( 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

[p_mortem]

i.
[ Minato wakes himself up early in the morning with a sneeze— rather than the lingering sickness, his nose itches with pollen and he has to shuffle his feet to cross the room without stepping on the peaches that lie scattered all over the floor.

Why...

With a sigh, he pulls the sheets off his bed and starts to move all the fallen fruit onto it, careful not to let them bruise any more than they already have, and then tying it all up into a bundle. After, he lets Koromaru help by taking one edge corner of the knot in his mouth while Minato hangs onto the other end and they drag the fruit over to the kitchen. ]

I'm just... going to dump these peaches in here, so they don't go to waste.

[ Hopefully people will know how to use them up, but also- ]

...Can dogs eat peaches?

[ He will take advantage of anything to supplement his questionable dog food cooking skills while he's still learning, honestly. ]

ii.
[ He was actually hoping it was the sea, a little more energy in his steps as he jogs up to the lakefront, but there's a distinct lack of salt in the air, silence where there should be gulls, and he slows when he reaches the edge.

It's pretty, but, still... Koromaru trots up after him, also avoiding the water but he barks when he's close enough and then runs out towards one of the ruins surrounding the lake. Somebody's feeling better, and it gladdens Minato to see that.

Koromaru barks again, waiting for him a short distance away next to one of the weathered stones. What is this? ]

Uh— yeah. It's, um. A rock.

[ Yeah, he has no idea what it is, Koro, sorry. ]

It's magic, though...? [ He raises a hand to touch his sternum, lets it hang there for a second before dropping his hand. ] Kinda feels like it.

iii.
[ Eventually, he does gravitate back towards the lake, though, shivering at the cold water against bare skin as he wades in knee deep, trying to get used to it little by little as he inches his way in.

Koromaru will have none of that, bounding up behind him, taking a flying leap, and slamming his paws square into Minato's back and sending them both plunging into the water.

A second later, Koromaru's head pops up above the water's surface. Minato's does not. ]

[extirpator]

i) the great pumpkin feat. shadow the hedgehog

[ he wakes up, and he feels the mana surge through his being. it's a burst of energy, of strength — he turns to his side, eyes brightening for a moment.

weiss is not there.

the fire dulls as quickly as it starts.

anyhow, nier can be see amidst the fields. everything is fine, dandy and perfectly normal until he, uh.

conjures approximately 6, gargantuan shadow arms. to harvest a heap of boulder sized pumpkins at once. ]

Oi. Move, please...!

[ the arms spiral through the air, swinging as they make some attempt to toss them straight through an entrance into the temple.

they might be at risk of hitting you? just maybe. ]

ii) harvest moon

[ in less shadow arm related news, nier can be found toiling away in the fields — they've been cleaned up appropriately, a few rows of individual crops slow beginning to spread across the expanse of their "lawn".

he seems to harbor an alarming amount of stamina, alongside strength. in fact, he's been at this for hours; it isn't human in the slightest. ]

Hey.

[ he says it gently, crouching to run his hands along the petals of a moon flower. ]

Autumn is setting in, and the sickness is gone...so much is in bloom now. Is there anything you're looking to see?

iii) local man can't swim

[ a man can be seen, attempting to socialize with our newly discovered local mermaids. he gestures what appears to be a wooden bracelet, adorned with a stone flower towards them.

there's a bout of giggling.

they grasp his hand, andddd—

he's promptly dragged in.

give it a few minutes. bubbles rise. a hand crafted from oblivion protrudes through the water, ascending to the sky.

it isn't actually doing anything remotely helpful. or perhaps it's a cry for help? ]

iv) nessie

[ there is little to see here.

the aquatic dinosaur has risen. it towers over the lake.

and there is a particularly large hand, obscured in darkness and stripes of a saturated red, patting its head.

alright. ]

wildcard

[ hit me with whatever! i'm at diakurosawa if you'd like to plot anything. ]

[fairysong]

[A: Atashi no Uta o Kike!]

[It's been a few days since the announcement that the sickness has been cured, and Sheryl is... improved. Her eyesight hasn't fully returned yet, but at the very least, seeing everything through a deep blur is at least better than seeing nothing at all. There's no worry about running into chairs, benches, or tables like this anymore.

Plus, she doesn't need to be able to see in order to sing.

Her conversation with Hank a week or two ago had put the idea of a morale-boosting concert into her mind. Then she'd overheard that apparently the mermaids of Lake Dona like listening to music? It was a no-brainer. Surely the Galactic Fairy could hit two birds with one stone and boost peoples' spirits while reaching out to this new group of beings the one way she knew best.

