polymods: (Default)
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

helpdesk_hero: David Alleyne  / Prodigy - From Young Avengers (Default)

David Alleyne | Marvel-616 | OTA

[personal profile] helpdesk_hero 2021-08-05 12:31 am (UTC)(link)
1. Shopping Time
Sometimes the best thing a person can do is just prepare themselves for what comes next. The month of rest concept is one he is actually happy to have, even if it's strange. So each day, with the money given to them at the temple, he sets out to try and acquire some items that could be useful. Which meant it was easy to find him there, looking at paper and ink, or at soaps. But mostly (after he'd acquired a larger bag of course), David was among the spices.

"I can't even imagine what they do with all of these spices with so little to cook. Seriously, how is there not even fruit?"

All these flowers were getting to him.

2. Musical Offerings
There are those that suggest that one of the better methods of therapy is through some form of art. David didn't really know where he stood on that most of the time, even with the knowledge of many studies and papers floating around somewhere in his head. But sometimes you need to do your best just to find an option to keep your mind apart from the situation around you, and in this case, David had managed to do that by talking one performer into sharing an instrument with him.

It was a small, stringed instrument not unlike a lute, and David sat with it in his lap on the ground, just plucking skillfully at the strings. Noticing someone approaching he looks up and offers a smile.

"Got a song I can try and play for you? And if you say Wonderwall, I'm going to make very unhappy noises unless you're paying me in drinks."

3. Walks and Picnics
"This place makes literally no sense," David found himself musing as he, with a half full basket of flowers, strolled to a stop along a trail. He was currently watching a giant hummingbird and a tiny bat racing each other around to get to different flowers. One that David recognized from back home as very much suitable to springs in New York State, and something that was wholly Krakoan. Two things that shouldn't get together. That, honestly, couldn't live together at all.

"You can't grow together," he complained loudly at the flowers. How can they do this. "I swear you are giving me a heada-"

And there, several meters away, another plant that he knew if you chewed on the stems would help with a headache.

"Okay, now you're actively fucking with me."
Edited 2021-08-05 00:31 (UTC)
extrasensory_problems: (up_smile)

[personal profile] extrasensory_problems 2021-08-05 12:52 am (UTC)(link)
Carter looks up and smiles when he sees David, "Nah not you. You have a much more calm disposition compared to this...whatever it is."

He waves his hands at the little bat which finally seems to give up it's task in annoying him and flutters up into the tree branches, Carter pats a spot on the ground next to him.

"Care to join me?" He asks David, "I was trying to meditate but not really doing a great job."
dothelokimotion: (I can’t find a trace of you anywhere)

( b )

[personal profile] dothelokimotion 2021-08-05 01:10 am (UTC)(link)
I think that is the idea.

[ to overwhelm, to press against you. until you have no choice. he shakes his head. a petty machination. ]
dothelokimotion: (Words are vibrations)

( a )

[personal profile] dothelokimotion 2021-08-05 01:13 am (UTC)(link)
[ loki is stocking up on oils, creams, soaps. going to go all out on his beauty regime. he tucks them neatly in his basket before glancing at david. ]

Perhaps they're meant for the drinks. It is not an uncommon practice.
helpdesk_hero: David Alleyne  / Prodigy - From Young Avengers (Default)

[personal profile] helpdesk_hero 2021-08-05 01:13 am (UTC)(link)
"Well, in my defense, I'm not after your pollen, and you're not stubbornly denying me it," David pointed out.

Yes, he actually thought it was probably just that the little bat saw a great source of pollen that had walked up to it, and it just wanted to lick that stuff clean. Really, all this pollen in the air and everywhere was just brutal as hell. But he crossed his legs as he settled down and he considered Carter as he folded his hands into his lap.

"You very meditation experienced?"
helpdesk_hero: David Alleyne / Prodigy - From Marvel Comics (The Eyebrow Asks (Eyebrow))

[personal profile] helpdesk_hero 2021-08-05 01:36 am (UTC)(link)
[Of course he's all about his beauty routine. Looking good for yourself is a goal everyone should have. Not everyone has to be the most stunning, but looking your best can make you feel your best.]

