acatalepsy_logs | ( the sickness: phase two )

( the sickness: phase two )

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the sickness ends.

the temple.

The Temple, shortly after Astoria's burst of energy, is in a constant state of growth. Trees are bursting into existence from seeds in mere seconds, flowers are growing wherever magic lands . . . and the Temple is abruptly a-buzz with energy, magic crackling throughout the air. You may find a tree in your house, or flowers suddenly growing along the walls, or plants wiggling their way through the stone walls of the buildings of the Temple. All of a sudden, the place looks very overgrown.

The Forest of the Fey seems to be responding in kind, too. Sprites are exceptionally active, darting out of the Forest and into the Temple with increasingly regularity, playing basic little tricks on the members of the Circle they can find. Flower crowns are made at an alarming rate, and there might be a few fruit-food fights that break out with the sudden abundance of peaches and apples that appear on the grounds. Learn how to duck!

With the magic comes the sudden fluctuation of energy: canon powers flicker on and off, as do the powers granted by Astoria. You feel more like yourself, you suddenly have access to energies you did not have previously in the Temple However, it's a double-edged sword -- it is not constant, and it may be more trouble than its worth.

And, remember: the Sickness is not fading immediately. If you make it to Stage 3, then you're stuck with sensory deprivation for at least another week or two. Sorry, friends.

lake dona.

Lake Dona is a massive body of water, stretching outward for so far that it almost seems like an ocean until you see that the water is fresh. It is surrounded by long, leafy trees that dip into the water and has a variety of ancient ruins scattered around it -- weathered stones set into circles at seemingly even intervals, old buildings that seem to mirror the Temple in construct.

In addition to the ruins, there are a network of caverns tucked along the water’s edge, just underneath the surface on the western side of Lake Dona, that appear to go underground into murky darkness. The actual entrance to these caverns seem to be underwater, seemingly guarded by merfolk, but poking around may seem to be more trouble than its worth.

There is plenty of wildlife to be found within the lake itself, ranging from freshwater mermaids who would rather you stay the hell out of their backyard to a rather large and suspiciously friendly plesiosaurus-like creature (some would say that she prefers to be called Nessie) that seems intent on checking out who you are. The lake teems with odd-looking fish, most of which seem to be okay to eat, and plenty of plant life! But who knows what lurks in the depths below . . . that giant sea-monster looking thing has to be eating something.
PROMPT IDEAS: Here are some prompt ideas for this new area! However, don't feel limited to such ideas! Feel free to fish, to explore, to swim, to poke around . . . it's always possible Astoria may check in on your character, too, once she is feeling better! ;)

1.) The Great Pumpkin The overgrowth of plants have caused a massive growth spurt in a lot of the trees, including the fruit trees that sprinkle themselves throughout the Temple. However, the fruit themselves seems to be growing at a rather . . . alarming rate, resulting in a few pumpkin-looking squash growing to the size of small boulders in the fields. Hope you have a lot of spare time on your hands to make a hell of a lot of Temple-pie, because these squash aren't going anywhere anytime soon.

2.) Food Fight!: Those damn sprites are at it again, and are collecting fruit off the ground and throwing it at people. Fight back, organize, and conquer! Or not. It's probably better to just not.

3.) Part Of Your World: The mermaids within Lake Dona are a suspicious lot, and they don't take kindly to strangers stomping through their territory. However, they are receptive to music, so if you are so musically inclined, they will definitely be more inclined to be a little more playful than territorial. If you aren't? Have fun getting tossed into the lake head-first by a bunch of pissed off mermaids who want you to get the hell of their lawn. They don't take kindly to your type around here.

4.) Nessie: Within Lake Dona is a massive plesiosaurus-type creature which seems to be . . . oddly friendly? It seems to pop up at the most inconvenient of times. Are you sitting on the edge of the lake enjoying the water? Enjoy a massive ass dinosaur sticking its impressively long neck out of the lake to check you out and also scare the bejesus out of you. That being said, Nessie is an extraordinarily friendly being, and will even give you laps around the lake if you ask nicely!