Besides, her frustrations of the last few weeks-- and her newfound energy-- need to be channeled into somewhere.

So one evening, as the sun is starting to set overhead, you'll come cross a young woman in a marvelously showy outfit, well within the mermaids' territory, maybe twenty feet from the shore or less. She shouts:]

Everybody--!

Listen to my song!

[Perhaps it's not the venue for the grandiose performances she's used to. But she doesn't need fancy holograms or massive sets. All she needs is her voice.

These magic powers help, too.

Out of nowhere, a heavily distorted guitar track begins to play, leading into full instrumental backing for Sheryl to sing over. The moment it ends, she doesn't miss a beat, going into another song, and then another. Some are harder, some are slow and more mournful. Some even seem more like classic rock songs than pop ones.

Incidentally, those of you who helped her out with her lyrics may hear your suggested rhyme in one of the songs, though the player has none of Sheryl's talent and as such isn't going to try to write actual lyrics.

As she switches songs, her clothes change, too. In a shower of light, her frilly skirt turns into a jacket and short shorts. The next outfit is more of a military-style uniform, then the next a long, elegant dress with an impressive train. And some of them... barely seem like they're staying on. Hope you're not too scandalized by a bit of skin, ladies and gentlemen!

Eventually, though, her impromptu concert ends. And Sheryl can be found in a rather normal outfit-- loose, flowing pants and a short midriff-baring shirt-- soaking her feet in the lake as the sun finishes setting. She's covered in sweat and looks exhausted, but also as happy as she's ever been since coming here.]

[B: Pumpkin Pie]

[Back in the temple, you may encounter a far more normally clothed Sheryl who is, in fact, not singing.

She is really just trying to move a large pumpkin, easily two feet across, by shoving it along the ground. And this is not going well.] Why are there... so many of them...?

You there--! [Pointing at you.] Help me with this, will you?

ryuji sakamoto (persona 5)

[ryuji]

1. pumpkin chunkin

[This sure is a metric shit ton of pumpkins just laying around, and Ryuji's pretty cool with the whole Halloween theme that it's supposed to bring, but there comes a time in every person's life that they need to see how far they can throw a squash. Sure, listen, you can bake them into pies, can roast the seeds (which he will ABSOLUTELY DO), or carve them into all sorts of things, but there's something insanely gratifying about tossing one as high as humanly possible, all to come crashing down.

And maybe he's just a kid at heart who didn't have the suburban experience of going door to door trick or treating, tp'ing houses, and smashin' pumpkins, but there's a lot of lost ground to cover. He calls you out, text or otherwise through passing by in the temple after he's made his decision and invites you out to the nearby patches that seemingly have been overstimulated into... some ungodly genetic mutation.

He looks down at the orange boulder before him, and then back up towards you.]

Uh... okay, so maybe it's not as heavy as it looks?

2. monster mash

[Nessie is quite possible the coolest thing Ryuji has ever seen in his entire life.

No, it's definitely the coolest thing he's ever seen.

The second he laid eyes on that majestic waterbeast, he found himself coming to the lake to jog the perimeter of it every single morning thereafter. Sometimes, he catches an early morning glimpse of Nessie, and he stops to take account of the experience. And he won't shut up about the thing either, so if you're in regular contact with him, expect to have your phone blown up with Loch Ness monster sightings and cryptic texts about cryptids. He wants to see if he can meet the dude behind the shadows in the water, but he hasn't had much success.

Today is the day. He's going to do it. He's going to shake hands with Nessie and see what this thing's all about. Waiting by the lakeside, he's asked you to come with him today, because he has an idea. Not a great idea, but an idea, nonetheless, as he tries mimicking whale sounds from the across the distance to get his attention.]

Heeeellooooooooo giaaaaaaaaant waaaaaaaaater thiiiiing.

[Someone stop him.]

3. mermaids and pirates

[And maybe, at some point, he's decided to go for a swim to cut the routine of his morning run short. He's all for it at first, considering he's never actually seen a mermaid in the wild, and has no idea of their existence in general. Ryuji makes it about a quarter of the way in before he realizes the thing is a lot larger than he had originally thought it was. This was going to have to be something he built himself up to. He didn't start running 10k's from the gate, so this has to be similar, right?

