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polymods ([personal profile] polymods) wrote in [community profile] polylogs2021-08-02 02:05 pm

Eternal Summer

POLYMYTHOS: THE ISLE THAT BLOOMS

The Isle That Blooms


Ⅰ. ALWAYS BLOOMING, NEVER HARVEST
July flowers bring, well, August flowers.

Another month has come and gone, and you may have noticed things haven’t changed much. Everything is still beautiful. There are still no signs of babies or prepubescent children or young animals.

In fact, if you’re paying close enough attention, you may have noticed there are no fruits or grains or vegetables that have come from the constant riot of color and pollen. Only flowers, always flowers.

You still have access to the city’s temple and the baths. The High Temple’s doors are open to everyone.

Some of you may still be dealing with the unpleasant side effects of the Ancient’s now dead and gone Flower Oracle, but it should wind down before the end of the month. Or maybe you already faced your demons.

Hiding out in the Temples for the rest of the month is always an option, but be careful not to get too stagnant. It would be a shame if your ScryWatch stays stuck on the same color forever because you, too, decided to stop growing.



Ⅱ. FLOWER MARKET FESTIVAL
CW: Optional Alcohol/Drug Consumption.
You didn’t think the celebrations would be over just because the Flower Oracle came and went, did you? There’s always a new event, a new thing to do, a new way to make some benefit off the Travelers who pass in and out of the Isle looking to take something away from this place.

This month it’s the Flower Market!

During the days, stalls bloom beneath the elevated buildings and in the empty center where the Flower Oracle once stood. There are flowers, of course, in buckets, arrangements, wreaths, crowns, growing in tiny little pots, made into cakes, salsas, and snacks! Artists will find pigments, paints, inks, dyes, and papers. There are perfumes, lotions, oils, soaps, and more. Spices and herbs are abundant; you’ve certainly never seen saffron this cheap. If you haven’t gotten enough tie-dye from the temple, you’ll find beautiful batik clothing, purses, and even jewelry. Everything is bright, everything is for sale.

At night, the stalls are all folded away and instruments come out. Little stalls sell flowery alcoholic drinks and did you know or remember that cannabis is a flowering plant? The locals certainly remembered to make the edibles. Careful, though, drink or imbibe and you’ll find yourself talking about the things you need that you cannot buy. The things you are aching for.

And you won’t stop until someone acknowledges it.

Notes:
1. If you want it and it’s made of flowers, it’s here. No drugs or alcohol during daylight hours.

2. The Temple gives a small amount of spending money daily. Save up and get fancy, or buy a little bit of everything.

3. There is a tiny group of unknown Travelers that show up for the market. They don’t seem to have access to the same network as PCs, but their watches flash green, blue, or purple. They seem to be avoiding PC Travelers and disappear into parts of the Temples that don’t seem to be open to our group yet whenever they get too close.



Ⅲ. POISON GARDEN
CW: Poisons, narcotics, ect.
As you wander the now familiar village, you will notice a new pathway has opened at the edge of the village. It leads to an area with a high stone fence and a heavy gate. A skull and crossbones are painted on the gate in bright white paint, but there’s nothing actually stopping you from opening the gate and walking in.

The garden is beautiful, but surprisingly formal after the chaotic abundance of the rest of the Isle. The paths are wide and there’s space between the plants. Each one is meticulously labeled with a stake in the ground.

Do you read the labels? How long does it take you to realize everything in the garden is toxic or poisonous? There are so many options from hemlock and oleander to aconitum and angel’s trumpet and beyond.

Welcome to a study on how not everything that's natural is good for you as you continue to wander the fractal paths. Of course, not everything that's poisonous has no purpose. By the opium poppies there’s a sign that tells you that you can choose to wander the deadly garden until it kills you or you can own up to a toxic habit or behavior that you need to deal with.

Notes:
1. In theory, a character could wander forever without touching or consuming any of the poisons. For plot/fun reasons, feel free to make it a little more difficult. And remember, some of your characters can be poisoned to death.

2. Acknowledging bad habits or a need for change in an honest way is very likely to result in a shift in a ScryWatch color. Remember, the Ancient is looking for growth and improvement, not moral perfection.

3. Characters can collect poisonous or medicinal plants but will be at risk while doing so.



Ⅳ. FLOWERY FIELDS FOREVER
Maybe you need to get away from the fuss at the market or just want to stretch your legs, but it’s time to explore the flowering landscape around the village. The villagers have baskets waiting at each of the outbound trails with the request that you come back with the basket full in trade for the picnic lunch they provide.

Wander the rolling hills and you’ll find a surprising amount of wildlife for an island without offspring. There are hummingbirds the size of chihuahuas, tiny pollinating bats, nectar eating possums, giant stingless bees, and more butterflies than you can shake a stick at. All of them seem entirely unafraid of humans despite being wild animals. If you get bitten or pecked, it’s your own fault.

