Eternal Summer

[polymods]

✖ 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

Comments

[helpdesk_hero]

"Oh god yes," David answered, folding his hands in his lap and looking out around him. "In a way, this place is giving me a chance to try and find my internal peace and balance once more."

Because he had played his own hard pretty bad. Space wasn't a bad idea. Space and peace.

[extrasensory_problems]

"Oh. I mean I was kind of joking but ....oh. Wow." He says, running a hand through his hair as he tries to wrap his head around the idea of being in a love triangle.
He could barely handle one person so the idea of more than that is a bit staggering.

"Peace and balance are good." He agrees and looks around at the little patch of solitude they are sitting in with a smile.

"So....uh.... Can I ask? What was the last situation you were in? Was it like full soap opera with people being pregnant and coming in and out of comas? Evil twin brothers?"

[helpdesk_hero]

Oh Carter, what a dangerous question to ask. David hesitates for a moment before looking to him.

"It gets dark, Carter. The world I was in where this happened, people got hurt. Badly. Me included. If you really want to know, you're opening up the door to actual drama stories and things that might make you sad. Like, on the scale of 'Welcome to the X-Men, hope you survive the experience' vibes."

And he didn't want to talk to Carter about the way that all went down without, you know, being sure the guy was okay with it.

[extrasensory_problems]

"I don't mind being sad." He says after a long pause where he considers David's warning. "I'm open to listening so long as you don't mind sharing."

And he means it, he hasn't known David for very long but there's a sort of energy that he projects that Carter enjoys being around. Maybe it's because they both sit under the telepath umbrella, or maybe it's because this whole ripped from your reality situation makes people more willing to connect with others. Whatever it is he finds himself curious about the man sitting next to him, curious and concerned about some of the obvious trauma he's been through.

[helpdesk_hero]

There goes meditation.

"Back home I had a team once. When I was at the school. After M-Day not all of them survived for a variety of reasons. One of them, Laurie, was dating my best friend Josh. Laurie passed away at home. But in the world that I arrived in, she was there. She was alive. She was beautiful and good and she'd grown up into the woman we'd always hoped her to be. I was glad to have my friend back. And Josh, my best friend. I hadn't seen him in so long. He was there too. The two of them were dancing around each other again."

It was all so simple at first. Except things had gotten past that, hadn't they?

"I don't know when exactly I fell in love with them. But it was definitely after they started dating. I gave Josh so much grief when we were young for him cheating on Laurie, and I still made the mistake of falling for them."

[extrasensory_problems]

Carter listens quietly, nodding when David mentions his confusion at not knowing exactly when he fell in love with Laurie and Josh. He can understand that feeling, it's very similar to his first long term girlfriend. They had started out as friends and then suddenly they were in love, neither of them knew when or how, it just was.

"Did they both show interest in you separately or as a couple?"

CW: Referenced death

[helpdesk_hero]

"Not... Not there," David answered, rubbing the back of his neck. "That world, it wasn't stable. The fabric of reality was torn. So sometimes we were in other worlds. In one Josh and I had been lovers a few times, and when we stopped, I fell instead for Laurie. In another world the three of us were together, as lovers, until we all fell out."

It's just frustrating. He took a break and his shoulders rose and fell with the weight of his breathing.

"I was seeing a guy at the time, during one of those things. While in that world, he killed me. I awoke in his arms and, since he'd stolen Josh's healing powers and that carried over, he saved me from bleeding out. Lucky me, right? Except then he was gone and Josh and Laurie were so supportive of me for it. Only made the feelings worse."

Re: CW: Referenced death

[extrasensory_problems]

Carter puts a reassuring hand on David's shoulder, watching his breathing carefully, he appreciates David telling him all this but he doesn't want him to give himself a panic attack over it.

"That sounds really complicated and I'm sure all three of you had confusing feelings because of it."

CW: Referenced death

[helpdesk_hero]

"Oh, it gets worse," David laughs, bit it's bitter. "There was another guy, really in love with Josh. Me and him started sleeping together after my boyfriend left. And, shock of all shocks, he ended up going crazy and killing me. And that's before one even considers my life back home. I'm made of relationship drama. Pretty sure it's a secondary mutation."

