SPECIAL EVENT: The Flower Oracle

[polymods]

✖ Meet The Oracle

A low thrumming sound builds in the background noise of the raised village, starting so softly that it would be easy to mistake it for the ever present hummingbirds. It keeps building slowly, somehow managing to be both a sound and to bypass the ear as it hums in the bones. The local Temple Guardians bump heads and brush against each other, quietly affirming their bond as they divide their duties: one staying with the local Temple and the other winding through the paths of the village down to the bud of the Flower Oracle in its place of honor in the city center.

The villagers stop what they’re doing, not quite in a panic, but their speed is deliberate and definite. They gather things on their way, flower wreaths, fish, beautiful food, sharp knives, until everyone has something in their arms. There is an ecstatic tension in the air, after all, the time has come when these people will yet again see substantial proof of their god, and it seems they have forgotten all about the Travelers who might have joined them. There is plenty of room for everyone to gather in a circle around the green bud that has grown even larger.

The thrum rises until it is hard to breathe, until some of the structures around begin to groan in the onslaught, and then it stops, suddenly. In the vacuum of silence, there is a wet and meaty sound as the bud begins to open, a first hint of things that look like red lips and white teeth. A canny Traveler might be forgiven for running at that point. The visceral sound of the splitting, of this birthing, continues as the bud splits, then splits again as the four sepals fall open, exposing an inner surface that glistens red and is lined at the edges with white sharp growths that may be fangs. The villagers ignore the implicit threat. They have eyes only for the structure in the middle.

Who can blame them? Translucent petals form a breathing tower, curled tight and perfect as a seashell. A glow pulses like a heartbeat as the petals slowly unfurl, collapsing elegantly to reveal the Oracle and provide protection against the threat of the sepals. The Flower Oracle is beautiful, glowing, soft and round. She is initially surrounded by four guards, each masculine and clearly dangerous, but they move aside to leave a clear path. The villagers line up with their sacrifices, and there is ritual patience in the act. Everyone will have their time with the Oracle, and anyone must be allowed their time alone within the petals.

Notes:
Characters who wish to approach the oracle need to respond to the thread titled ‘Meet the Oracle’. After they get their response, they can post a separate reaction thread to play out some of the consequences of the event.

Responses to the Oracle Thread should include: a short description of their IC reaction/actions, a description of what they bring for a sacrifice, and their question for the ancient. Villagers will have let them know that traditional options include: fish, flowers, art, blood, secrets, or memories. Characters/players may come up with their own sacrifices. Please include a note if the character helped decorate the local temple this month.

WARNING: Contacting the Oracle may result in negative IC results for characters, and there is a degree of randomness in how the mods assign results.

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Comments

( post oracle, cw: hanahaki, some emetophobia )

[dothelokimotion]

[ well that was frustrating. speak to him? thor doesn't remember anything! how is loki supposed to gain answers from him? and to think he cut a few inches of his hair for that. he scowls, touching the shorn strands, no longer shoulder-length but closer to his ears. ]

Damn them.

[ what a waste. a few locals seem to give him uncertain looks and loki fixes upon his face a bright smile. ]

Oh, not to worry, I had a lovely time with the Oracle —

[ and felt his breath cut off short. his throat tightens and loki nearly bends over, covering his mouth to prevent . . . the gush of flowers petals in his mouth? loki coughs them out, staring at them gather in his palms in shock.

they cursed him. ]

[unkindled_madness]

[It seems clear enough from Loki's expression as he leaves the Oracle that he didn't learn anything valuable either. Sephiroth doesn't need to ask.

But then-

Vomiting flower petals? He stares for a moment. Is that some sort of punishment?]

...just what did you ask?

[dothelokimotion]

Nothing import — [ nope, he has to clasp his mouth once more to stop the flower petals from spewing out. his form is wracked with shakes.

finally, he manages to seize control of himself, straightening as if it never happened. though it's clear underneath that calm is a simmering rage. ]

Nothing that warranted such a curse.

[unkindled_madness]

[Sephiroth raises an eyebrow. Well, probably that much is true.]

Should I be concerned then? It seems... inconvenient.

[dothelokimotion]

[ loki wipes his mouth. ]

I have to find the cause of the curse. They didn't say what it was, but every curse has a reason for existing.

[ he rubs his throat idly. hmm. nothing then. so it wasn't speech. it was something else. ]

[unkindled_madness]

[Coughing up flowers is more akin to something out of a faerie tale than any real magic Sephiroth knows. It could be as much a whim as anything.]

Have you committed any crimes against the flora, perhaps?

[dothelokimotion]

[ loki mentally thinks back. ]

Not to my recollection.

[assemble_the_lovbacken]

[After Thor had spoken with the Oracle, he knew that he had to find his brother. The words repeated in his mind like a broken compact disc: "He hides pain, he hides loss. He hides bravery and violence. He shields you. He shields himself."

