 'yes' that is laden with peace and acceptance, a 'yes' that is simply what it is. There is nothing wrong with the fact that they are dead: it simply is.

"Well. No. I believe we have died," though she's willing to admit it's a theory, "but we are currently not precisely dead. We do all have heartbeats; we are presently living."

Harrowhark Nonagesimus | The Locked Tomb

[necrosaint]

I. ARRIVAL
This ... is different.

There's something about the Isle that Blooms that clears things up in people. For some, perhaps it's a gift. For Harrow, a clearer head, a lack of hallucinations, that—should be a gift, but it frightens her. This isn't a life she knows how to live, and the surety that everything is real is making her quaver on the inside. Her attempts to hide it just make her seem more of a mess, because her confidence is excessive and feels almost like an artificial mask.

Along with the face paint she's still wearing, which as she breathes in the scents and tries not to think disgusting things toward the Seventh House as her white becomes more pink, purple and yellow. It looks colorful and ridiculous, and even as a childlike, indulgent part of Harrow likes the flowers—as she walks about the island she touches fingertips to them occasionally—she is wearing that perpetual face of distaste over the coloring ...

... that is, until she comes up with a plan and begins to collect petals, instead. She's on to something here about the face paint problem. She's even seen talking to a native, being polite and questioning, and seems satisfied (if still rather shaky) as she departs the conversation.

II. LOTUS BATHS
It's not that Harrow has issues with nudity. She doesn't. It's that she has issues with the idea of anyone seeing her face unpainted, and that's why she's been avoiding the baths, for all that the idea of a bath is one that seems grand enough to her. A good soak is a holy experience, after all.

But she tries so hard to find the baths empty. She meant for it to be empty. When she walks in, the baths are empty; when she settles in and lets her stretched-out muscles warm, there's soon someone else with her. The Body runs a hand through her hair and comforts her, tells her she's glad to see her again. Holds Harrow's head to her heart—she's never done this before—and reassures her it's all okay now.

Whatever that means. Whatever it has ever meant, it is absolution. Harrow is used to hallucinations and she does not care one iota if the baths turning into the Locked Tomb is weird or if this is what it's supposed to look like. She doesn't care about the chains still around the Body's wrists. She cares only that the dark-haired, golden-eyed woman is providing her a comfort, and that she is telling her that she is doing things right.

It is almost as good as calling Harrow beloved in return. It is good to see her. She even starts to tell her she's found Gideon again, and is enraptured, stupid smile on her face, when the Body seems nothing but pleased that Harrow has her cavalier.

Someone else entering this hallucination may turn out to be extremely weird, but it's probably not the worst one out there. It's remarkably peaceful for Harrow.

III. NIGHT BLOOMING
Hearing screams is nothing to Harrowhark, even if her mental state and grip on reality seem a bit sharper on this island.

She hears screams whenever she sleeps, and so while she stirs, it's the stirring of night terrors. The quiet cries of unclear invocation that come from her lips, almost inaudible, are coming from a Harrow still yet unconscious. There's a little bit of thrashing, and there are names audible—"Gideon" and "Tridentarius"—but Harrow doesn't seem to rouse.

(Her nose begins to bleed, and she is still not waking up.)

IV. WILDCARD
hi! did we have a thread before that is too old and you don't want to continue it, you want to do more with that cr but don't want to do any of these, you have another idea, etc? hit me up @ alexipharmaca or just surprise me!

III Night Blooming

[necrosavior]

Gideon wakes at the first scream she hears. This place doesn't remind her of the old, dead and dying places associated with dear old dad the Necrolord Prime. She reaches for a sword she doesn't have and settles for the utility knife from the temple's supplies. It's a toothpick but still a step up from nails. The scream comes again, so that's that.

