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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.
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!
III
There's suddenly a lot more people around him. Lots of them are women who sure don't seem to be wearing much, and then someone says 'Krakoa' and he frowns. He's heard the name before.
"Deadpool?" Kyle asks, but really it all seems unimportant. It's so pleasant to just relax and think of things that make you feel good. Things so close to your heart you guard them jealously, like memories of being under the Colorado sky at night, stargazing, cuddled close because it's cold...
Kyle shifts, blinking hard. "What. Hey, no. Where are we?"
Re: III
The women of Deadpool's life and the various people he'd considered close were now set against the snowy backdrop of Colorado. That wasn't so bad. Deadpool certainly had no complaint about seeing gorgeous women in bikinis in the cold. They didn't seem to mind either (because they were hallucinations).
But. Rules. Krakoa had some very strict ones that Wade had unfortunately found himself on the wrong side of enough for them to be part of a hallucination. In this hallucination, he could believe that he was mutant enough to count. Kyle, on the other hand...
The mutant women turned to Kyle. "Krakoa is for mutants only. The Monster Metropolis is for monsters only. You don't belong."
Suddenly, the cold Colorado night was less cozy and more....lonely. And could a hallucination hurt you? Because the women were certainly looking at Kyle with eviction in their eyes.
no subject
Kyle sits up straighter. He sees all of these people he doesn't recognise, feels their animosity coming off of them in waves. He doesn't care, because he's too busy reaching for what's beyond the tight circle of bodies.
"What do you mean? Of course I belong here! Don't be fucking stupid! Stan! Stan, tell them!"
"Sorry, Kyle." A lazy shrug, a mournful shake of the head. "You don't. There's no room for you, don't you see?"
Kyle feels his throat tighten. "No," he says, sounding winded. "No, hey, come on, you said..."
"Krakoa is for mutants only," the strange women repeat. The tall green one rises up out of the water - because there is water, impossibly, a hotspring in the snow - and wades forward. Gently, she puts her hand on Kyle's head and pushes it down.
"You don't belong here."
"No! Stan?! STAN?!" Shrieking before his head is forced under. "Deadpool?!"
no subject
For one thing, Stan kind of blurs and shifts between what Kyle knows and his childhood form (that Kyle also knew, years ago.)
For another...
"That's right, Kyle," a familiar voice with a lisp says, a large head rising over the lip of the truck, "There's no room. I called this spot. It's MINE. Me and Stan are the friends here. Now you go to hell. You go to hell and you die."
Was that Cartman's line? No...that was Mr. Garrison's. Deadpool's imperfect memories were polluting that too, it seemed.
"Shhhh...just let it happen, Kyle. Just let it happen..." Cartman was pure gloating up on the truck as he watched Kyle go under. "Once you're gone, your writer will have no choice but to play me!"
Oops. Deadpool's meta crept into the fantasy too.
Meanwhile, Deadpool was somewhat paralyzed with indecision. On the one hand, Kyle was his friend!! But on the other...he so desperately wanted to be accepted by his friends, by the women he'd loved, by (not) his people. And they were accepting him. Hell, they were even inviting him to help dispose of the human who'd infiltrated Krakoa.
"C'mon, Wade," Rogue drawled. "If you wanna be one of us, you have to help us. Do this and you can stay on Krakoa forever, and no one will ever tell you that you aren't a mutant again, sugar."
"Yes, doooo it, Deadpool, dooooooooo iiiiiittttt", Cartman crowed.
no subject
Kyle manages to get his head above the water again, gasping. When he does, his eyes are drawn like a magnet to that battered old truck parked at the edge of the bath. Nevermind the giantess trying to drown him, nevermind the scantily clad women, nevermind that both Stan and Deadpool aren't lifting a finger to help him.
Eric.
Theodore.
"CARTMAN!" Kyle finds it in himself to thrash harder, getting his legs under him and shoving himself up and back, his head slipping from She-Hulk's grip.
"He's gettin' away, sugar," Rogue coos to Deadpool. "That's your ticket to Krakoa right there."
Kyle pays no attention to this, glaring at the truck bed where Cartman lounges. As he watches, his oldest rival winks and blows him a kiss. Kyle screeches with inarticulate rage and splashes to the bath's edge, hands scrabbling to pull him up and out of the water.
no subject
"I...I can't let my ticket get away...I..." He rests his hand on Rogue's thigh. It sure feels real enough, and her smile at him is warm and encouraging. It was the same smile that he'd started to fall for when he was an Avenger, and before she and Gambit really cemented things after the team fell apart.
"Oh no you don't," She-Hulk growled, grabbing Kyle's leg and dragging him back down towards the water. These hallucinations apparently had teeth. It was either that or they were powerful enough that the body reacted to them even though they didn't really hold any physical power because belief was a powerful thing.
"Wade means a lot to me, and you're standing in the way of him becoming a better person I could actually respect and like. Someone I could actually be with. Do you know how lonely it is knowing this is all meta? He could get me, we could have a lot in common if he didn't have that awful streak. He could help me with this shit I'm going through now."
As she spoke, she wavered between green and gray, between hulk and Jen, leaning more and more towards the more violent gray. "I am not going to let you fuck that up." And a giant gray foot is crushing him down under the water. "I just want to feel like myself again. Wade, will you come over here and help me? Please? Help me feel like me again?"
