Entry tags:
- ! event log,
- a discovery of witches: kit marlowe,
- detroit: become human: chloe,
- detroit: become human: connor,
- final fantasy: sephiroth,
- locked tomb: harrowhark nonagesimus,
- marvel: jennifer walters,
- marvel: loki odinson,
- marvel: thor odinson,
- my hero academia: takami keigo,
- oc: elenore evans,
- prodigal son: malcolm bright
Something in the air...

✖ 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.
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.
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?
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?
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.
Bonus: music to watch the flowers bloom to.
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.

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.

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!
Saxsice King | OC
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
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?!
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Finally she glances over, looking at the young man for a long, blank moment, her wet hair plastered to her neck and shoulders.]
What did you see? [There's an almost...threatening note in her voice as she says it.]
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I saw my mother. [He pauses, trying to pull apart the overlapping mental images.] ....but it was doubled...it was her but also...you?
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Yeah. That -- just a weird thing this damn island's doin' to us. It wasn't real. [She sounds...almost disappointed?] Wasn't real.
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ii
He glances at her when she arrives, but it isn't polite to stare at naked people, so he doesn't pay her any real attention until his surroundings start to change. An apartment that definitely isn't his, and another Saxsice, with a child. His inaccurate perception of her age means he doesn't accurately guess the relationship either. A brother maybe, if they're family. The closeness and the tenderness are entirely foreign to him, and so fascinating in their own way.
Before he can check himself on the intrusion into her memories, Saxsice is fairly jumping out of the water. But the illusion doesn't fade. Isn't it caused by the water?]
Saxsice--
[Whatever he's about to say to her is interrupted as the illusion of Zack sticks his hand in front of his eyes.] Dude, don't look!
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However, since Sephiroth is still in the water, the other young man doesn't disappear, and his indignant attempt at protecting her honor is enough to jolt Saxsice into reaching out for a towel, wrapping it around herself with shaky hands.] Sorry.
[It's hoarse, faint, trembly. The exact opposite of everything she's been up until that exact moment.]
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Hey, no. Don't apologize for being upset. Seph can be a real dick, y'know?
[Thanks for that, illusory "friend." It isn't his fault she's upset. It's that vision, of the boy... Given her reaction now, Sephiroth assumes the boy died. He isn't remotely sure what he's meant to do about that. Should he... leave? (Zack would probably suggest otherwise.)
Well, there is one thing he wants to confirm, regardless of her state.]
They're only illusions, but... do you see him, too? [Jerking a thumb towards Zack.]
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Yeah, of course. [Another sniff, and she wipes her nose on her arm, then frowns towards the dark-haired stranger.] Whaddya mean, "illusions"?
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i. arrival
Owwww! Damn, Saxsice! [Kyle rubs his chest as she slams her face into the flowers. Still, she's not wrong - the island is a gorgeous riot of colour and scents.]
I bet there's mutant bees here. Or huge venus flytraps. Something.
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Oh man, you're right, I bet there're those nasty bigass flowers that smell like meat, too!! [If you're trying to dampen her enthusiasm, Kyle, you're gonna have to try harder, she's having the best time.]
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That's not what I'd consider a plus. You'd be able to smell that, right? With your, uh. Special senses?
...it's too pretty. Something MUST be up. [Somebody get this boy a Xanax.]
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[Then she snorts in delight, flicking more petals at Kyle.] Awww, are you worried you're gonna get eaten by a big mean flower or somethin'?
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III. Nightblooming
(More like so horrible and traumatic for her.)
"That's what I said!!!"
(Yeah yeah, but here's the thing. Not just one but TWO people got there first, and Carter did that exact thing already. We aren't terribly original, apparently.)
"God dammit." Not being original was pretty the worst insult to a guy like Deadpool, who liked to think he was original even if he wasn't at a fundamental level. "Okay I'm adding that guy to my murdery hit list. What happens to my Scrywatch color if I kill an actual player character?"
(Uh...I don't think we can?)
"Oh. Right. Godmoding. Gotcha." His eyes narrow and he looks up at Carter's reply. "Well...I'm still coming for you, kid."
Then he looks at Saxcise after what must have appeared, to her, to be him having a conversation with nobody at all. "Freak out about wha-OH SHIT THAT'S SO COOL CAN I PET YOU I'M GOING TO PET YOU."
He rushes over and ruffles her fur, scritching behind her ears and even doing the ole reachunder to scratch at her belly. It probably wasn't what she'd expected when she'd told the bobble headed mercenary with the regular sized head and the baby body to not freak out. It was probably somehow worse.
"Wait I think I felt a nipple or three. Maybe four. Um. Does this count as groping your boobs if you're in wolf form? I'm not sure what the protocol is here. On the one hand, there is an unspoken LAW that you must scratch all good pupper bellies, but on the other...you're an actual woman sometimes and there's a very spoken LAW that you don't just grab the titties of a woman you don't know."
(We're so about to be mauled by a werewolf. So long, new body. You didn't even have a chance to grow into a real boy.)
Then something occurs to him. "Wait...werewolf...fluffy white wolf...OH HEY, YOU'RE SEXY FROM THE CHATS!!! Well, I guess this counts as ONE kind of A/S/L..."