As you fill your basket, you’ll notice patterns in what blooms. All kinds of plants bloom outside of reason and season and traditional need because the land is trying to talk to you through flowers. What did you need to hear? The villagers can help you translate when you come back from your adventure.

Notes:
1. The giant orchid mantises are still there! Thank Gideon and Harrow for negotiating a truce, so they probably won’t eat you. A mantis might even have a conversation with you if you ask nicely, (Quentin managed somehow,) and they have their own knowledge and worship of the Ancient.

2. Feel free to use any reference for plant/flower meaning. Here’s one to get started!

3. Don’t get too attached to any of the critters, they will stay here at the end of the month.

Bonus: music to watch the flowers bloom to.


Network · Logs · OOC · Memes · Plurk

wwrench: <lj user=manual> (pic#13696538)

[personal profile] wwrench 2021-08-08 04:55 am (UTC)(link)
The last in the list of her credentials counts the most. It's not that the others aren't more impressive, but knowing what she does for others tells him more about what she's likely to have encountered than anything else. Wrench can't call himself a vigilante. He's probably the opposite of that, as evidenced by the orange glow of the ScryWatch he keeps referring to for their conversation. But it's exactly the level of care that he's gotten used to over the course of his life.

You have anything for this? he wonders, and holds his left palm up so she can see the slowly-healing scar that stretches the breadth of it. It's frozen. I can't move my fingers. I don't mind reopening it and flushing it out, but I don't want to make it worse. Nor does it look infected, despite his complaint.
kyley_b: (RL outside thinkin)

[personal profile] kyley_b 2021-08-08 04:59 am (UTC)(link)
"Okay, hang tight."

Kyle hurries off, returning soon enough with vaguely rose tasting water. He hands it over, smiling tentatively, his eyes still warm with concern.
dothelokimotion: (He had lived for the future)

[personal profile] dothelokimotion 2021-08-08 05:10 am (UTC)(link)
She did, but she wasn't one to care about family.

[ which is valid. after odin, loki can't imagine hela would care all that much. ]
kyley_b: https://skiesandrainforest.tumblr.com/ (lunch)

cue alice cooper, cos it's Poison!

[personal profile] kyley_b 2021-08-08 05:12 am (UTC)(link)
"Maybe the ashes," Kyle agrees. He's hanging back, studying the skull painted on the gate, frowning, ready to supply a hundred different arguments about why they should turn back and go do something else.

Instead his frown deepens. "I'm not afraid," he says as he pushes Quentin aside to shove the gate open and step inside the garden. He's damned if he's going to let Quentin think he's a pussy.
queenking: ([down] tearful)

it's the BABY!!!!

[personal profile] queenking 2021-08-08 05:19 am (UTC)(link)
It's a testament to how intently involved in staring Saxsice is that she doesn't even notice him crouching down, doesn't react until her Scrywatch pings out the translation to his question. Then she jumps, immediately pressing the picture face-down to her chest and staring at him for a long, alarmed moment. She's this close to being like "him who", but this was the guy who'd actually been privy to her hot tub visions.

Plus he's not angrily threatening her of being a witch this time, so... Saxsice swallows tightly and shakes her head once. "No. Back home. This is from the Oracle." She's still shaken up and, most embarrassingly, her eyes are bright and stinging with the tears that have been threatening to spill over since she'd gotten the picture. "Kind of a...combination gift and "hey, fuck you" at the same time."

Sniffing, she slowly sits up, still holding the picture to her chest with one hand. "Almost didn't recognize ya with pants on."
wwrench: <lj user=manual> (pic#13358035)

we love a King child

[personal profile] wwrench 2021-08-08 05:29 am (UTC)(link)
Wrench knows he ought to feel guilty as he watches her nearly jump out of her skin, but the realization of the appropriate emotion is about as close as he gets. He checks his ScryWatch as if he expects that it might've changed its shade just from him recognizing where guilt ought to have struck him, but no such luck.

I haven't heard of anyone else getting a gift from the Oracle, he admits, as if it might help. I just got this. He holds his scarred and frozen left hand up demonstratively, and shrugs. Is that supposed to mean that he's okay? He's not missing you or anything?

Wrench smirks through his nose. Guess we both made a lasting impression?
extrasensory_problems: (hair in face)

[personal profile] extrasensory_problems 2021-08-08 05:43 am (UTC)(link)
"I dunno....everyone?"