Harrow is right next to her. Gideon considers letting her sleep, but as she moves away, Harrow latches on. Those thin bony arms make a tight grip. Gideon imagines flipping Harrow's body over her back and running with the pride and joy of the Ninth House as a cape floating behind her. For funsies, yes. For running into potential living nightmares, not so much. "Wake up or let go," Gideon sits up and shakes Harrow. "Up and at 'em. You like the crack of dawn. Well this is the crack of the crack of the crack of dawn."

thor odinson | mcu

[assemble_the_lovbacken]

ii. the temple

[Thor spent most of the day mingling amongst the locals and exploring the island, leaving the Temple as the last spot on his self-guided tour. The flowers are what first draw his attention, but it doesn't take long for him to become enraptured by the strange cat-looking creatures. Soon enough, he has taken up residence in their vicinity, telling them stories of home.]

You know, we have these Cat Elves on Alfheim, and they ride these giant winged cats to get around. It's kind of weird, isn't it? To be a Cat Elf that rides a winged cat for a mount? It'd be like me riding a flying man. Or woman; women can be anything they want to be, too.

[If you don't stumble in on his somewhat awkward conversation, you can find him learning how to translate Mjolnir's Power Moves into a pathetically weak machete or perhaps shoving his face full of random food that he's mysteriously procured (cooked? stolen? who knows!)]

iii. the baths

[Thor sets out at first light after learning about the Baths the day before. He could go for a good soak, though he's surprisingly not as worse for wear as he expected.

The water is hot but inviting, a siren's call to a weary mind and body to match. As he sinks further into the water, letting it lap at his chin, he remembers watching his mother, Frigga, teach Loki her magic, knowing that he would match her in skill someday; he remembers meeting Jane for the first time, her fiery spirit enamoring him from the beginning; he feels the weight of Mjolnir in his hand again, never destroyed or taken away; he sees Valkyrie resume the mantle of the warrior she once was; and he remembers a myriad of the light-hearted pranks his brother pulled on him from the time they were small. They all float in and out of his consciousness, like fog that refuses to lift yet refuses to settle.

He finds that he can't linger in any one memory too long, wanting so much to be able to feel and relive as much as he can for as long as he can.]

the temple

[kneecaptain]

[ Bucky doesn't recognize the guy, except that he looks like he walked right off the cover of one of those old jungle pulps, striking dramatic pose after dramatic pose, hair glinting just-so golden in the sunlight.

He almost doesn't want to interrupt, but battle practice always works better with a partner. ]

You want a hand?

[ Bucky's not exactly tall, but he's got enough bulk to throw around in a fight. And a metal arm, with a little shield painted on it. ]

Gideon Nav | The Locked Tomb

[necrosavior]

Ⅱ. THE TEMPLE
The Temple means separating from Harrow, which Gideon's not super enthusiastic about and honestly Harrow's vibe is something like moss growing on the boulder (if a living person counts as a boulder). The promise of supplies and food (especially food) makes it worthwhile, at least to get all that she wants to get. The flowers in the pantry are underwhelming, but she recognizes the meat as the sort that the skeletons at Canaan House pulled out of the water on lines.

The trouble is the Ninth House didn't have much by the way of meat, so Gideon doesn't know what to do with it. Does it have to be cooked? Gideon eyes the supplies at the temple with a frown. Fresh doesn't last long. She knows that much. Well, anything cooks in boiling water. So she heats a pot and pours salt over the fresh meat. Everything tastes better with salt.

Ⅲ. THE LOTUS BATHS
Gideon hasn't had a bath in months, so even if they are supposed to be doing other things (she's not sure what all is entailed in that), she figures she can do it clean. She can also count the number of water baths she's had on one hand, and this one is even larger and better than the one at Canaan House. She never wants to leave, she decides. Harrow can reanimate her clean clean corpse. Clean corpses of hot women surrounded by water is Harrow's type after all.

