( the sickness: phase two )

[acatamods]

I ▫ main IV ▫ premise       XI ▫ applications XIV ▫ activity II ▫ logs V ▫ rules VII ▫ bestiary   IX ▫ canon updates XII ▫ taken XV ▫ drop/hiatus III ▫ ooc VI ▫ faq VIII ▫ setting   X ▫ mods XIII ▫ reserves XVI ▫ players 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?

Comments

[bleps]

[Maybe this is the part that he finds strangest about humanity. There’s a chance of a positive result, resulting in happiness between the both of them — or so he would assume. But Prompto doesn’t wish to take that route. Maybe is too nervous, which Connor can understand but not really relate to.

To be fair, he can’t really relate to much of this.]

But what if she’s agreeable to it?

[punshots]

[ Would that he possessed Connor's logic, but Prompto has always been emotionally drawn and driven and the idea of telling a girl how he feels about her is absolutely petrifying. Not only because he's afraid of rejection, but because he's afraid of the opposite, too. What if he asks her out, and she says yes? Rion had told him he would make a good boyfriend, but it's still...it's just...

His self-doubt is still his constant companion in just about everything. ]

But...what if she's not? I could totally blow the whole friendship, dude! And I...care about her too much to risk what I've got with her now.

[ But not to leave things on such a down note, he shrugs a shoulder. ]

Heh, it's all good though. Always a bridesmaid! ...Er, groomsman? N-never mind.

[bleps]

["Always a bridesmaid." Sounds a little like resignation to Connor, though he's cognizant enough to not say this out loud. In the end, the decision is Prompto's, though he wonders why he's so quick to dismiss the notion -- to not even give it the faintest consideration. Not even to humor himself, which is something Connor would expect from most.]

Do you think she'd disregard your friendship so easily?

[He's heard tell of humans making relationships awkward due to rejected romantic advances, and he does see how that makes sense. But each case was different, each individual a variable that made it hard to delegate this to inevitability.]

[punshots]

[ Would she?

He's asked himself this question before, of course. He's thought about all of this a lot before, of course, and in the back of his mind, he can just picture the way Alisaie would respond if she knew he thought she might reject his friendship if he told her the true nature of his feelings for her. She would give him hell for it, and stand by what she's said before, that he is important to her.

But that thought is in the back of his mind for a reason, because it is tucked away behind so many layers of doubt and fear that he scarcely considers it. He has every reason for why Alisaie might walk away from him if he confessed. They're not necessarily rational reasons, but they are not so easy to walk away from, even now, in the initial throes of his path to self-acceptance.

A noncommittal noise slips out of him, his gaze dropping to the ground. ]

...Guess not. Still, I, uh...I dunno if that's a risk I wanna take.

[ He barely feels like he has enough to offer her as is. Why risk it when things are fine the way they are? It's fine. He's fine. ]