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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.
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.
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.
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.
Bonus: music to watch the flowers bloom to.
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.
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.
no subject
But at Carter's question, David held up a hand.
"The last world I was in, the one I told you about? It warped my powers. And I seem to have come here with that warping. Which means I need to touch people now. So if I touched everyone on this island, yes, I would know. But I haven't. I... I try not to use it."
Then he holds out his hand and a pair of sunglasses appear on them. Ones made out of what looks like golden light. Glasses made not unlike how Quire might make some. These he puts on his face.
"It gave me other things to compensate."
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"Uh...but does that mean you know what my...uh you know are?" He's asking because basically all him and David have been doing this afternoon is touching, and hugging, and carrying one another.
"Or do you only know it when you want to?"
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Still, he understands the concern. And he offers the man a smile before tapping his forehead.
"You can look for yourself, see how good my mental shields are. I had to learn to do that, trained under a telepath from a world where they are known as Psys. He was very strong and basically had to take my training in hand so I could touch people. And when the psychometry happened, to keep my mind from basically imploding from overload," he explained. "But here's the thing, you're a real telepath. If I even began to let down my own barriers and let the power filter out, you'd feel it instantly and probably be able to slam up walls fast enough to give me a migraine."
He didn't want to talk about all the ways that Carter could overwhelm David's defenses and basically torture him that way. It wasn't polite to think a firned would do that.
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At the mention of being a real telepath though he snorts and shrugs, "I dunno about that. I think you give me a bit more credit than I deserve, I'm not good at my powers because I almost never use them."
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"You don't have to be good at them to have instincts," David countered. "But, if you need a teacher, I suggest Quire."
Not that David couldn't teach it, he just couldn't show it, not really. He couldn't help Carter practice, or test his barriers.
"Or, you know, just see if you know enough about how to find and touch knowledge in another's mind and just pull out everything I know about telepathy from Emma Frost."
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"Nope. No way, not him." And then once he realizes that sounds semi rude he sighs, "Quentin is cool but he seems so...urm...how do I put it? Blasé?"
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Though David was no doubt soon about to ask Quentin for his own help.
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More to the point he doesn't Quire just walking through his brain and memories, finding out the real reason he doesn't like using his powers. That is going to stay private thank you very much.
"You two don't along at all hrm?"
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"There's... a complicated past. He doesn't know me as well as I know and have felt the repercussions of his actions."
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"Ah okay. Yeah...he seems like the type to not always think about repercussions or consequences."
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"Trust me, I get it more than most. But... But he thinks about them more sometimes than he used to. I think being with X-Force and working the West Coast Avengers helped a bit."
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He reaches over and gives one of David's hands a squeeze, stopping it from fidgeting. "I'm glad someone here understands and doesn't think I'm just being overly polite with my powers."
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But he let Carter take his hand, and squeezed back. He's the best supportive friend.
"When I first realized I had them, I hated it. I realized 'bam, there go my dreams'. So yeah, I sorta get it. We never signed up to be what we are."
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"Aint that the truth, if someone had given me a list of mutant powers I could have I don't think I would have checked the 'telepathy' box."
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And he didn't like the watch. It was judgy.
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Josh. Oh man his heart ached.
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"Uh, there's always what Kevin has. Goes by Tag. He can touch a person and they become 'It' and everyone just tries to avoid them. I think he can reverse it now too. Make someone it that everyone wants. It's really an interesting and esoteric form of telepathy."
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"Geeez the X-gene is weird."
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The X-Gene was a mess.
"I mean, it doesn't even have a consistent power level for those people who have similar skills."
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He shrugs and runs a hand through his hair, not wanting to think about some of the things he remembers Xavier implying about his own power levels when he was young.
"Anyways. My point is no training for me with Quentin." He pauses and smiles, trying to change the subject. "I'd much prefer to focus on physical training with you."
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David's work outs were really... weird. Someone else wanting in on that was beyond weird.
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"Unless I'm intruding."
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"Alright. You can join me for part of my workout routine."
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