polylogs | Eternal Summer

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Eternal Summer

✖ 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.

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Quentin cops a cheeky look. "Is that an offer or do you just want me to spread that around for you?" he teases.

"Do not DARE tell anybody I said that," Kyle warns, cheeks hot.

"But, yeah. Yeah, it's an offer. ...oh my god, I AM easy."

"I won't! I won't! I'm joking! I'm joking!" he snickers. God forbid he actually chase away such an offer with his stupid remarks.

"You say that like you're embarrassed about it," he steals another kiss. "But you're obviously not embarrassed too much to ask." Sitting back on Kyle he applies a little more of his body weight and rocks gently in place. "You don't have to act coy. I'm not going to judge you for liking sex you know?"

And I've never turned down a blow job in my life. I don't intend to start now," he beams.

"You better be," he grumbles.

Kyle's hands run up Quentin's thighs as he makes a soft, desperate noise. "I'm not about to pass up this opportunity, thanks," he says.

"Uhm. I should tell you like... I was sick as a kid, but I'm okay now. Like I don't have any communicable illnesses or anything."

He smiles to himself when Kyle strains under him, but his partner's unexpected warning piques Quentin's curiosity. "Okaaay. Good," he snorts. "You could just say I'm clean. I don't think like a run in with juvenile diabetes counts needs to still be on your rap sheet."

The sort of clothes this place has put them in makes Quentin feel a little more like a pauper than he's accustomed to, but he realizes at least they're not terribly difficult to get out of. He rolls himself off Kyle to sit against that tree and plucks at the ties that keep his pants up.

"I don't have anything either. Because I'm careful and a little bit weird about germs. But also I've been reborn I don't even know how many times and every time they put me in a brand new, DNA edited body so. It's like a weekly clean slate."

"Uhm." This is such an unsexy conversation. He sits up when Quentin rolls off, nodding.

"I do, too. Have a germ thing, I mean. But no, like, uh. I had HIV. It got cured, but I know it can be like... sensitive and I don't wanna start off by not being honest with you."

He looks at Quentin curiously. "Wait, they just like... clone you repeatedly?"

"You had HIV?" he looks a little surprised. For any number of reasons. All of which he appears to be about to ask but by the time he takes a breath he's not sure he wants to derail what they were doing with answers to those questions. "Sometime later you're going to tell me how the fuck that happened all the way through— but for now just... You're a hundo percent on the cured thing right? 'Cause I don't think condoms grow on trees."

If it's any testament to his trust in Kyle, he still looks plenty ready to take his pants off.

"Pretty much. If you know anything about gene editing you get to thinker with how the next body comes out too."

Edited 2021-08-13 00:10 (UTC)

"One thousand percent. I had a full STI panel done like, three months ago even."

He shuffles closer, hands moving up to Quentin's waistband and tucking under.

"So. Did you?"

Quentin smiles and invites him closer with a kiss. "Then we're cool."

Despite his best efforts to look cool, he hasn't done this quite enough to yet mastering not looking a little agog about someone putting their hands in his pants.

He watches Kyle's hands and blushes about the whole thing. "Maybe," he smiles a guilty smile at Kyles question.

Edited 2021-08-13 01:10 (UTC)

Quentin is blushing. Blushing. Kyle didn't know he could DO that. It does funny things to his stomach.

"I'd change my hair if I could," he admits as he starts kissing Quentin's neck. "And my nose. So don't like, feel guilty or whatever."

He worms lower, teeth gently grazing over Quentin's collarbone as he works a hand into his pants. "I think you look great. Really great."

Quentin does well to keep hidden all the uncomfortable places where confidence bumps up against his actual experience, but know him long enough, or closely enough, and the chaotic persona makes room for the introverted little nerd he's always been.

"I don't feel guilty," sure he doesn't. "I've just never had an audience who didn't already know I've done some self-editing."

He'd never admit feeling so incredibly flattered by Kyle's admissions of interest, and he'd like to think he does a decent job of tamping down the way it threatens to make him glow. Be cool Quire. This guy's into you. "You too. You're stronger than I thought you'd be. I'm starting to think you might be a little buff under there—" he says plucking at Kyle's shirt as if he can peak at him.

"I wouldn't have known if you hadn't told me," Kyle points out. He pulls back and offers Quentin a shy, hopeful little grin. "At least we're off to a good start with the honesty thing."

Long fingers encircle Quentin's dick and stroke gently. Kyle shrugs. "I used to play basketball," he says. "These days I don't as much, although I still run pretty regularly. That's it, though." He licks a stripe up Quentin's neck.

"I didn't! You assumed! I also edited out the hair follicles I don't want but your filthy mind went right to my dick," he smirks, but it's a short lived smugness when suddenly there's a firm hand around his cock.

The touch pulls an undignified little sound of him and he wraps his arms around Kyle's neck. "Lanky," he chuckles, trying to rally his focus again to appear a little more in control of himself. "I like that. It's a good look. Personally, I hate exercise."

"I didn't mean your dick, actually, I meant in general." His hand finds a slow, steady rhythm. "...it's nice, whatever you did to it."

He speaks into the warm, fragrant skin of Quentin's neck. "I wanted to play ball professionally when I was a kid," he says. "But I used to be really short. Still not really tall enough, or good enough. But I love it." He nuzzles the hollow between Quentin's neck and shoulder as his fingers explore the hot flesh in his grasp.

"Are you comfy?"