But the hand on his shoulder is nice and maybe he leans into it a little bit.

Re: CW: Referenced death

[extrasensory_problems]

"The guy you slept with...killed you?" Carter asks, his eyes going wide. He is both shocked and upset at the fact that someone would do this to David as well as the semi causal nature in which David tells him this.

"Holy shit, David....that...." He trails off, trying to think of something that doesn't sound stupid. Somehow he doesn't think that 'gee that sucks is going to exactly cover it.

"Fuck."

Well.....still stupid sounding but he can't think of much else to say.

CW: Referenced death

[helpdesk_hero]

"Yeah, he did," David agreed, his fingers coming up to touch his throat. "I've got a rather high count now. Four deaths, two in that world, two back home. And a lot of near misses. There seems to be a propensity for going for my throat."

Maybe it was a bit of judgement on him talking too much. Or the fact that he could easily give other people's secrets. Which he doubted actually.

"Fuck," he said at last, his voice soft and sad.

Get ready for cuddles and the puppy dog eyes icon

[extrasensory_problems]

That decides him, that one soft sad word.
Carter moves closer to David and wraps his arms around him, pulling him into a close hug. His mother brought him up to never be afraid of showing his emotions nor of hugging another man, so he does this without any hesitation or awkwardness.

"I am so sorry that you've had to go through that. That you have to feel that."

Re: Get ready for cuddles and the puppy dog eyes icon

[helpdesk_hero]

Oh, a hug. David... hadn't expected that. The arm around him, the comfort offered by what was effectively a stranger. He almost melts into it, leaning against Carter and not making any move to pull away.

"It just keeps happening."

[extrasensory_problems]

"It shouldn't happen at all, least of all keep happening, that's unfair and really shitty." Carter says softly, moving his body so that David can fully lean into the embrace.

"You can talk about it if you want, if it will help." He says after a long moment of silence, "Or I can just keep doing this. I didn't mention it before but not only am I telepath but I'm also a world famous hugger."

[helpdesk_hero]

"I don't know how much talking helps," David admits. "I'm... I think I'm here because I need to move on from it. The weight of my own spilled blood, literal and metaphorical."

A world famous hugger. David laughs.

"I missed hugs. For the longest time in the last would I had to avoid them. Skin to skin contact would activate my powers."

[extrasensory_problems]

"That makes sense." Carter muses and then smiles when he hears David laugh, moving one of his hands down to gently rub his back.

"Well I am always happy to hug, so you've got an open invitation to get hugs anytime you want."

[helpdesk_hero]

"You sure? what if Jenn saw us?" Davis teased.

He needed the distraction and chose teasing.

[extrasensory_problems]

His cheeks go red again but he's smiling, "Then I guess it will just give her an opportunity to see my cuddle skills in action."

[helpdesk_hero]

David hadn't really heard of a Hulk (other than Hulkling who wasn't the same) that was into cuddles, but he would let Carter keep that idea.

"I'm glad someone is happy with being smitten."

[extrasensory_problems]

His cheeks somehow manage to go an even darker shade of red.

"I'm not smitten I just..... Okay maybe I am. A little.
A lot."

[helpdesk_hero]

"Twitter patted," David cooed at the other man.

What, this was just who he was.

[extrasensory_problems]

Carter laughs and tightens his arms around David, falling over onto his back and pulling David with him.

"Shut up! I am not."

[helpdesk_hero]

Oh no now he's down IN the flowers. He laughs and lets Carter hold him.

"You really are, Carter."

[extrasensory_problems]

Carter sighs and leans his head against the top of David's, looking up at the sky where clouds are drifting lazily by.

"Yeah... I'm sure nothing will come of it but that's fine."

[helpdesk_hero]

Well this is nice. It's... It's like having Trevor or Josh around. Not quite like Tommy. And David can't help the way tears start to form in his eyes. He just tries to blink them away so Carter can't notice.

"But it's still nice, to have that sort of space in your heart."