5.) Caverns: The caverns within the lake are dark, deep, and menacing The merfolk inform you that you cannot go there -- no one can, but the merfolk sure seem to be keeping a careful eye out on it. Testing the boundaries indicates a weird magical field around the entrance of the cave, that works like a bit of a forcefield. Weird, right?

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

[prompto r u ok

A voice politely cuts through the young man’s attentions being showered on the pumpkin, or at least it attempts to. Connor walks forward, stepping over one of the larger gourds along the way, his LED circling a steady blue.]

I don’t think it’s going to be very inclined to speak back, Prompto.

[Because it’s a pumpkin. You know.

Brow cinching a little, he adds-] Unless you’re seeing something I’m not.

[ is he ever truly ok...

Prompto turns a curious look up at Connor as he approaches, not quite following. Well, sure, it's not gonna speak back! It's a cat, and while if there were talking cats anywhere it would be here, he still wasn't expecting an answer! Maybe a meow, or something. This chubby guy is awfully quiet... ]

It's just a little shy! Once he comes outta his shell I'm sure he'll be meowin' up a storm...

[ He turns a grin back on the..."cat", cooing. ]

Isn't that right, Mr. Fuzzb—

[ He sets his hand on the supposed feline's head, finding pumpkin flesh beneath his hand rather than fur.

...Ah. ]

[…Ah, indeed.

Whatever registers situations as humorous in his programming seems to respond to that. The result is an expression made to reflect amusement, the quiet curl of a smile. At least he avoids anything judgmental from his tone.]

If the pumpkin comes out of its shell, it’ll leave a fairly large mess.

[Maybe a little sassy, though.]

I take it you’re still recovering from your sickness? Maybe you shouldn't be walking around without an escort.

[ Wow...he didn't know Connor could do sass!! It's pretty great, honestly, even if Prompto is still a little too perplexed at the moment to fully recognize it. He could have sworn this was a cat...but it's definitely a pumpkin. How did he confuse a pumpkin with a cat?!

He's just going to...pull his hand away from Pumpkin the Cat and draw himself upright again, clearing his throat like nothing bizarre or weird just happened at all. He meant to do that...! ]

Ah, u-uhm...I-I'm fine! ...Probably. Eyesight's just a little blurry still. But don't worry — I'm all there in the head!

[ At least, as much as he is under normal circumstances. ]

[Connor has varying levels of sass, hidden beneath his usual demeanor. There’s biting sass, which Prompto has done nothing to earn, all the way down to friendly sass, which is definitely amiable enough — light joking, really, and nothing more.

Still, that doesn’t mean he can’t experience a small measure of concern, when the young man definitely… can’t tell the difference between a fat cat and a pumpkin.]

I have no doubt. But if you fall and injure yourself, that’d hardly be very conducive to your recovery. Were you exploring? I can walk with you.

[ Bless Connor for sticking his neck out to be Prompto's personal Life Alert in his time of stupidity... ]

You...you sure? I don't wanna keep you from something else.

[ Since Connor presumably was on his way somewhere when he stumbled upon Prompto. Still, he wouldn't mind some company — and a second pair of eyes. ]

I wanted to check out this whole cray-cray overgrowth sitch we're in.

[ Which...also explains the pumpkin that he thought was a cat. ]

[It’s what he was created for. Except not really. But he’ll gladly be a walking Life Alert for Prompto, who may have fallen and can’t get up.]

You’re not keeping me from anything. I was hoping to do a little exploring, too, so this works out well enough.

[He makes a wide sweeping gesture in one direction, the part that isn’t as dotted with pumpkins that could be tripped over.]

Want to start this way?