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Also apparently there's no talking allowed when you're a wolf, so she just huffs out a sound that might be an approximation of a laugh, tongue lolling out at the belly-rubs. It's cool, you get a pass this time, bobble-head. She'll even snuffle at the top of said bobble-head with her big cold nose. No licking, though. She's a lady, you gotta buy her dinner first.
Granted, dinner right now could just be a raw steak and/or a particularly ripe-smelling dumpster, but whatever.
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"Hey can I ride you? I'm totally gonna ride you. Otherwise, I won't be able to keep up. Did you know that baby legs aren't very coordinated? By the way, I'm not normally this small, so no tiny dick jokes when you're back to your hottie bartender form."
(She's absolutely gonna make tiny dick jokes.)
And then, despite his complaints about coordination, he still deftly manages to clamber onto her back. Well, "deft" may be putting it kindly - he's not quite as acrobatic at the moment - but he's better at it than one might expect.
"HI HO SILVER, AWOOOOOOOOOOO!!!"
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And she'll even leap up onto her hind legs like a majestic steed before heading off in a run towards where her keen wolfy senses are telling her the wayward teenager is located. Tragically he is not getting lucky (pour one out), unless you count being imminently eaten by bugs a good thing.
Hopefully you have some kinda tiny guns or something, Deadpool, cause otherwise you aren't much help at that size.
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ii
He's not quite sure when or how his thoughts begin to shift and transform, but one minute he's aware of the warm water around his shoulders and the next the sensation seems replaced with the stiff itch of a threadbare cotton sheet. He looks up into the familiar face of a dark-haired boy of no more than twelve, but the moment he recognizes his best friend and former partner, the vision shifts to a sandy-haired woman of no more than twenty.
It's enough to startle him out of his thoughts. Or maybe it's the way the water sloshes all around him that brings him back to reality. Either way, when he sees the woman from the vision standing in front of him, he nearly jerks up as well.
Who the fuck are you?
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She doesn't reply at first, barely even registering that the words are being read out (thanks, Scrywatch) instead of verbally spoken. She reaches out for one of the soft, fluffy, folded towels sitting on a nearby bench, snatching it so savagely that the entire stack falls to the ground.
"Nobody." It's quick, sharp as she turns around and wraps the towel around her chest, tucking it in so she's covered. She looks the stranger up and down, briefly, hair dripping all over her shoulders. "What did you see?" she asks abruptly, suddenly sick to her stomach at the idea of her deepest, most precious memories being broadcast for everyone to see.
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You, he challenges with a decisive point. Even as he gestures at her, the scene wants to take back over. The warm comfort of being tucked at her side. Fingers in his hair. Before he can sort it out, he sees Grady in front of him again and feels the telltale tug of his adolescent partner's hand in his equally youthful mop of coiled hair.
Stop it, Wrench demands. The smack of the side of one hand into the palm of the other mists water droplets all around them.
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cw: child abuse allusion, blood
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the lotus baths
She shouldn't return here. There's a danger to that, to following dreams — to sitting down with them and letting them play out before your eyes. Like a spell, they keep you there.
Yet she finds herself traveling that way, led by her own quiet yearning. It's occupied by a woman she recognises, (the shapeshifter who makes alcoholic drinks), but the other seems so at ease and Maleficent doesn't hesitate to join her. She's also just as unconcerned with her own nudity, calmly slipping from her clothing and easing into the pool. She doesn't quite know what triggers the visions, but she'll wait until Aurora's smile is before her again.
Except what she sees comes from Saxsice's spirit instead. And Maleficent finds herself quietly gazing at it, slipping into the non-reality, the alienness of it. She's never seen such an environment as this, but it's the child that causes her to exhale a soft breath. A boy, curled up to the woman as she smooths his hair so gently. The fey is transfixed by him, the boy — so small and beautiful. She can't look away.
Suddenly there's loud splashing, and the illusion shatters just a little by that, Maleficent realising what's happened, her mind catching reality again. She takes a slow moment to breathe, gathering herself, and looks up to the woman standing and shuddering. Where she had been elated to see Auora before her again, this woman is clearly shaken by her own ghost. ...A living or dead ghost? Maleficent can't help but wonder. )
It was not real.
( The fey's voice is not exactly warm, but not its usual coolness, either. It's said... softly, almost as though in assurance. )
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Another quick exhale and Saxsice reaches out with a shaky hand for one of the folded, fluffy towels on a nearby bench, snatching it and sending the rest tumbling onto the ground. One falls into the water itself, but she doesn't seem to care, sitting down heavily on the now-empty bench and burying her face in the freshly-laundered fabric. The night air is raising goosebumps on her wet, uncovered skin, and her hair hangs limp around her face, dripping onto her legs and the bench and the ground. She doesn't move for a good two, three minutes, just breathes in and out.
Finally, muffled by the towel:] Sorry. [She doesn't sound sorry, but it's what you say after publicly freaking out, right?]
arrival;
A bikini? Is that another American thing?
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It's a kinda bathin' suit. Just fabric, right here -- [She passes a hand over her chest, indicating where a bikini would rest.] --and here. [Another gesture, where the bottoms would go.] Real nice for hot weather.
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I can't quite decide if you're having me on or not.
[ It must be a joke. Right? ]
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