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]

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?

[mindseer]

Yeah, I can understand that, Naminé. Not everyone's understanding and it can be hard to really... get it. [The whole Nobody situation didn't exactly lend itself to everyone being understanding and good natured.]

There are things I miss, people I miss. but yeah. I think i'm happier like this for the most part.

[lethechained]

Mm. I think it would be hard even for a lot of the people from my worlds - the ones who aren't already aware, that is. And even the parts that are easy enough to understand, I--…

[ Well, she had a lot to feel guilty about, as far as she was concerned. But aside from that, ]

It's just... better that those go unsaid. For everyone.

[ Nobody needed to know about her powers. They were a moot point here anyway, and more than that - they'd caused no end of trouble in the past. Fortunately, Naminé seemed a bit less regretful about that other part; ]

Maybe you'll be lucky some day. In a place like this, you might even be able to see those people again.

[mindseer]

Yeah... there's actually a chance that I might see a few of the ones from my timeline. I kinda wish that whole timeline could show up here actually. Well... not Aranea. That spider bitch can suck a railroad spike.

[There was definitely a bit of bitterness. Aranea's antics had been part of what got them killed in the first place, and unlike Vris, she didn't care about forgiving her.]

And we definitely can just let the other sleeping purrbeast lie I think, Naminé. Nobody needs to know.

[lethechained]

I know what you mean, [ she murmured wistfully. Especially after that time toward the beginning of their stay in Asgard, Naminé found herself wondering what it would be like if the others were here - or back again, in some cases. ] But it must be harder for you, to think-- [ … Of never seeing those people again. Wilting, ] I'm sorry. I shouldn't have said anything.

[ Nevertheless, she seemed at least marginally relieved by that last bit. ]

Thank you. Maybe it's not right to ask you to help keep my secrets, but I'm grateful.

[mindseer]

No... it's fine. It's a thing that's in my pan sometimes. There's a few in particular that I think about. You know that. [She sighed and shrugged, offering a smile.] But even knowing they aren't here, one thing that sort of helps is when we end up like I did? A lot of us get sort of zen about it all. Our story's complete, so we just find ways to have a bit of fun.

Heh. Don't feel bad about that. Holding your secrets just means I know I have things about you they don't. It's another way to be close.

[lethechained]

Mm. Anyone would. [ Naminé still appeared contrite, her voice sympathetic - although she mustered a smile in the wake of Terezi's. Adjusting her position slightly, Naminé carefully leaned against her moirail's side. ]

That makes a lot of sense. When I thought it was over for me, it felt - peaceful, even though there was still so much that I wanted to do.

[ With a breath of a laugh, ]

You're right. Although I can't promise I won't keep feeling at least a little bit guilty.

[mindseer]

Yeah, and when you're a spirit? It's done, at least for now so you know you don't have to worry and you can just kinda have fun with it. [She shared that laugh with Naminé.]

Hehe. I sort of expect it. But it'll be fine. It's all good, and I like keeping those pieces of you close. They're my secrets now too.

[lethechained]

I think even if I were a spirit I'd still worry. [ It was a wry hint of self-deprecation; she knew she was a worrywart. ] About the others, that is - at least until everyone else I knew was a spirit along with me.

[ Busybody ghost? You bet she'd be one, provided she had the opportunity. ]

[mindseer]

I'm not entirely sure what it was that made us like this, but it seems like it was part of being a spirit in our world. Maybe dying naturally helped? Hard to say exactly.

But some were a lot more active, heh.

[lethechained]

Lots of worlds have very different rules. After everything I've heard about yours, there isn't much that would sound too strange for me to believe.

[ And of course she had to wonder-- ]

Oh? Like who?

[mindseer]

So, there was this girl who was... you know what? I'm not going to explain the dancestor thing. Even I don't know exactly how that worked and who was the ancestor of who, and how we were related.

Anyway, Meenah was related to Feferi. She was a fuschia blooded royal, and she was hella busy trying to plot out some weird plans. She and Aranea were like that. Death never really stopped either of them, but considering Aranea was the same bloodline as Vriska, that doesn't surprise me. Serkets were always kind of plotty sorts.

[lethechained]

Oh, more relatives? [ She could remember some mention of ancestors before, but dancestors? What in the world? ] How complicated. It's much simpler for me; I don't have any family at all.

[ Not a proper one, anyway. Who knew who Naminé had biological similarities with, really. More importantly, ]

So they really were able to change things? Even though they were dead?

[mindseer]

Believe it or not, the novelty gets lost when you're trying to figure out who's technically who's parent in the grand scheme of temporal reach arounds [Ectobiology with time shifting shenanigans was a pain in the neck.]

For another timeline, though they pretty much just doomed it by getting involved, especially Aranea. But that doesn't apply here since this isn't the same place or time.

[lethechained]

I can see how that might happen, [ she agreed, sounding sympathetic. Family issues may not have been a thing for her, but even so she could definitely recognize how they might be troublesome. ]

Maybe not, but-- that's a lot more than I would have expected someone to accomplish after they're already dead. [ A beat; ] Not that I don't think you've been doing enough.