There's another long pause and finally he caves, it's hard to keep secrets from Jean-Paul. "Her name is Jennifer."
nanban: (cocky)

ii

[personal profile] nanban 2021-08-08 05:48 am (UTC)(link)
[ Luckily for Saxsice, Hawks has some of the best eyesight around, involving colour or otherwise. Sure, his customary visor is coloured or whatever, but that doesn't really matter. His hero name – the only name he's likely to tell anyone around here for the foreseeable future – is pretty apt in the end. Anyway, it's not like the thing is glued to his face.

So when the lady with her arms full of bottles calls out to him, he peers over the edge of the visor with sharp golden eyes and offers her half a grin.

He points to the one on the left. ]


That one's blue. Other one's red. Easy mistake, I imagine.

[ He's teasing because it's just how he is, but he's not mean about it. ]

Other than that, though, I'm...not actually sure what the difference is. Can't say I know what most of this stuff does.
speed_of_snark: (wtf)

[personal profile] speed_of_snark 2021-08-08 06:18 am (UTC)(link)
Stare.

Stare.

"Walters?!?"
Edited 2021-08-08 06:18 (UTC)
extrasensory_problems: (hair in face)

[personal profile] extrasensory_problems 2021-08-08 06:24 am (UTC)(link)
"Yessssssss? What?! Why are you looking at me like that? She's my friend and I want to get her something nice."
queenking: ([neutral] ew no why)

the best boy of all time

[personal profile] queenking 2021-08-08 06:30 am (UTC)(link)
There's another raised and lowered shoulder, and Saxsice tries to surreptitiously wipe her eyes against her sleeve. "I kinda got the feelin' that she doesn't give straight-up gifts. I'm glad I have it, but. Still." The sight of his hand makes her wince, leaning forward and wrinkling her nose at the scar. "Dude, what'd she do, feed it through a blender?" It's not nearly that bad, she's just dramatic.

At the question, she looks back at the photo, letting it tip back, face-up, into her hand. "Maybe? She said "no innocent should suffer for your being here", whatever the hell that means. No straight answers from that one. I sure as hell hope that's what it means."

This gets a short, flat kind of laugh. "Hard not to, with uh...all we saw of each other." And she doesn't just mean the lack of clothes. His memories had been vivid, the sort of ugly stark things that you didn't forget in a hurry.
queenking: ([down] loud squinting)

[personal profile] queenking 2021-08-08 06:39 am (UTC)(link)
Ohhhh. [She turns the bottles around, looking them over seriously for a long moment and nodding.] Red and blue. Gotcha. Makes sense. I can't see color, y'see.

[She sticks one in each pocket of the robe she's wearing, then gives him a thoughtful once-over.] ...you got wings. [You know, just in case he wasn't aware?]
nanban: (enjoyment)

[personal profile] nanban 2021-08-08 06:47 am (UTC)(link)
[ He watches her, though he doesn't appear particularly interested. If he did, that would ruin his whole cool guy who doesn't give a fuck thing. But he does, in fact, care a whole lot. He's paying much more attention to anything than he lets on.

He raises an eyebrow at her admission about not seeing colour. ]


Huh. Really? No colour at all?

[ He glances over one shoulder at his wings, eyes wide with mock-surprise, then lets his grin turn into a full size one. ]

Yep, that's me, Wing Hero Hawks. Wouldn't be much of a title without 'em, I guess. So what d'you figure those red and blue bottles do, anyhow?
unkindled_madness: (skeptical)

[personal profile] unkindled_madness 2021-08-08 01:52 pm (UTC)(link)
[Somehow he suspected that might be a positive for Jean-Paul.]

A detective? You investigate particularly violent crimes then?
omertae: (• bend back‚ give head)

i~

[personal profile] omertae 2021-08-08 04:06 pm (UTC)(link)
What's up with you?

[ Angelo's also having kind of an awful time, though he's had enough of talking about it. At the end of the day, he didn't actually follow through on burning down the Oracle's stupid flower house or whatever the fuck. Not that he cares either way, he just doesn't want to put in the effort only for everyone else stuck here to invalidate it all. They should be thanking him, as far as he's concerned. He flops onto the bed next to Saxsice, propping his arms behind his head. ]

Hayfever?
neverwither: (Shy away)

[personal profile] neverwither 2021-08-08 06:15 pm (UTC)(link)
( Kind is not the word Chloe would currently use to describe herself. But, as ever, she smiles at Anders' good spirits. There's a quiet sincerity to it that acknowledges that flicker of authenticity from him. )

You're a delight. As usual.

( He may have essentially told her no, Chloe, I'd rather not be subjected to a flower crown but she selects one out anyway. It's more greenery than blooms, constructed from ferns, arborvitae and a few yellow flowers woven in. She isn't bold enough to pop it straight on his head, turning it around slowly in her hands as she presents it for inspection. )

You see... Ferns represent magic, confidence. The arborvitae is friendship and the flowers - the celandine - are joys to come.
unkindled_madness: (didn't want to be here)

ii

[personal profile] unkindled_madness 2021-08-08 06:20 pm (UTC)(link)
[Sephiroth glances down long enough to distinguish:]

They're different colors. Does that mean something?

