MINI EVENT: IN FULL BLOOM

[asgardmods]

IN FULL BLOOM( APRIL 6TH ) april 6 ↴ MINI EVENT: IN FULL BLOOM It's unlikely you see the catalyst of this event, or at least understand it. The entirety of Asgard can be, and frequently is tied to the Gods that protect it and what they have dominion over. The latent curses that Wanderers have sprung upon them are intangible proof, but when it comes to a God like Sigyn...her ties to the world are much more visible, apparent. She's holed herself up in her district, tending to the earth with her hands and tools, like a human would. It distracts her, makes it easier to force her mind to feel things it isn't otherwise. Most Gods would know this comes with side effects; if snapped out of the state, she would as well. Right now, it's not so pressing a matter. Her emotional unsteadiness doesn't come out as ugly or marred as one might imagine -- no, if you're standing outside when the magic takes effect, you'll be surprised to see large clumps of flowers curling up from the earth and blooming blossoms larger than they should be almost immediately after coming into complete existence. Some locations for these plants make no sense, taking root anywhere they please. Maybe in a patch of soil, or maybe on the side of a wall. Your roof, your bathtub, the very sleeve of your shirt. Their sudden appearance may cause you alarm, enough to stay away on instinct. It's likely for naught, with just how plentiful they are. Smelling their aroma or coming into contact with their pollen is basically an inevitability. And when you do...something strange will happen. ASPHODEL → This flower will cause the feeling of soul-crushing regret and guilt. What's the one thing that you regret the most? The one thing you would change if you could turn back time? It's time to have that thrown back in your face for the next twelve hours, assuming you're not exposed to this pollen again. In the case that there is no big thing that you regret or feel guilty about, it'll be some small minor thing that has been exacerbated in your mind by the pollen to the point that it is now a big deal as well. CARNATION → After coming into contact with this flower, you feel a pull of absolutely clinginess that draws you towards someone you have some degree of fondness for, be it romantic or platonic in nature. There's this niggling feeling that won't stop pestering you, that you simply have to be in close proximity to this person. Hovering, observing, touching. Once you are? The feeling goes away. This magic tether lasts throughout the day, despite how your target may feel about it. If for some reason you can't be near this person, like they force you away by some magical means, your desperation strengthens as the proximity remains broken. EDELWEISS → This one will cause you to become extremely reckless. It goes beyond developing or exacerbating a hero complex. It's like experiencing l'appel du vide for twelve hours and actually listening to it. You won't be very susceptible to reason without some magic to put a stop to you, and your sense of consequence? Completely out the window. POPPY → Upon close contact with these flowers, you experience mild to severe synesthesia for anywhere from ten minutes to a couple of hours. Your senses mingle. You smell colours, see sounds. It often comes with a very mild sense of euphoria, but some find it disorienting instead. GENTANIA → When's the last time you had a good night's sleep? A few days? Weeks? Prior to ever showing up here? Here, let's help with that. The pollen from Gentania andrewsii, commonly known as a closed or bottle gentian, will instantly put anyone who comes in contact with it to sleep. It doesn't matter if they're sitting, standing, driving or swimming. They will fall into a deep sleep, varying anywhere from six to twelve hours. For the duration of that time, they will experience vivid nightmares, and will only awaken after experiencing sleep paralysis. IRIS → Apparently you're allergic to this flower. Don't worry, everyone else is too. Contact with this pollen causes a painful burning sensation. Don't scratch or rub at it, because that'll only cause it to spread. Washing the afflicted area or applying any sort of ointment or balm won't help. Tough it out. It'll only last a couple of hours. The flowers definitely overstay their welcome, as does their magic. The blooms themselves will fall off and uproot themselves from their unnatural settings after about a week. The magic? It sticks with the plants for a whole day. The curse you're hit with might not last as long, but this means being careful: there's always the chance of being afflicted again. Maybe with two curses at once! How will you know the curse is over? Maybe if you can put two and two together, you'll wake up in the morning and notice stepping outside doesn't...smell the way it usually does. The grass, any stray flowers, trees. None of them have any whiff of a scent. MOD NOTES This is the April mini-event before our bigger event later in the month! Note that you can stack flower curse effects except for the Gentania curse that puts someone to sleep.

