acatalepsy_logs | ( the sickness: phase two )

( the sickness: phase two )

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II ▫ logs	V ▫ rules	VII ▫ bestiary	IX ▫ canon updates	XII ▫ taken	XV ▫ drop/hiatus
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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

[Your spine isn't the most comfortable thing in the world, Konoha.] I'm not sure I'd want to take a long trip like this, but it's fine just for a little bit.

My thighs would probably get really bruised... [She just said she had to practice this. That's interesting.] So you're not used to giving people rides, huh?

[Hey, she's got some muscle and a bit of pleasant plump on her, it's not as bony as it could be... !

Since Sheryl is comfortable enough, though, Konoha heads towards the water, beginning to wade in until the water touches her rider's toes, pauses, just to check if she's balanced again, before she heads in deeper.]

Uh, no... people have horses for that.

[She tries to say it lightly, though, because... it's a nice day, it didn't need to be ruined. By Sheryl's aliens or Konoha's wars.]

It's just... not right to do to jinba anymore. Things are better now, so. I only carry my parents because they're getting old and sometimes mountain roads are tough for them.

[True, but Sheryl has no comparison, and all she knows is that her inner thighs are gonna be hella bruised and not in the fun way.

Konoha keeps her tone as light as reasonably possible, but Sheryl is a perceptive girl, and she hears that there's something else there. She's not sure what, but... something else there.

"It's not right to do that to jinba anymore." Anymore... did people do that? Regularly?

Sheryl lets her toes dip into the cool lake water. It feels nice.] That's very sweet of you, Konoha.

So where you're from there are also horses? I think I kind of assumed that it was one or the other.

It's not at all- they're the ones who raised me... you should do that for your parents at least, I think. Or... whoever you have.

[Even if they're the humans who adopted you and not your blood. Parents were parents.

Finally she wades in deep enough that her withers are submerged, loitering there a bit as she adjusts to the feeling of someone on her back in the water, trying to think if she should adjust how she swims to compensate for anything. Hmm...]

Oh, no, of course we have horses! [of course? She's not sure] But we jinba are smart, so jobs like mountain lumber, or delicate field work... it's better to just leave that to us, right?

[Brawns with brains... for riding and just straightforward tasks though... horses!]

[Sheryl makes a noncommittal sound and shrugs.

She doesn't know what it's like to have parents.] It's a lot harder for most people to carry their parents around on their backs, though.

[Her legs sink into the cool water, and as Sheryl finds herself thigh-deep in the water, she slowly-- holding onto that knot-- slips one leg over Konoha until she's sitting sidesaddle. This lets her stretch out a little into the water.]

Sure-- a horse probably can't operate a sawmill or whatever. Not only are you smart, you've got thumbs.

[And they probably can't interbreed with the horses, if they can't interbreed with humans.

She does not ask this.

She really wants to, though.]

Haha, well that's definitely true. Maybe I'm lucky my parents are humans... Gonta carried me on his back like it was nothing but I don't think I could carry a jinba very far, even if they were old.

[True for both things, actually. She also likes having thumbs, too!

Once Sheryl finishes shifting Konoha finally kicks off from the shallow end towards where she has to swim instead of stand, legs kicking as smoothly and slowly as she can manage while still keeping herself mostly above water, taking deep breaths to keep her two sets of lungs nice and buoyant.]

How's that? The water feels good, right?

It's really nice... it's so cool. [She says, her voice a contented little sigh. She really was a little overheated, after all. Sheryl slowly slides off Konoha's back, until she's submerged up to her breasts, one arm looped over the horse girl.] Is this a problem? It's not going to get in the way of you swimming?

How big is this "Gonta" if he could carry someone like you?

No, that's okay! Just be careful not to drift under my belly, I don't want to kick your feet or anything.

[Even at the more leisurely pace she's swimming at now, she can't imagine it would be pleasant.]

Gonta?

[Konoha smiles a bit distractedly, moving to tie up her hair tighter before she dips her upper body more into the water, doing a few breast strokes before holding up a hand above her head to gesture for height.]

He's like two or so heads taller than me, and like, super strong! He has more muscles than any stallion I've ever seen.

[Really... nice muscles...]

Trust me, I'm not going to let go of you. I can barely see, remember? [She doesn't like bringing it up, but better admit to her weakness than... like, drown. Sheryl just hangs on to Konoha and enjoys the cold water.

Her interest perks up at the tone of voice the jinba girl is speaking in.

Oho. Interesting.] He sounds like a real gem, then.

Were you this big when he carried you? That's pretty impressive. You must weigh a lot.

I've got you, so don't worry about that.