Except the way he stops and wades water, and swears he can feel something tickling at his feet. That's... definitely new? Probably some sort of fish under the depths below him, until he sees a larger shadow. NESSIE?

No, wait, that's definitely not the friendly neighborhood mythological beast he was hoping for, as something wraps around his ankle and he gets dragged under. He screams in surprise, only a small clap of sound before it's occluded by bubbles brightly churning and emanating from his mouth. Ryuji gets a good look at what's done it to him and realizes.

It's a mermaid.

And holy shit, it's beautiful. And trying to kill him? It's trying to kill him. He kicks his feet and feels the chill of a hand slide down his shin as he starts darting for the shoreline again. Panting through his swim strokes, he eventually makes it, arms spread wide and open towards the sky. His chest moves up and down as he tries to make sense of what just happened.]

I think... [A small pant.] I think I'm in love.

4. trick or treat!

[a wildcard option! he'll go exploring towards the cavern if provoked, engage in a food fight, or otherwise try to hack various flora trying to make its new home in the temple... or... his technicolored room. either way, i'm down to play anything! hit me up on plurk @ centerfold if you want to talk more!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HEPwfliNn2s

[intoningly]

[ Here's Zero, knee deep in water, hands on her hips as she looks skeptically at her new student. ]

You plan on taking any of that off?

[ One does not usually take swimming lessons while fully clothed in ten tons of whatever the fuck that bodysuit thing is. ]

i hate you so much

[extirpator]

[ um wtf why is this woman asking him to strip :/

there's a trace of confusion in his features. ]

Why would I have to?

[ and then uh, a little quieter. ]

...Do people do this naked?

[beyondthegreen]

[I: Temple]

[Blinded, sick and weak for so long, it's the flicker of old familiar powers that lets her suddenly sense the new growth around the temple... and, ultimately, heal herself, albeit in spurts over that first day.

The new growth all over the Temple grounds is nothing short of delightful, and she's definitely going to enjoy it. At the same time, she's also well aware that not everyone might be doing so well, so fast, and pokes her head into a few rooms or... sometimes just a crack in the wall a tree root has forced its way through.]

Are you okay? Do you need any help?



[II: Lake Dona: Ruins]

[It's peaceful in the forest... but with the presence of these silent ruins, overgrown rubble from some previous inhabitants, Tefé can't help but wonder who was here before, and what happened to them.

Perhaps you run into her while she's simply running her fingers over ancient stones, but more likely, in the midst of the flickering of old powers, she can be found crouched next to the ruins, fingers dug deep into the earth and eyes rolled halfway back in her head. Her face no longer looks truly human, green at the edges and rough, like bark.]

Alcina...? Who's that...[She murmurs aloud, only half-aware of the world around her.]



[III: Forest of the Fey]

[Finally, after the hellish unnatural robot-filled world of Struxta, Tefé finally feels more at peace. Further from the temple and all its trappings of human civilization, there's little but nature out here.

They fey don't really seem to mind her, at least not in the way animals do, but she can still see them at the corners of her vision, and sense them just out of sight when the feeling of her powers flickers in now and then.]

Didn't you guys call dad the Erl-King? You could at least give me the time of day. [she practically pouts, pausing in her wanderings with her hands on her hips. Noticing someone else around, she adds:] Are you having any better luck trying to talk to them?



IV: Lake's Edge

[Tefé's been taking full advantage of these little tidbits of old power seeping through whatever suppression was in place before. So it was pretty much inevitable that something bad was going to happen.

She'd been trying to reach the trees here, their long branches trailing into the lake... but what happens when in the middle of trying to communicate your fingers are in the middle of being half wood and connected directly to the tree's trunk, and half flesh, when powers cut back out? A very unpleasant, very... stuck... situation.]

Shit. [That's about the point where she looks around - at the environment, at you if you happen to come across her in this state, trying to figure out what to do next. Maybe you have a suggestion?]

[sunborne]

i;; come here for jetpack rides!!

[ the one thing daylight notices the most in the wake of the cure is that his jetpack is working again.

let him repeat that in excited glee: his jetpack is working again.

daylight immediately embraces this returned skill of his, not really questioning the how or the why or the what of this scenario. he's simply grateful he can take to the skies.

clearly, this needs to be shared. ]

Hey there! [ daylight makes a beeline for someone he sees. does he know them personally? does he think they're new? perhaps it doesn't matter in the end.

all that matters is that he stops right in front of them, hovering midair, with the biggest grin on his face and a fierce and happy wiggle to his winglets. he's quick to extend his hand out for them to take, saying very simply: ]

Want a ride?