Comments

[lethechained]

As long as you still help them if they need it, I suppose it doesn't matter if you're laughing the whole time.

[ Other than, you know, the fact it might give offense. In any case, all the idiocy seemed to go over just fine with Naminé, who laughed briefly with her, ]

Well, if you want to go now, that's fine - but we do have to get down first.

[ Since they were in a tree, and all. ]

[mindseer]

That's just the privilege of getting to help! You get to laugh a little on your way to the finish line! It's not half as much fun if you can't.

[And it did get offensive at times, but she was a tiny bit better about that.]

Mmm, you have a point... this tree's kind of nice right now isn't it? I mean, it's not like the lemons are going anywhere, if they're not the type that we're supposed to let go.

[lethechained]

No? I guess I've never thought about it being fun to help people.

[ It was always just The Right Thing To Do. Actually, for Naminé, helping people usually involved a lot of stress and grief and general unhappiness, so perhaps her expectations were somewhat skewed. ]

That's true, [ she agreed to all of the points put forth. ] And there's no one around to warn them, anyway - not unless the tree can tell on us.

[mindseer]

See, that's admittedly where we're different. You help people because you're you. I always look for a way to have fun doing it.

[She was a bit more capable of doing things just because they were the right thing to do now, but she still had to have fun! Get her laughs in.]

Hmmm, hey tree. If you're gonna tell us the secret of the lemons, bark twice! Hahahaha, get it? Bark! [...she slays herself sometimes.]

[lethechained]

[ Curling a hand against her own mouth, Naminé tried to press down a laugh and failed. ]

I get it, [ she responded, less dryly than she could have; that was terrible and even she knew it, but she'd let Terezi get away with it. Lifting her head, Naminé regarded the tree's trunk expectantly, unable to keep the smile entirely off of her face. After waiting a beat, ]

Well, I don't hear anything...!

[mindseer]

Guess this one doesn't have the secrets we need. We'll have to find one of those bark-beast wooded trees I used to hear about. [She snickered. Ok. Dogwood was as far as that joke really deserved to go.]

Got you to laugh, hehehe. I'm going to call that a personal victory today.

[lethechained]

'Guess not, [ Naminé agreed, failing to fully feign seriousness. And it took her a second longer than it should have to get the joke, but soon enough she was glancing over at Terezi with a sigh. For shame, TZ. (Only Naminé was trying to hold down her own snickering.) ]

Is it really that hard to make me laugh? [ she asked genuinely, calming - and really she should have known better, because she did to be all sad eyes and not a lot of actual, out-loud laughter. ]

[mindseer]

[She giggled a little and smiled over at her, leaning in to give her a tiny poke in the ribs.]

For me to make you laugh? No, I think it's a lot easier than all that, but I have the secret to do it. I'm in under your epidermal layers already after all.

Betcha some folks would have a lot more trouble. You're sweet, but you don't smile enough.

[lethechained]

[ Naminé gave the tiniest of squeaks as her ribs were poked, straightening up in her place. ]

Oh, [ she said, looking bemused. (The compliment caused her a brief moment's delay in responding further.) ]

I could... try to do it more? Maybe if I just...

[ … Okay, no, the face she was making right then was not a convincing smile. Yeesh. It was so bad, in fact, that it must have been humorously intended. Hopefully. Through gritted teeth, ]

Is that better?

[mindseer]

Naminé that is positively adorable, but... noooooooope.

[She was laughing and grinning at her friend, winking at her and shaking her head. Sorry, not convincing at all, but it was really cute to see her of all people having awkward half-smiles.]

We'll just have to make sure you're happier more is all. Your natural smiles are great.

[lethechained]

No?

[ She couldn't feign disappointment for long; in the face of Terezi's laugher, Naminé was unable to hold down her own. That fake smile loosened into a real one, which of course caused her to automatically try to hide it behind a hand. ]

I feel pretty happy now. I-- have been for a while.

[mindseer]

Your smiles are better when you don't plan them. All smile are. don't worry about it. I just have to keep making you happy.

... like that. [She grinned back.]

But I've kind of noticed. You've been doing better for a few lunar cycles. This place has been good to you.

[lethechained]

I can't disagree with that.

[ The bit about smiles being generally better when unplanned, that was. She's learned that much a long time ago. As for the other comment, Naminé expression grew a little shyer, but pleasantly so. ]

It has been. And-- so have you. You and the others are most of why I like it here so much...!