[As weird as it is to have a human girl hanging on to like a leash about her waist, Konoha is glad to be of help- and a bit proud of her ingenuity, to be honest.

A gem... wow that's a nice phrase... gosh...]

Yeah it was just- Well, a few months ago now, but. This size. And I'm heavy, you know, but he just picked me up and carried me on his back up the mountain like it was nothing... it was crazy...

[And she got to hold onto his waist... Thank goodness Sheryl can't see how pink her cheeks are!!!]

[Can Sheryl see her blush? No.

Can she hear it in her voice? Oh, absolutely.] My my, he must be a hunk~

So you like the muscular type, then?

I- if that means he's good looking, then... sure, he's, um, I guess you would say "handsome"... like, ruggedly handsome... and really manly... and even with his eyepatch it's still really...

[Her hands come up to clutch her cheeks, still thinking she might be safe on account of Sheryl's still recovering vision, paddling around gently deeper into the water but not actually far enough that she can't see the bottom properly. Trying to have fun and relax here, not get attacked by mermaids or something.]

Don't you? Just... saying, but. You know, they look all strong and they can protect you...

I guess you don't have that word where you're from, then? A hunk is a very attractive man whose appeal is his strong masculinity. Wonderful jawlines, you know?

[Sorry, Konoha. She knows exactly where you're at.] Personally speaking, I'm more interested in pretty boys. I like beauty, no matter the gender~

Jawlines...

[Then, yeah... he's a hunk...

Trying to head off her fantasies before they go anywhere drastic, Konoha dips slightly deeper into the water to completely douse her head, coming back up with a little bob and a shake. She can't actually dive without proper momentum but... cool off, sure.]

Oh, like, um-

[She'd mentioned something like that, right? Two can play at the teasing game!!!]

The man who did kabuki you mentioned before? Was he pretty? Did he play the lady roles?

[Unfortunately, Konoha, there are things that Sheryl is shameless about.

And while her actual love for Alto may not be one of them, her attraction to him definitely is. So she just rolls with the teasing.]

Oh, he was gorgeous. Long, flowing hair, a slender face-- he was famous for playing women!

He'd retired from acting by the time I knew him, but people still called him "Princess Alto."

[That's so unfair, Sheryl... !!

Though, really, Konoha ought to have expected it from a woman willing to lounge around near topless outside a hot spring!!! Still, she sighs a bit in defeat, trying to imagine being attracted to someone beautiful. Maybe it worked because Sheryl was beautiful? She certainly wasn't, not like that, so if the man was more pretty than her that would be weird...

The thought almost doesn't occur to her, so used to songs just being things passed down and not composed, but... she'd said she wrote her own, right? So-]

Were any of those songs about him... ?

[And that's the sort of thing that Sheryl's not good with. Teasing about physical attraction, her body, even sex, she can roll with them all.

But genuine emotions are harder for her to play off.

She slides a little further into the water, treading water and holding onto the rope around Konoha's waist.] I wrote most of them before I'd met him, to be honest.

But even if a song wasn't written about someone, you can still sing it for them.

[Konoha keeps swimming, keeping her pace leisurely and even, tugging Sheryl along gently alongside her.]

Like which one... ?

[A lot seemed to be about love to her, but... different kinds of love. Some sad, some... really, really, um.

Passionate.]

[Sheryl just smiles.] Here's a hint: If it sounded like a love song, I was probably thinking about him while I was singing it.

Why would I sing about having someone else's arms around me other than his?

Wow...

[What Konoha had intended to be teasing has now altogether backfired, and she finds her cheeks ruddy with a touch of embarrassment and tittilation, slapping her wet palms over them as if she could hide it, or the slightly jealous, slightly admiring tone in her voice.]

That's really romantic... and you're so popular and lovely, so you must be an amazing couple...

[Oh no. She's cute.] I certainly like to think so~

He's a good boy. A little grumpy, but a good boy. I kinda miss him.

A little grumpy, but good...

[Oh... like Gonta... but beautiful like a lady instead of... drop dead masculine... power...]

Arghhhhh-

[Konoha suddenly lets out a sudden groan, half rolling in the water and dunking her head.]

Is it breeding season? I can't stop thinking about boys...

[Well, she didn't expect that. Did she push too hard?]

...is it? Is it time for that to happen?

I didn't mean to, uh, trigger anything.

The season here is different from back home, I don't know anymore...

[Konoha sighs a bit dramatically at herself, clutching her cheeks again.]

But... it's kind of nice to talk to another girl about boys... I didn't really have that back home.

You don't have girl friends back home? None at all?

[She hangs a little loosely on the cord around Konoha's middle.]

Anyway, how can you tell if it is or not? The season.

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