"I know what you were thinking, I could see it all over your face," he claims, but his petulance has its limits when he's being jerked off.

"Uh huh," he huffs for the moment when it's all he can manage to give voice to. "I mean I used to sleep in a California king with an Eiderdown duvet but like. For what 1-800-Flowers island has to offer I'm good," he promises.

His smart remarks seem a little less cutting when he's mewling and prone and red in the face. "Do you want me to... I can't reach you from there. Sorry. I wasn't sure if you were gonna... or wanted me... whatever just let me know if you want me to jerk you off too," he babbles.

"Then you didn't look right," Kyle insists. "You're just projecting your own filthiness."

He snickers and pulls back a little. "Uhm, yeah, okay. Like... I was just gonna blow you, but like..." They're both talkers, but clearly neither of them is exactly eloquent once sex has been introduced into the mix.

Kyle sits back and after a moment's though pulls his shirt up and over his head, dropping it on the ground and spreading it a little. "Uhm, here, gimme yours, we can like... lay on em or something."

"I know when I'm projecting. Do you?" he snarks.

It's kind of embarrassing how few cylinders he seems to be firing on the minute he's hard. Thank God Kyle has something like an idea. He pulls his shirt up his back and does an adequate job making some kind of blanket of it along side Kyle's.

"Wait, this is stupid—" he says having finally remembered himself. He picks his glasses up off the ground and suddenly with a springy sort of pop, the both of them and their shirt-blankets are hoisted a few inches off the ground on some squishy psionic inflatable mattress sort of thing. "Ta da. Luxury or something like it. "

"Oh, shut up," Kyle growls back. They're impossible.

Kyle was not expecting the psionic air mattress, and so he marvels at it for a moment. "Wow," he says, squishing at it experimentally. "Dude. That's like, really cool." He sits up a little bit, all long limbs and bony joints, and looks at Quentin with frank interest. His cheeks are still a little pink, though.

"You want me to go down on you first, or like...?"

Kyle's delight in even his most minor powers never fails to stroke his ego.

"Uhm, okay," he shrugs, but it's not enough to appear as nonchalant about it as he might have liked. Of course he wants that Kyle. For the time being, he wants that more than anything in the world. Partly because he's already frustratingly hard and partly because the pressure of being sort of new to this seems lessened somehow by letting Kyle go first. "Maybe I'll learn something," he teases.

He offers Quentin a smile that is simply sweet. "Don't worry," he says, shifting down Quentin's body.

"Just like... don't shoot in my hair, okay? It's already a nightmare." He hooks his fingers into Quentin's waistband again and tugs his pants down. One hand wraps itself around his cock and strokes it languidly before he dips his head to take him into his mouth.

After all the impossible experiences he's enjoyed in his short life, all the things he's done and seen and lived this should not cause him any nervousness. But of course, just being inexperienced is enough to leave him feeling a little outside of himself.

If he can find a way not to worry, as Kyle suggests it's likely only because Kyle's never made a point of trying to take him down a peg.

"It's not," he scolds, "but I won't. Promise. I lived in a boarding school in my teens. I've got the jerk off skills of a ninja."

Habitually, he scans the area when Kyle takes his pants down to his thighs. Such outward interest doesn't last long though. "Hng..." he groans quietly. His hands wring the shirt underneath him a moment but before long he yearns to replace those linens with handfuls of Kyle's red hair.

That very nearly sets Kyle cackling, but he manages to stay focused on the task at hand.

He moves his hand as he moves his mouth, stroking Quentin's cock wherever his lips and tongue aren't. His pace is unbothered, languid.

Kyle pulls his mouth away a moment, giving himself some air. His hand keeps going, though.

"You can touch me if you want," Kyle says.

Even if Kyle doesn't laugh outright Quentin can feel him project that. And it feels good knowing he could joke some casualness back into this if he had to.

Maybe.

If he can think straight.

Kyle wasn't wrong. He's good at this. Quentin huffs and squirms faintly under him. Always straining for more but careful not to do anything that might give Kyle any reason to relent.

He blinks at Kyle a moment like he's never used his eyes before. "Huh? Oh. Yeah, I was gonna, uh.. ok yeah. Thanks."

He's tentative about it at first, but before long both his hands are buried eagerly in Kyle's hair as his hips rock gently up to meet him. His shoulders occasionally pressing back into their bed. "Hnn... God, you are good at that," he sighs.

Ah, shit. Quentin is really cute. Having finally admitted his attraction it's like Kyle can't help but notice every little thing.

This could very well be a problem.

He can't really answer since his mouth is full, so Kyle lifts up his free hand and offers Quentin a thumbs up. He makes a low sort of noise, deciding that yes, he should try to impress because he really, really wants to impress, and takes Quentin a little deeper.

"Ahh...heh, don't be stupid," he groans swatting Kyle's hand away when he gives that thumbs up. It's a ridiculous gesture made all the more absurd in this moment and possibility of too much laughter is a genuine threat to his hard on.

Thankfully, it's a short lived threat. Quickly replaced by that warm tension building in the pit of his stomach when Kyle takes him deeper. "Fuck..." he hisses through his teeth. "Keep it... keep..." but the thought loses momentum as his hips pick it up. Aiming for that swift, steady repetition he needs. "Fuck, don't stop, I'm gunna cum. Where, where, where?" he mutters urgently as this moment becomes something of a race against his willpower to make sure it doesn't end poorly.

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