Up on the truck, Cartman's eyes gleamed as he watched the show, but so like Cartman, he stayed out of it, letting others do his dirty work. "Yes, cry those impotent tears, Kyle. Cry in the pool, so I can bath in them when you're gone."
Deadpool watched, frozen in indecision as the mutant women encouraged him to let this happen so he could go to Krakoa, as Shiklah folded her arms and told him to be the monster she preferred so that maybe she could come back to him, as Shulkie worked to defend this fantasy for him in a perversion of her efforts to help him be better. It was too much, it was just too much. The hallucinations, the fantasy had gone from being a vision of everything he desired to being some kind of test to achieve those desires.
Finally, it's Jenn's words that break through, and he awkwardly waddle-swims through the water in a terrible looking baby body doggy paddle. As he gets closer, struggling to keep his large head above water, he nods at Jen and places a tiny hand on her massive thigh and speaks, spitting water out as it tries to flood into his mouth on each word.
"Yeah. I'll help. Because this isn't you." He sighed. "And he isn't my ticket to Krakoa. He's my friend."
And he dove under the water towards Kyle. He was pretty weak given that his body was tiny, but these were hallucinations, the water was slippery, and it wasn't hard to play with angles to slip Shulk's foot off of Kyle's back. Above them, Cartman screamed and ranted about this undesirable turn in the scene, swearing up a blue streak. Wade tugged on Kyle's arm, guiding him up to the edge of the pool again. This time, none of the women stopped them, but they sure did stare at him in disappointment.
"You could've had Krakoa," one whispered.
"You could've had us," another said.
"You could've been better," Jen added.
But Wade helped Kyle up and out of the water, then tried to get out with him.
cw: drowning
I'm going to die, Kyle realises with dumb shock. His lungs demand he try to breathe and a spasmodic breath drags water into his mouth and windpipe. His arms stop flailing as the whole world drains of colour.
Then: air. Gasping, coughing, he's absolutely no help as Wade drags him to the edge of the bath. He only moves when Wade is out of the water and trying to pull him up - Kyle shoves with his feet, flopping up onto the ground. He turns, hacking water onto the earth in spite of the fact that it feels like his chest and his throat are on fire. Great, tearing breaths feel like they're going to flay him open, but it's still the sweetest air he's ever tasted.
Kyle looks back toward the baths and sees no-one. He puts his forehead against the earth and starts to cry.
no subject
He sits at the edge of the pool, knees up to his chest, and stares down into the water. If Kyle wasn't here, he might slip back in. Perhaps he would anyway at some point. As long as no one else got in with him, it seemed to be safe enough.
When he hears the crying behind him, he glances behind him. Without a word, he just reaches out and pats Kyle's back.
no subject
"What was that?" he manages.
no subject
He looks at the pools, which now seemed so innocent. Others seemed to be getting into some, and he watched as their eyes glazed over.
"Looks like the zombies here are in our heads. But there are definitely zombies."
no subject
"They kept saying you could go to that weird island. Is that where you wanna be?"
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There are several moments of silence while he looks away and into the water, as if it contained the answers Kyle was asking about. At the moment, it was hard to muster up any of his usual zany lunacy. They were dancing around truths that were too serious.
"Maybe. I dunno. It's where all the people I thought were my friends are. But they won't let me in."
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"Because you're not a mutant? Seems pretty weak of them, dude."
no subject
A brief pause.
"Except you, here. You've been a good buddy."
no subject
He gives him a weak smile. "And me, yeah. Of course."
no subject
I mean, you carried me as a head for a while, and yet when you slide into a bath with me my hallucinations tried to murder you, tainting your view of me. And this is after you saw my tiny taint.
no subject
"Yeah, well. You didn't mean for that to happen."
no subject
And who doesn't love a tiny taint?
"No..." He's thoughtful. "It was a good fantasy until you slipped into the bath." A pause. "Wait! I didn't mean it like it was your fault. I mean...our hallucinations interacted. And then they became horrible."
no subject
He sits a bit, letting his breathing finally return to normal. "Okay. This is probably a fucking learning moment, or something. So. Yours was nice, right? Like they wanted you to move to mutant island or whatever."
no subject
Deadpool shakes his head, and gazes into the water as if he can see the women reflected there. For a moment, he thinks he does. They seem to be beckoning him to slip back into the water.
"Nah. It's just a nice distraction. Maybe the lesson is to bathe longer."
no subject
"So presuming we're supposed to actually learn something... have you ever vocalised how much getting to move to that place would mean to you? Or considered why?"
no subject
"Kyle...." Deadpool trails off, looking up at the sky with an exasperated sigh. "That's playing by the rules. Their rules. They want me to be a better person. But don't you get it? I can't. The sooner they realize that, the better for everybody. Don't get any higher expectations of me. I'll just disappoint you too."
Which is all to say he just completely avoided Kyle's questions.
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"Also, that's total bullshit. Everybody has the capacity for change, to be a better person. Everybody."
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Deadpool snorts. "You're a good one, Kyle. Lying through your teeth, but good."
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"I'm not lying," he says, annoyed. "I really believe that."
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