The sounds of the island are relaxing, grounding, a sign that shit is all right if just for the length of a bath. She hears someone approach and doesn't immediately open her eyes. There's enough room for everyone, and Gideon isn't going to run away screaming because someone sees her buff muscles. They come closer, casting a shadow on her face. "I didn't know what to do without you," they say. Gideon recognizes the voice but opens her eyes to peer up at the fully clothed in black nunlet robes, the bone armor providing more support than any undergarment, and the shockingly beaming painted face of approval. The water hasn't touched Harrow's face because the paint isn't melting.

"Generally, when people bathe, they take off their outer layers," Gideon offers. "I'm good to keep around to tell you these things."

"And to fight the large scary monsters that could snap me in half like a twig. I'd have died a few times over without you."

Gideon blinks, but she looks more closely at Harrow. It's Harrow down to the exact robes, the application of the paint. It couldn't be more Harrow. Even with the compliment, she stands there proud and sure of herself. The best necromancer of her age. She leans across closer to Harrow, who reaches out and brushes the hair on her head. Gideon forgets language with that and can only lean into it.

"I'm sorry I never took sword fighting seriously, and I'm sorry I didn't work out the way you wanted me too after..." Harrow waves a hand to signify the complicated matter that is 'eating Gideon's soul'.* "You're really the best swordsman ever. Better than Augustine or Mercymorn. Their rapiers couldn't hold water to your two hander, not in your hands." Gideon feels like she should be doing her morning workout if Harrow continues to be this pleasant and complementary.

"You don't have to stop talking on my account, not about this," Gideon grins. She lazily motions toward Harrow. "You can sit next to me if you want." Because this is the best day ever, Harrow does. It's weird, a little, but Gideon feels Harrow sitting next to her. She's never moving again.

* Kind of. More like chewed it around a fair bit.

VⅠ. WILDCARD
Gideon wanders around the trees of the island until she finds a branch of a size and straightness (ha) that she likes. The machete helps her cut it off and warm up her muscles. She's sweaty some in a good way. Her body's limber and ready for the exercises holding a sword.

The branch is only a makeshift sword. It's thick enough and long enough it has weight to it. Her muscles tense and move together to take it through it's paces. Gideon falls into the rhythm of practice she's done since Aiglamene first handed her a training sword. It slices through air, and Gideon feels giddy.


(Open to other wildcard situations. Plot it with me over at user name="inoctavo" site="plurk.com/inoctavo">)

VI

[unkindled_madness]

Sephiroth is only looking for some space where he can train well away from other people. He has no concerns about using the machete in battle--he already has, and the insects were not formidable--but it's a part of his usual routine that he actually likes. A way to feel at ease with himself.

On the other hand... catching sight of the woman running through her own practice isn't entirely unwelcome. He hasn't had a worthy sparring partner in... well, since he was a child, still learning, but he hasn't fought a match at all since coming to the islands. He stops to watch like a creeper, assessing her.

Quentin Quire | Marvel 616 | OTA

[quire]

I. ARRIVAL
When the vastness of his own overwhelming ego isn't consuming him, Quentin's a lot more approachable— chill even. Not that he's apt to admit any difference between this and his regular personality.

If he took to turning Carcosa into a vacation out of sheer defiance, here his stubbornness and apathy takes a healthier turn. This place seems to want to take care of him. Who says no to that?

Find him lounging in the temple combing lazily through the memories and knowledge of people nearby to try and match some of these flowers to actual species that other's might know from their homeworld— if you've got mind powers you might feel him poking around in there. Oops. If you don't you might just be surprised this guy's voice sounds familiar to your ears, or how much he knows about your home world.*

"You're into plants, huh? It's cool. I'm more of an oceany scents kind of guy. Too many botanicals and it starts to smell like someone's grandmother went a little overboard with the potpourri tchotchkes. But whatever. Beats pet shops and sweaty rum runners I guess."