I've never been moved to try putting ground sage in a drink. Even with teas the most you want is dried and sorta more minced.
dothelokimotion: (Comfort was the answer to all)

[personal profile] dothelokimotion 2021-08-05 01:40 am (UTC)(link)
[ loki shrugs. ]

It depends on the tea. There are more variations than what you would find on a single planet.
helpdesk_hero: David Alleyne  / Prodigy - From Young Avengers (Default)

[personal profile] helpdesk_hero 2021-08-05 01:47 am (UTC)(link)
[He had to roll his eyes at that statement.]

Yes, I'm very aware. But plants vary from planet to planet unless you've brought in old species, and that doesn't tend to happen from Earth seeing as most species tend to look down on us. But this is absolutely sage. Thus my confusion. I suppose some people might use it for magic though.
dothelokimotion: (The exact problem is currently unclear)

[personal profile] dothelokimotion 2021-08-05 01:52 am (UTC)(link)
[ his nose wrinkles at that. ]

If you're nothing but a hedgewitch, perhaps. Magic doesn't require . . . frippery.
helpdesk_hero: David Alleyne  / Prodigy - From Young Avengers (Default)

[personal profile] helpdesk_hero 2021-08-05 02:00 am (UTC)(link)
And yet here I am, aware of a good number of spells used by the Sorcerer Supreme that require supplements to make function. Sure, maybe there is more prevalence in what one sees as hedgewitchery, and there are of course religious practices involving sage, but my point I feel stands.

[Why was there so much sage when there wasn't even stuff to use it with?]

I swear, this place has a serious lotus eaters vibe.
dothelokimotion: (The curtain is raised a few inches)

[personal profile] dothelokimotion 2021-08-05 02:05 am (UTC)(link)
[ loki gives a low snort. ]

That half-rate magician may consider himself well-read but he knows nothing of the true nature of magic.
helpdesk_hero: David Alleyne  / Prodigy - From Young Avengers (Default)

[personal profile] helpdesk_hero 2021-08-05 02:09 am (UTC)(link)
And who are you to be so certain you know more than the magical protector of a whole dimension?

[Because he's not buying that the ancient title of the Sorcerer Supreme is empty. Because he knows exactly what it means and what they do. He had, after all, been in a room with Doctor Strange once.]
dothelokimotion: (Illegal to consider their existence)

[personal profile] dothelokimotion 2021-08-05 02:12 am (UTC)(link)
I am Loki and I say any person who calls themselves the Sorcerer Supreme has too much ego on their hands.
mewnifestos: (Default)

3

[personal profile] mewnifestos 2021-08-05 02:14 am (UTC)(link)
Although he's studied his fair share of medicinal plants - flowers of course included - Anders has little interest in stopping to examine each specific bloom. Even the familiar ones, like those delicate red and white lilies— He's picked a couple, but his basket is practically overflowing with others.

Mostly one that looks like little clusters of yellow puffballs, and another that resembles a broad, round bundle of white petals. They seem to be all he can find, as he plucks his way along, rather more invested in enjoying the fresh air and seeing the sights than paying attention.

This is exactly what he needs, after spending a small age unwillingly cooped up in that temple. For entirely no reason, he might add. He never broke any important laws in that bizarre city, he's fairly certain. So what gives? At any rate, he's in a better mood now than he was, before.

Enough to laugh at a stranger's overheard exasperation, as he rounds the top of another gently rolling hill.

"Not yet, but give me a moment - I'll think of something."
helpdesk_hero: David Alleyne  / Prodigy - From Young Avengers (Moonlight On Your Face (Light))

[personal profile] helpdesk_hero 2021-08-05 02:22 am (UTC)(link)
[Oh. Oh no. David looks Loki up and down, and now that the name's there, he suddenly gets it. That hair, those eyes, the regal posture. David wants to laugh.]