[ if you're feeling casual, daylight offers to fly around the temple and the lake. it's pretty uneventful but it's the safe option to take here. more so when daylight notes his jetpack does have a nasty habit of starting and stopping with no real rhyme or reason to it.

but if you’re feeling adventurous, daylight offers to fly higher in the air and show off some moves he was being taught by airdive before his arrival here to the temple. there’s a risk of his powers disappearing however, along with the possibility of him overexerting himself. ]

ii;; man in the mirror.

[ at this point in time, daylight is unable to his jetpack.

that’s okay. in lieu of the jetpack, he now has another ability 'unlocked' and it's one he's been itching to use since forever. ]

Hey! [ a young man will come running up to you, his grin big and eye twinkling with excitement and a little bit of mischief. ] It’s me!

[ the voice sounds a little different — clearer and crisper, thanks to the distortion and static from his vocoder no longer getting in the way — but it’s undeniably daylight.

he excitedly holds his arms up, turning this way and back to show off his new form. ]

What do you think? Pretty cool, huh?

iii;; something is fishy here.

[ still in his avaform, daylight can be seen standing near the waters of the lake. he sports a sketchpad in his hands and a thoughtful expression on his face, clearly debating with himself over something.

when he sees he's not alone, he flashes the new face a friendly smile and a quick question: ]

On a scale of one to they will absolutely wipe the floor with me — Do you think the mermaids will respond will to getting drawn?

[ he quickly holds something up in a hand of his - something shiny look, wreathed in paper flowers he made. bracelets or ribbons, perhaps...? ]

I have gifts for them. Seems only polite to get them greeting gifts, you know?

iv;; the song of my people.

[ daylight — as in actually daylight, not his avaform or anything at the moment — can once more be found at the edges of the lake. he's sitting on the ground and trying to keep his winglets folded behind his back. he's doing his level best to look harmless as possible as he... as he... huh.

he seems to be singing, for the lake of a better word. not singing as in singing words and stuff, oh no. he's making strange harmonics with his voice, best described as chirps and cheeps in different pitches. whatever he's singing to the waters it's strangely sweet and warm in tune, bubbly and bright and simply overflowing with a plucky sort of earnestness.

he sees someone else is here now and he smiles at them and raises a hand up, waving hello. ]

v;; wildcard!!

[ want to do something else? feel free to do it here! also, you’re welcome to hit me up/plot with me via my plurk prognostic if there’s something specific you want. ]

[intoningly]

[ She has a lot of regrets already. ]

No, dumbass. But people tend to wear less clothing so they don't fucking sink to the bottom. It'll just weigh you down and make it harder to move.

[ Hence why she has rid herself of her cape, shoes, socks and whatever bits of leather armor she wears I can't be assed to look at a pic for reference.

She also doesn't have it in her to explain the concept of skinny dipping to him, so we'll put a pin in that for now. ]

3

[beyondthegreen]

[This white-haired girl staring down at him looks pretty sceptical. And honestly, probably saw the last part of that whole almost-drowning thing.]

Do people usually fall in love after someone tries to kill them?

[extirpator]

[ he does too!! ]

Ugh...

[ whatever...he peels off his shirt — there come out the scars and muscle. his boots follow suit. nothing left but some blindingly bright white pants with The Fur Trim. ]

Okay. What next?

Agent North Dakota | Red vs Blue

[brodakota]

[1 - 50 Shades of Green]

[So that was a fun way to wake up. Nothing like some plants busting in through the window and starting to break up the wall to take over the room. North has managed to use his new powers to reinforce some of the walls and is using the time to extract his armour from the vines.

At least until he looks back at the wall.]

That doesn't sound good...


[4 - Monster of the Week]

[The lake had been nice. It had been a while since North had been by a body of water. And to enjoy it peacefully at that. It was nice to just kind of pause and think about things. Sort of.

There was still a vague buzzing in the back of his head. A constant reminder that his once constant companion wasn't there anymore. Wherever he was, he hoped that Theta wasn't alone, that he was safe. It was hard, not knowing.

However that train of thought is immediately put on hold as North suddenly finds himself face to face with a large reptilian face. He's not even sure if he should blink or not.

Uh...hi?

[5 - Not quite a Shield Expert]

[North is poking curiously at the forcefield. Tapping it, and considering. It's familiar, if only because he has one that's vaguely similar. He could probably explain how his equipment worked, but somehow, he doesn't think it would apply to this one.]