III. THE LOTUS BATHS
Of course he'll be enjoying the baths. It's the closest thing this place has to a spa. The hallucinations are unexpected, but not wholly unwanted. Pathetic as it might sound, there aren't a lot of stand out pleasant memories in Quentin's life and those that are plucked from his thoughts might find most of it kind of banal- save for two incredibly alien out-of-body experiences.

Step into his visions of a quintet of quarrelsome blondes telling him how great he is. A montage of designer outfits that each make him look more impressive than the last. A girl with dark, curious eyes telling him no one understands him or a massive firey bird the incredible energizing sensation it bestows on Quentin and anyone joining him in this hallucination.

Ⅳ. NIGHTBLOOMING
If you've come in search of the young villager you might instead find a scene from Alice in Wonderland— if Alice were an obnoxiously counter-culture millennial young man. Reclining on a hammock made of ethereal pink energy Quentin is surrounded by a handful of these quietly grazing creatures. Things are peaceful here and if you've got any mind-reading skills you might be able to hear his telepathic conversation with a mantis.

IV

[helpdesk_hero]

David had set out to find the young villager after the disappointing moment of finding no one willing to join him on the search in the night. Because that's just the sort of guy he was, someone that was going to get things done in the end, no matter if he had support or not.

So there was something particularly frustrating about getting to where the mantises have gathered and finding Quentin Quire of all people there, chilling like he owned the place, clearly caught up in some sort of meeting of the minds.

"Full telepaths suck," David grumbled under his breath, but he didn't come too close, he didn't want to interrupt what good Quentin might be able to do here. Wasn't like there was a better way to communicate with the creatures than telepathy most likely.

So he stood and waited to be notice, a small beacon of frustrated mental energy and a point of golden light radiating out from the psionic energy projection in the shape of a lantern held in David's hand.

Logan | Marvel 616 | OTA

[howlett]

II. THE TEMPLE
As nice as things smells here the intensity of the florals in some areas makes him a little pleasantly dizzy. Logan quickly feels like he's stumbling around without a compass when his sense of smell is so inundated he can't make out anything but the notes of floral and vetiver. It might be concerning. If this place wasn't so relaxing. Instead it leaves him feeling bit dopier but a good deal more jovial and his usually skeptical self.

Find him this month carving exceedingly intricate Wagara patterns in the temple. With his claws of course. It's an intensely delicately and impractical task and he's strangely good at it for a guy who isn't either of those things.

III. THE LOTUS BATHS
Hot spring. Bath. Any warm body of water really. You can't keep him out of it. He's apt to go at night when it's not as busy, and the hallucinations won't be a welcome surprise. When he realizes they're hallucinations that is.

If you join him you might pick up on his mind wandering to through some pleasantries first— the hot springs on Krakoa and a few private moments with the other residents of that island. Sex. Krakoan ale. Single malt scotch. Sex. Perdomo Lot 23 Robusto cigars. Gorgeous redheads. Sex with gorgeous redheads. A lot of blue fuzz.

Put up with that though and you'll find quieter memories being reanimated by his mind. Like the voice of a woman who calls him Mister Logan, gives him a cool drink of water and asks if he's ok. She says her name is Carol and she's very sorry about this.

Ⅳ. NIGHTBLOOMING
Even when he's calm, he's the type of guy to head towards thes screams. Find him in the heat of mantis slaying, or knee deep in insect corpses. He is, after all, the kind of guy to snikt first and start a conversation later. Oops.

The Temple

[speed_of_snark]

"Well, well, well. If it's isn't Arts and Crafts with the Wolverine."

Leaning in a doorway, dressed in the shortest shorts he could find on the island in a wash of blues and white, arms crossed over his chest, expression puckish.

"Allo, old friend."

Benedict Bridgerton ✦ Bridgerton

[sketchbookings]

✦ i. arrival

---

[ Benedict can't imagine the last time he was so eager to get anywhere. The moment the wash of colour lit up on the horizon, he felt himself aching for the boat to dock. The smell that reaches them even over the sea brings him a sense of familiarity, and with that comes calm, and he hardly realizes that he feels much less tired as soon as he sets foot on the shore.