Really? That's a serious pot-kettle thing to say. Like your ego isn't a hundred times that of Stephen's, and you know it. Also I saw some mixed sunflower and chamomile oil at one of these stalls. It would be better for your skin type. A few drops massaged into your hands will help keep them soft and hydrated.
dothelokimotion: (Your existence is not impossible)

[personal profile] dothelokimotion 2021-08-05 02:23 am (UTC)(link)
[ loki raises an eyebrow at him. ]

Do I know you?
helpdesk_hero: David Alleyne  / Prodigy - From Young Avengers (You Just Keep Talking (Frustrated))

[personal profile] helpdesk_hero 2021-08-05 02:29 am (UTC)(link)
He was so focused on the offense offered to him from the flowers that David didn't know he was being approached. Not until someone was laughing. David turned his attention to the source of the noise and was shocked to see the man there. Which was silly, he had heard laughter, he shouldn't be shocked by a person. But really, he'd just assumed that the laughter was the natural call of one of the weird ass animals here.

"Ha ha, very funny. I'm talking to the plants," he answered, before gesturing specifically to the one that relieved headaches. "That brews into a headache tea. Not as good as old fashioned willowbark, but it would work. It's mocking me by being right here right now."
mewnifestos: (Default)

flower market

[personal profile] mewnifestos 2021-08-05 02:29 am (UTC)(link)
[ Anders is not on such an ambitious shopping trip, even if he is enjoying the more familiar bustle of the flower-laden marketplace. He's still a tad suspicious of just being handed coin for this sort of thing, though— Enough so that he's been watching out for others actually spending it to spy on, just to be sure that it's safe.

But when it comes to an actually familiar face, he can't help but step out of the crowd. He's actually happy to see her, though, and not just in a happy-to-see-anyone, after an entire month under the thumbs of those overbearing guards, kind of way.

Sidling up to the charming display of ostentatious floral crowns she's just made her purchase at, he grins as he overhears her speaking aloud. ]


Well, that is how I've always described myself, but it's nice to hear someone else say it for once.
helpdesk_hero: David Alleyne  / Prodigy - From Young Avengers (Watching You Carefully (Looking))

[personal profile] helpdesk_hero 2021-08-05 02:30 am (UTC)(link)
[Well, given the man hadn't used his name yet or mocked him specifically from their history...]

Apparently not. But you are Loki of Asgard, right? God of Mischief and Stories?
dothelokimotion: (We live in a pattern)

[personal profile] dothelokimotion 2021-08-05 02:33 am (UTC)(link)
[ he cocks his head. ]

God of Mischief, yes. But I doubt I hold the title of Stories.
helpdesk_hero: David Alleyne  / Prodigy - From Young Avengers (Heartbreak Hits Twice (Sorrow))

[personal profile] helpdesk_hero 2021-08-05 02:40 am (UTC)(link)
[Huh, interesting. David turns from the stalls to truly look at Loki. So like the young man he had known, had nearly shared a moment with. That was strange.]

And you're saying that you've never gone on a dimension hopping adventure caused by your own meddling in the fate of a young man of great magical potential?
dothelokimotion: (All is fleeting)

[personal profile] dothelokimotion 2021-08-05 02:47 am (UTC)(link)
[ loki blinks. ]

I think I would remember doing that.
helpdesk_hero: David Alleyne  / Prodigy - From Marvel Comics (Brains of the Operation (Computers))

[personal profile] helpdesk_hero 2021-08-05 02:52 am (UTC)(link)
[Ah. So his point stood. But David supposed he could sort of fish around for that then.]

Does the place Broxton, Oklahoma mean anything to you?

[Because if it's the Loki from his world but perhaps just before David met him, perhaps even before he even came to be 'Kid Loki' as he was known as in that time, then Broxton would mean something.]
dothelokimotion: (Knowledge may be terrible)

[personal profile] dothelokimotion 2021-08-05 02:53 am (UTC)(link)
[ loki slowly shakes his head. ]

The only places I've visited on Earth recently are New York and Norway.
helpdesk_hero: David Alleyne / Prodigy - From Marvel Comics (Bad Plan But Not Arguing (Concern))

[personal profile] helpdesk_hero 2021-08-05 03:02 am (UTC)(link)
[New York and Norway. That... Definitely sounds like a troublesome part of Loki's life.]

Well then, I guess I'll have to settle for having the advantage of you with familiarity.

[So he offers his hand out to Loki, after transferring his bag to his other hand.]

David Alleyne. I know things.