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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!
Elenore Evans | OTA
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
madsuper 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 @
Wildcard: Into the Flowery Unknown
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.
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"So what exactly am I supposed to be looking for? Because if it's just 'flowers you've never seen before' then we'll be stopping a lot. I'm from Colorado, there's tons of plants I've never seen."
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She stops, suddenly, staring at a weird tangle of flowers with strange shapes before sighing in disappointment. "I honestly don't expect you to be the main plant spotter? Only an idiot goes into unknown areas alone, and you seem to be relatively aware of threats around you." Also, he can help carry the bags. "But if you see anything especially weird in the trees, let me know? Epiphytes tend to have interesting characteristics."
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"But okay, anything especially weird and I'll point it out. You gonna tell me what your aim is, or is it just general nerding out?"
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"We have nothing but what we accumulate from the islands, right? And I've been virtually useless so far. Like, yes, one pharmacy on Carcosa now has a few drugs that are safer and more effective, but so? And then we got dropped here! There's everything here! Do you know how many lifetimes I could spend cataloging the plant life here? They could have the ultimate Herbarium; the perfect record of most of the plants that have ever existed."
She pauses suddenly, then ventures slightly off-trail to gather some herby-looking plants that are carefully wrapped in one of the extra shirts she took from the storeroom.
"I'm pretty sure I just gathered a plant the Romans ate into extinction because it was such good birthcontrol. The possibilities are," she hands the wrapped-up plant to Kyle to put in one of his bags, "endless. And if I can figure them out, we can take some of them with us, and leave some of the recipes behind for the people who live here."
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Kyle nods and puts the plants carefully into one of the bags. "Alright. In that case, I'll carry whatever the hell you want me to, because that's important work. God only knows where we'll end up next, and we might need something as simple as something to bring a fever down and not have it on hand. I dunno how many people have weird healing magic - there is one, but I think she can only do injuries - but we can't rely on that."
He grins at her. "Cute outfit, by the way. You look like a flower child or something."
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"Thank you." Again, she keeps it simple and sincere. Not emotionally effusive this one, but she believes what they're doing is important. "Also, fevers are easy, at least. I bet money there are willows somewhere here, and aspirin is pretty basic."
The outfit about her outfit gets a soft snort as she pauses at another weird plant, this one a vine that's trying to choke a larger flower. "Hard not to with this level of tie-dye. But the color's not bad, is it?" She glances at him. "It even looks decent on you."
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There's a lot to be said for honesty, and for someone as blunt as Kyle it's not necessary to dress it up in anything. "See, then we're lucky we have you," he points out. "If it's not in a drug store I don't know a hell of a lot about medicine. I'm fucking lucky the Temple gives us stuff we need to live."
He peers at the vine, marveling that plants can choke one another out. "Thanks. Yeah, I don't mind colour. I actually like green a lot, but people tend to make fun of you for that if you're a redhead." He won't say the word 'leprechaun.' It's got too many bad memories.
"So this is your jam back home, right? Super genius botanist."
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II
"Is this an experiment?" he asks, his eyes glancing towards the open notebook on the counter.
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"There are a lot of interesting things here," she says by way of further explanation before reaching over to carefully stir one of the solutions to prevent actual bubble formation.
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"Where do you fall on the 'are we dead or not' debate?" he asks. Malcolm's still gathering evidence.
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"Well, as far as I can tell based on the limited technologies I've had access to, my body shows all the classic signs of still being alive. Basic chemical and biological concepts seem to still be in play, but, well, easily altered like the density and variety of plants on the island. This could be a simulation, but really, if we're talking technology that advanced, you could say that about life before the islands. My last memory was nothing dramatic, but there's a lot of ways to die that wouldn't be."
She shrugs and stirs a different pot. "We could be dead, I suppose. But I don't know that it matters if we are unless you're a religious or spiritual person."
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"It matters if there's a way to leave here or not," he says quietly. He doesn't imagine that there's a way back from death. But if they haven't crossed over that threshold yet, then there might still be a chance. "I agree that we seem alive though. I personally don't remember dying. Maybe this isn't the afterlife. Maybe this is some kind of..." He waves a hand. "Alternate dimension?"
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"I think the assumption that there's actually any way back is a big one. Even if the powers behind this are actually working in good faith, expecting one person, let alone groups this large, to be able to go through significant personal growth and change is a lot."
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"Would we all have to achieve personal growth in order for one of us to leave though?" he asks. "Or if a person manages to achieve their growth, can they at least be allowed to go home?"
He realizes that she doesn't have definitive answers to this questions and that it's just speculation. If his being able to go home is incumbent on everyone else making personal growth, then he's probably going to be here forever. Hell, he's not even sure if he can make his own personal growth.
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Look at her, turning a kitchen into a lab, chasing scientific knowledge rather than change.
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Malcolm puts one of his hands up. "I guess my next question is why do the powers that be here care if we make any growth or not? Are they omnipotent beings that care about... morality? Ethics?"
Somehow this has become a philosophical discussion. At least scientific knowledge can be used for change. Elenore might be helping herself without even realizing it.
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Ⅱ. THE TEMPLE
Logan watches the now bustling kitchen a long quiet moment before the conductor of this complicated symphony of cookery takes enough notice of his lurking to speak.
He turns up his hands in surrender. "I ain't here to ruin your Soufflé or whatever this is. What is this anyway? And what do I smell?"
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"Most of it is different formulas for black dyes. But you're going to have to describe the smell a little if you want a more specific answer. Are we talking bitter? Kind of citrusy? Musky? I had some stuff in the oven earlier that smelled like broccoli farts, but that's just what happens when you heat up Brassica relatives."
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He's not been invited to stay but nevertheless he looks like he's going to as he leans on the door jamb and nurses a bottle of something that condensates in the warm air. What she's cooking might not be the most pleasant of scents but he breathes deep like it clears his head and soothes something in him.
"What do you need black dye for?"
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"Well, good black dye is difficult to make. Most black clothing is actually made by dunking fabrics in multiple different dark colors until it gets close enough to a true black. It's part of why old black clothes stop matching after enough washes." She sets her hip against the counter. "And it seems to be absent from the island. So I figure there are Travelers who'd like black clothes and locals who might want the recipe. It also gives me time with the more fiddly stuff."
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Despite a sort of stoney-ness to his face it's rather expressive when he wants it to be and while she speaks it reads somewhere between curious and amused. "Enterprising sort, aintcha?" he smirks. "Is this a business endeavour or just a cure for boredom?"
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"I like to solve problems and make things." She pauses, then decides there's really no point in lying. "But when it comes to some of the real threats on the isles, my chances of defending myself are very low. The equipment I have is limited and I have no powers. But maybe a few people remember the person who got them clothing liked better when something happens."