[ Well, so long as he's sure...Prompto's head swivels in a nod, and he jaunts off in the direction Connor indicates. Headfirst into newly overgrown territories! ]

You bet! Think we'll run into any other super-huge and obvious vegetables?

[ Possibly, considering he may be on a collision course with a giant strawberry. ]

Prompto-

[He makes Connor even break into a half-jog, catching up to the young man just so he can reach out and grab him by the forearm.]

Hold on, there's a strawberry there.

[What a sentence.]

[ And Prompto, who was heretofore squinting at an unidentifiable red mass in front of him, stops dead in his tracks when Connor grabs his arm, his eyebrows flying up into his hair. ]

That's a strawberry?! [ what the actual fuck astoria ] It's huge! We're gonna be run out of the temple by produce!

[ Well, if this keeps up, anyway. ]

Are we gonna have to...eat all this stuff? Like, it'd be wasteful not to, right?

[ Does Connor even need to eat??? ]

[If Prompto could see, he'd notice a whole cavalcade of strawberries just behind the one he nearly ran into.]

Right. I've never seen a strawberry this size. Though admittedly, this is the first strawberry I've ever seen in general.

[Problems of a bb android.]

I'm not sure how we'd be able to consume all of this, with the exception of attempting to freeze it all for later. Even then, that seems like an insurmountable task. I think we'll just have to be wasteful, unfortunately, in this one instance.

...Though if you like strawberries, we could attempt to bring this back to your room. You'd have to eat it quickly.

[Or he could just chow down now. #logic.]

I mean, I like strawberries, but I dunno if I like this much strawberry...might make a nice end table, though!

[ Until it, you know, got goopy and rotten, but that's a problem for future Prompto. ]

Guess the birds might get a kick out of 'em, at least. [ Or any strange creatures that might dare leave the forest... ] What if we try to find the biggest piece of produce instead?

[ Come on, you know it sounds like fun, Connor... ]

We could do that, yes.

[Connor will follow Prompto wherever he goes at this point, so the young man can honestly lead the way if he likes, but—]

But what will we do once we find it?

[ ...Evidently, Prompto hasn't thought that far ahead, as it takes him a moment to answer. But...it should be obvious, shouldn't it? ]

We'll take a selfie by it, duh! Can't say I've got any pics like that in my collection!

[ Are selfies in your knowledge bank, Connor??? ]

[Prompto has simple priorities. And Connor has such limited life experiences. Case in point—]

I’ve never had a selfie taken before. I wouldn’t be against the experience, if that’s what you want to do, though.

[He does know what a selfie is, at least. It’s harmless enough, so he’s along for the ride, maybe unsurprisingly.]

[ Prompto lights up, not only at Connor's agreement with the suggestion, but also at the fact that he gets to be a part of Connor's first selfie experience. This is the kind of moment that photographers dream of...

So he claps his hands together, increasing his pace as they descend through a patch of overgrown radishes. ]

Oh man, you are in for a treat, my friend! Once you get on your selfie game, you never go back!

[Through the radishes they go! Connor's step is light, though quickened just enough to keep right behind Prompto.]

And are you an avid taker of selfies where you're from?

[A legitimate question, given his enthusiasm! But Connor reaches out, suddenly, to grab lightly at Prompto's shoulder before he stumbles over another radish in the way.]

-ah, careful.

Am I an avid selfie-taker? Con, you're lookin' at the — oh, thanks!

[ He cautiously toes his way around the overlarge radish, scrunching up his nose. As much as he likes most fruits and veggies, radishes have never been up there for him. Weird textures, man... ]

— Anyway, you bet I am! I was kinda...on a road trip? A really...really long road trip. So, naturally, someone had to take pictures...selfies included.

[ His photography wasn't the reason Noctis had brought him along, but it wound up being more essential to their quest than he would have thought. ]

A record of your road trip, then?

[Moments caught on film -- digitally, he assumes. Curious, and now trailing beside Prompto since the latter has avoided an unfortunate radish tumble, he looks at him imploringly.]