[His tone is brusque, his attention not really on her. He's lost track of those unfamiliar Travellers, and his eyes are scanning for them over her head. Clearly this is more important than selecting alcohol.]
neverwither: (You can tell me all your sins)

[personal profile] neverwither 2021-08-08 06:26 pm (UTC)(link)
"It's not so far from that, actually. The giving of particular flowers was used as a means to deliver messages that couldn't be said aloud." Whether he wanted the context or not, Chloe provides anyway. Just another little tidbit in the everlasting quest to be helpful.

"Well..." There's a pause in recognition of the fact that the translation might not be entirely appreciated. "The geraniums - " She gestures to the bright pink blooms. " - typically represent foolishness and folly. The sweet woodruff - " Again she gestures to the plant in question. " - represents humility."
neverwither: (Shy away)

[personal profile] neverwither 2021-08-08 06:32 pm (UTC)(link)
Her own smile has a touch of embarrassment as yes, that would probably be a good place to start. "If the spray is bothering you, have you thought about perfume oils? They can be better than the sprays, actually..."

Still smiling, she shakes her head. "Not that you requested a personal shopper, but I'd be happy to help you find something."
neverwither: (A happy curious girl)

[personal profile] neverwither 2021-08-08 06:37 pm (UTC)(link)
I think that might depend on what you'll use them for. ( She would think some form of creative endeavour but who knows? There could be all manner of things one might wish to record or measure during their time on the islands. )

What would you usually buy, if you don't mind me asking? Perhaps we could find something similar or to substitute?
quire: (Default)

[personal profile] quire 2021-08-08 07:07 pm (UTC)(link)
He frowns thoughtfully. Mulching the leafy broad's ashes does sort of seem on track on this place and it's locals.

It's hard to tell if the groan Quentin emits is for the frustrations inherent to this place or to Wade, but as if in response he surrounds himself with big pink psionic field. A bit like a gummy bear exo-skeleton.

"Hm. I don't know if viral zombies deserve to be called zombies. I feel like rising from the dead ought to be part of that taxonomy."

He wrinkles his nose at the plant pointed out to him. "Gross." But really, there's not a lot of strange flora that surprises him. Between the Savage Land and Krakoa he feels like's see his share of horticultural horrors. He leans in and looks a little closer. "What do you think these people would do if we planted some carnivorous plant near the temple or whatever? We should have a brought a shovel."
quire: (telekinetic tools)

[personal profile] quire 2021-08-08 07:22 pm (UTC)(link)
"Your world? Let me guess— sommmmme brand of Earth right? The selection criteria for tourists around here only seems to have a handful of homeworlds on it." He considers that tool a little, but the expression on his face implies a kind of distain. Nevertheless, he hangs onto it for now.

"Given what it knows about us, it could deffo be pulling things from where we come from but I don't think it's reading our minds to do it," he says confidently. "I would know."

He sneers at her description of hogsweed and suddenly he and his machete are surrounded by what looks like a thick, malleable layer of intangible pick energy. "What are you the plant whisperer?"
quire: (smirk)

[personal profile] quire 2021-08-08 08:29 pm (UTC)(link)
"I dunno, depends who it is. Don't act like you're not curious about anyone," he smirks shamelessly.

Quentin of course is convinced this whole thing is far less selfless than it's branded itself. Always a skeptic.
quire: (dafuq)

[personal profile] quire 2021-08-08 08:32 pm (UTC)(link)
"You know, I had a theory about this place and the fact that you're buying presents for someone and blushing about it points to me being right. I'm gonna tell David—" he looks up suddenly from this table full of floral trinkets.

"Oh my god it's not David is it! If it's David and he's been fucking flirting with someone I'm going to kill him for not mentioning that!"
quire: (akshully)

[personal profile] quire 2021-08-08 08:41 pm (UTC)(link)
"Oh it's me too," he assures him. "But you've been here here long," he says gesturing to this particular path through the posies.

"Look..." he tromps off Jean-Paul's path and a bright trail of pink (naturally) geraniums spring up in his wake. A stark difference in shape and color from the flower Jean-Paul finds himself surrounded with. When he picks one something delicate and white replaces it.

"Ahmmmm," he taps at his ScryWatch a moment. "Honeysuckle. Predominantly viewed as a symbol of happiness, blah blah, notoriously hardy and challenging to kill blah blah often be used to symbolize devotion and everlasting bonds... Ring any bells for you? It's like astrology but via the sex organs of plants."