[ There was also the comparative peace and freedom relative to her old life, but it'd be a lot less appealing if she were all alone again. ]

[mindseer]

I think that's been one of the greatest things. Making new, weird friends. All sorts of strange folks, which has been... fun. Never knew how lonely it could get when you had only a few friends, but this place sort of taught me what I was missing out on.

[lethechained]

Me too.

[ With the mood she was in, it didn't come out quite as soberly as it usually would have - as perhaps it should have. Neither did, ]

I mean... I knew what I was missing out on. But before I came here, I thought I'd never get the chance to see what it was like for myself.

[mindseer]

We definitely need to make sure you get more chances. I want... [She laughed a little.] I want folks to remember you. And I certainly won't forget you ever.

[lethechained]

[ The little breath that prompted from Naminé could have been a gasp or could have been the ghost of a laugh of her own. Either way, it seemed Terezi had said the right thing, even if Naminé bowed her head slightly as she tried to press down her smile. ]

I'm not sure it's that simple. But I... I'd like that, too. I won't have any problem remembering you, either.

[ Not unless the memories were pried from her, but that didn't bear saying. ]

It'd be pretty silly if I did. You're one of the first people to ever be so kind to me...!

[mindseer]

We've gotta work on that. You're a great person, after all.

[She was aware enough of the Nobody implications, but she stood by that statement.]

And I like to think I'm exceptionally memorable. I stick out in a crowd oh so easily. It's one of my talents.

[lethechained]

[ Bashfulness made her quiet after that first comment, though it didn't last long. ]

That's true. I don't think you'd even need to be a troll for that.

[ Although it certainly helped, what with the horns. ]

But does that mean that you've been trying to stand out on purpose...? You've always just been-- you, to me.

[ The memorability was merely a part of that, as far as she was concerned. ]

[mindseer]

Well... in general? Yes. I think it's part of my personality. I like to get a certain amount of attention. Love the roar of the crowds. My ancestor was like that too. Kind of shit at timing when to do it, but she did love the attention.

With you... [She considered it a second.] It's a lot easier to just be me. I don't have to feel pressure. I didn't after the first time I met you. You're kind of naturally accepting.

[lethechained]

Huh...

[ Naminé looked quite contemplative after that information, but after a moment shook her head. ]

I can't say that I've ever felt that way.

[ She just wasn't the sort to draw attention to herself - especially after it would have had such dire consequences in the beginning of her life any time she did. Staying as invisible as possible was a habit that never left her, like many others from that time. That last bit, though - ]

Really? [ Naminé could have stood to give a bit more attention to examining herself, it seemed. ] Well... whatever the reason, I'm glad that I could help you feel that way. It must be hard, having to keep up with people's expectations.

[mindseer]

Oh, I believe that, Naminé. You're not really a limelight kinda girl. You like to blend into the crowd a bit. I hope I don't make you too uncomfortable because I sorta want to show you off to people sometimes because I think you're special.

[She grinned over at Naminé and nodded a little bit, thought here was a tired element to her expression.]

I think that's one of the exhausting thing about being a troll. A lot of it's about expectations and appearances.

[lethechained]

I feel-- safer, [ she confessed after a beat, shoulders rising in what never quite became a shrug, ] … not being noticed. But... I don't mind it if you're there to look after me.

[ And being told she was special didn't hurt her feelings any, to be sure. Bashful though it was, she couldn't hold down her smile - at least until Terezi's other comment made it ebb. ]

Does that mean... [ Well, it meant a lot of things, surely, but, ] … That it's easier for you to be here?

[mindseer]

Hmmm, yeah... there is that. You don't have to hide here, do you Naminé? [Not that she wouldn't protect her in a pinch if she had to. She'd been mentally prepared for that possibility since the war council.]

Yeah, I think... it's been a little easier being here. Less peer pressure to get into it.

[lethechained]

No, [ she answered immediately, though it sounded slightly contemplative. ] Not like I used to. Although... there are some things I'd rather not let just anyone know.

[ There was a touch of guilt in that admission, though she made it willingly enough - likely because Terezi was one of the people she felt safe talking about those things with. As for the troll's other words, Naminé gave a soft hum of understanding. Gently, ]

Have you been happier that way?