Do you happen to have these with you now?

[By some will of magic or what-have-you, did he get to keep some form of these pictures? Connor is ever wondering about other worlds, and what better way to get an idea of what Prompto's was like than by via photograph?]

Does a chocobo say kweeeeh? [ ... ] Of course I do, dude!

[ And, because he's Prompto, he even has a few on him at the moment, aside from the hundreds piled up on his camera's memory. He reaches into the front pocket of his vest, withdrawing a handful of photographs which he promptly hands over to Connor. Within the pictures, Connor will find all manner of unique topography and architecture, from Altissia to Cape Caem to the Disc of Cauthess, as well as a host of monsters and daemons that populate Eos's landscape. However, no theme will he find more consistent than the four individuals that appear in nearly every picture.

Evidently, for him, this trip was about the people. ]

Check it! Pretty cool, huh? [ His tone sobers a degree. ] Makes it...easier to ward off the homesickness, anyway.

[Connor has no idea if a chocobo goes kweh. However, he does recognize the word — a large bird, he remembers, given Arenvald’s explanation — and his eyes widen in surprise accordingly.

But he’s presented with an array of colorful photographs moments later, and the question is shelved temporarily. Sights that are far beyond his imagining, creatures that look strange in physiology, and a few that appear more aggressive, photographed in dark lightning, he notes. Most prominent are photos or Prompto himself and his friends, in various locations, sporting various poses. He recognizes the face of one—]

Oh, it’s Noctis. I’ll need to tell him that you’ve shown me pictures from his world when I see him next.

[As he continues to shuffle through the photos, LED flickering as he commits each to memory—]

Is there one of a chocobo?

Oh, you know Noct? He's my best bud! Gladio and Iggy are hangin' around the Circle, too.

[ At least, at the time of this thread. There's no missing the warmth in Prompto's voice given the opportunity to talk about his friends. He would go on about them for ages, but Connor directs him to another path, and one that he is perhaps equally eager to expound upon. ]

You bet I do! Hang on -

[ Taking the photographs back for a moment, Prompto begins to sort through them, before handing them back with a picture of a chocobo right on top. ]

There! Isn't she just the most beautiful thing you've ever seen?!

[ There is only one answer here. ]

Yes. I met him on Struxta, and aided him while he was sick -- he had been chasing after a hallucination at the time.

[A memory that almost makes him frown, if not for the fact that this sickness was lifting, and therefore there was less to be worried about as the days passed. Besides, this thought is thoroughly derailed the moment Prompto hands him a picture of a chocobo and-

Oh.

After his discussion with Arenvald, Connor had drew up a faint mental image of what to expect in his head. A large bird, basically, maybe similar in form to an ostrich. But taking the photo and looking over it closely, his LED flickers brightly. The chocobo is actually larger than he imagined, with fluffier feathers, and a face that can only be described as

(cute)

endearing.]

She's very impressive. [Connor's smile widens at the picture; he's an animal person at heart, even if he doesn't realize it.] Is she yours?

[ Embrace it, Connor. Admit it's cute!! But his reaction is good enough for Prompto, even if he is not fully fawning. It's okay. Connor just doesn't truly understand the majesty of meeting a chocobo in person. it's not his fault! ]

Isn't she, though? I wish she was mine! Fondest dreams, dude. [ He sighs wistfully. ] Nah, we just rented 'em from the Chocobo Post when we needed 'em. Pretty handy when driving just won't cut it!

[ And because he has no sense of self-preservation: ]

If you wanna see one, Alisaie can turn into one! She doesn't look quite like this one when she does it, but it's as close as you can get here.

[Unbeknownst to furthering Prompto’s fortunate demise, Connor appears to perk up again at this newly divulged information.]

Really?

[He looks at him pointedly, curiously.]

Do you think she’d mind it?

( the sickness: phase two )

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