The pollen starts to nestle among his hair, giving it a near golden shine in the sun. Benedict seems wholly unbothered by it. He's far too caught up in the local residents that have come to greet them, looking over the arrangements of flowers - some he's familiar with and some that seem wholly exotic. ]

I wish we'd come here first.

[ He says it to no one in particular. Benedict is already ready to find a place to sit and sketch the wild blooms all around them. ]

✦ ii. the temple

---

[ It's good, really, that the guardians are willing to give some sort of guidance when it comes to using the provided supplies to cook. Benedict has never cooked anything in his life. He's never even prepared a pot of tea for himself. So, yes, while it took a bit of a knock off his pride to have to ask for the help, he's happy for it all the same. Between the instruction and casually watching others attempt it, he feels ready to attempt it.

More or less.

After a moment of looking between the fish and the cooking surface, he decides he should just try and get it done. And it can't be that hard, can it? After all, people do it every day, several times a day, so at the very least he ought to be able to fry himself up a bit of fish.

Benedict thinks it's going quite well at first, but then, suddenly, it isn't. The fish sticks as he attempts to flip it over, and in his attempt to make sure it's thoroughly cooked through, he ends up burning one side entirely.

It's probably still edible. Right? ]

✦ iii. the lotus baths

---

[ He supposes he ought to get the pollen out of his hair as best as he can. Benedict's always tried to maintain a degree of cleanliness, a habit which, admittedly, has gone to wayside a bit since he's ended up on this journey. The last island they were at, he'd been wholly hesitant to go to the baths. Certainly he's not ashamed of any part of himself, but the entire experience of the last island had highlighted his shyness almost painfully at times.

Here, though, he seems less bothered by the idea. If everyone else does it without so much as another thought, then he ought to follow suit. And while he wouldn't say he's been feeling more bold on this new island, he finds that he's more willing to just allow things to happen, more willing to relax. The baths sound - and smell - too tempting to pass up, and when he arrives at first he's nearly alone. Some pools are occupied, yes, but he finds one currently unused and chooses it for his own.

And it is lovely. As Benedict settles into the water, he lets out a contented sigh, only absently marveling at the perfect temperature of the waters. He dips entirely beneath the surface to rinse his hair, and when he comes back up, he settles back and stares up at the sky. His thoughts come and go with no real urgency. Eventually, they drift to home, and while there's a fleeting moment devoted of thoughts of his family, what comes to mind are parties. Not the parties of the ton, though.

Benedict thinks about dimly lit halls and rooms, of music barely audible over the sounds of laughter and excited banter and more elicit things slipping past doors. He can see the smoke hanging in the air.. He can smell perfumes and tobacco. He can see the party guests, men and women that grace society's doors and those that society would sneer at sharing a room with, all dressed (or undressed) to impress. As he sinks a bit further into the water, he thinks about walking through a door and stumbling across Henry and his Lord Weatherby in the midst of their affair. Mostly, Benedict thinks about how he'd have stood there to watch if he could, and what might have happened if he did. ]

✦ iv. wildcard

---

Choose your own adventure! Any prompts / situations are on the table, so follow your heart, or shoot me a message if you want to plot something out!

arrival + sketch buddy???

[pilferings]

Geez, you're tellin' me. I don't think I've felt this well-rested in years.

[ Nate stretches his arms in front of him, and then above his head, like he's just about ready to languish himself with a nap if given the opportunity. And hey, he may just do that too, even if it doesn't exactly help with changing the colour of his watch or anything.

He looks over to Benedict and offers the other man a smile, glad to see that he's (obviously) maskless and therefore they won't need to be stressing out over sharing secrets this time around.

It's just the flowers and the beautiful skies and the sudden burst of energy that has him wanting to dive off a cliff and swim a hundred laps at the same time. ]