It was cryptic enough, but of what did she speak? Surely, Thor could understand pain and loss; he'd experienced a great deal of it himself in such a short span of time, as did Loki. But what did he need to protect them from?

As luck would have it, he caught the familiar sight of his brother while walking back towards the Oracle.]

Loki! I need to speak with you.

[dothelokimotion]

[ as always, thor had the worst timing. loki makes the flower petals disappear, straightening his posture to allow for no cracks. ]

Well, then speak. I don't have all day.

[assemble_the_lovbacken]

Where could you possibly be going? We're stuck on a remote island.

[He shakes his head dismissively.]

I spoke to .. with the Oracle. Well, she spoke to me, really. I've lived a long time with you, Brother, and I know when you are especially not forthcoming. So I asked her about you and what it is you're hiding.

She told me that .. What was it that she said? I think it was something about bravery, violence .. pain and loss. She said you shield us, but she didn't say from what.

What is so great that you need to protect me?

[dothelokimotion]

[ oh that's just great. the oracle curses loki but gives thor enough information to make it difficult to lie around. perfect. loki could scream. instead, he forces it down.

let's see how well he can lie under a curse. ]

Why are you listening to some strange oracle? Who knows what they're saying.

[assemble_the_lovbacken]

[Thor's face falls into a flat line.] Are you really suggesting that an Oracle is not to be believed? Given all we grew up with on Asgard?

You're dodging the question, Loki. What are you protecting me from? You know how annoying I can get. I'll keep asking you until you answer me.

[dothelokimotion]

As if I would protect you from any — [ and immediately, his chest contracts as he starts coughing, the surge of flower petals rushing up his throat. he wheezes, struggling to catch his breath. ]

[epitaphs]

[ Clarke had been minding her own business, mostly, on her own way to the Oracle, but the sound of coughing nearby draws her attention. That doesn't sound or look especially healthy. ]

Are you okay? That's not something you just... do, is it? Normally?

[ She'd say it's not someone anyone should do, but she's met some weird people here. Maybe he's a flower creature with a cold. ]

[dothelokimotion]

[ loki gives her a dark look as he curls a hand around his stomach. he does his best to right himself, but the illusion is broken and there's nothing loki can do to make himself fully presentable. ]

Obviously not.

[epitaphs]

[ Don't worry, Loki. Clarke has seen way less presentable than this. She's not remotely fazed by some guy coughing up flower petals unless it means they're all about to start. ]

Sorry. I'm a medic, but weird magic is beyond my ability to help...unless it turns out to be science. Did you eat them?

[ Poison she might actually have some success with; she's worked out that some of the flowers have various effects that might be considered medicinal with further experimentation. ]

[dothelokimotion]

[ dryly, even as his breathing stutters. ]

No, as tempting as flowers look, I do not sustain myself on a diet of them. It's a curse.

[epitaphs]

Of course it is.

[ That's mostly to herself, because why wouldn't the Flower Oracle be handing out curses in exchange for information? She can't wait to find out what hers is going to be. But it can wait long enough to get this guy some help. ]

Okay. Why don't you come back to the temple and rest; we'll find out if anyone else is similarly afflicted.

[dothelokimotion]

[ we??? why was she even helping him? he squints, trying to suss this out. ]

How do you plan on doing that?

[pilferings]

Crap —

[ It's certainly a Sight, watching the flow of petals pass through Loki's lips in a flurry of soft colours, all those pinks and reds and blues. Nate is immediately approaching Loki in a rush, hand reaching out but not yet touching the guy. ]

Hey. Hey, you okay? What the hell happened back there?

[ Because the last time he saw Loki, this was definitely not a thing that was happening. He can only assume it was ... an effect of meeting the Oracle. ]

[dothelokimotion]

[ loki wipes his mouth, trembling. he feels vulnerable and he hates that sort of thing. ]

The Oracle put some sort of curse on me.

[pilferings]

I didn't think she could do that. [ Beat. ] Well, no — I didn't think she would.

[ And all things considered, Loki really doesn't look good. No offence, bro. ]

Think you should sit down for a second? Catch your breath? [ And on the same train of thought from earlier: ] Shit, how do you undo a thing like that?

[dothelokimotion]

[ loki is not going to sit down. that is to admit weakness and he's not going to give anyone that privilege. ]

Every curse has . . . conditions.

[ speak to him. thanks but no thanks. the oracle is severely underestimating loki's ability to yeet himself away from an emotional discussion. ]

[pilferings]

[ Jeez, the familiarity of the stubbornness is almost nostalgic at this point. Nate happens to know a guy who would rather jump off a cliff and cease to exist than admit to any kind of weakness, and his response is to let him be as a result.

It's not the hill he's gonna be dying on anyway. ]

Yeah, I've heard something like that too. Must be some pretty big conditions.

[dothelokimotion]

[ loki grimaces. ]

Enough that I think I will wait it out.