I don't suppose there's anything generating it around? Where does it even start?

uno (i) flying pumpkin

[chromatized]

[ yeah, guess who's not moving from his spot like 10 feet to the left of temple entrance as he squints confusedly at the giant arm things. iiiiiii'ts Ludger! how good is your aim, brother Nier? ]

What are those? [ he sounds more intrigued than terrified if that helps. ]

[fashionabot]

i-a.

[ If you're hanging around the lake, you might hear a loud shriek from a girl (or YoRHa Unit A4 if you know her) in the distance. The scream is quickly followed up with a splash. Should anyone come investigate, the only sign of the unfortunate Circle member is frantic splashing and a white gloved hand sticking out before it fully sinks down into the water.

Help. A4 might look only five feet tall (not counting her heels), but she's actually a heavy hunk of metal.

Nearby, a few mischevious mermaids giggle and swim off. Well, the culprits are pretty obvious... ]

i-b.

[ Whether or not someone's able to tow the 300-pound android from the depths of the water, Nessie is around to take her to safety. Eventually, the massive dinosaur will rise out of the waters, along with a terrified A4 clinging onto its neck for dear life. If she had arrived with her sword, perhaps she would have tried to fight it. But she's also far too disoriented at the moment to do so. Thank goodness, since it's a friendly dinosaur.

So instead of trying to struggle against her surprising savior, she's just going to... panic as the dinosaur carries her to safety, perhaps to wherever you're standing. ]

What? Whaaaat's happening? What is this thing?!

ii.

[ Sometime after A4's embarrassing accident in the lake, she's taken a liking to the friendly dinosaur residing in the lake. She's taking around the water while riding its back. Hanging by the lakeside edge? Nessie will be swimming up to you!]

Hi there! [ She sticks her head out from behind the creature's neck, wearing a cheerful smile. ] Wanna come for a ride?

[ Or... if they happen to find you struggling in the water, the dinosaur will come swimming up to your side, along with A4 to try to pull you up. ]

iii.

[ Wildcard! I'm sorry they're all Nessie/lake prompts. Feel free to change up the current prompts or come up with your own! PM or propinkist if you want to discuss anything. ]

Konoha | Jinba

[lumberlady]

01 | FOREST | CERTAIN INSTINCTS

[Fresh air was good for recovery! Now that things weren't dying, Konoha hauls herself out of the Temple area and into a clearing near the edge of the forest to sit out in the grass with a few chores. She has mending to do on her clothing, leather to be fixed on her harness tethers, a crude basket to weave...

And a head that the damned faeries love to keep putting flowers on??? Every time it starts wearing off they sneak up on her again with another flower crown, so throughout the day she can be found in pink, blue, or yellow hues, lounging against a tree on her side with her work in her "lap" (a.k.a. spread over her forelegs).

Or... you might catch her in various states of laze. On her back, hooves up... rolling about in the grass, sprawled out on her side in a patch of sunshine... What? It's nice out???]

02 | LAKE DONA | SWIMMING CENTAURS

It's so big... !

[Someone is impressed by the lake, staring out at the water from the shore, eyes wide and fairly sparkling as she takes in the view. Echigo might border the sea, but Konoha is a girl of the mountains and the fields, and she's only heard tale of the ocean, and never seen a lake this large... let alone one big enough to swim in like this? It looks so safe compared to swimming in a river, too-]

Are you going to get in?

[She's... already moving to undo the tie holding the bear hide wrapped around her waist.]

03 | LAKE DONA | FISH SALT FRY

[Thanks to a certain centaur and a certain hunky galaxy defender, (as well as any other volunteer cooks), there's a delicious scent wafting from the lake shore.

Fresh fish, spit roasted whole on thin skewers around a small fire and crusted with rough salt crystals seems to be the source, and Konoha is quick to wave anyone passing by over with one hand while another is occupied fanning the flames.]

Hungry? We've got fish over here!

04 | WILDCARD

[If there's 3+ hits on the other prompts or you have a different idea, feel free to tag me with whatever or hit me up at stormcoming/PM!]

1

[tranquilforest]

[After her long bout with the illness, Jing is feeling much better now - except that her vision is still dimmed and her sense of taste somewhat lacking. Not that she's up to eating very much at this point. Luckily the profusion of growth gave her another method to navigate, and she can somewhat guess at where she is in the Temple by the scents in the air, from flowering vines and fruits and green leaves. She can't do anything about the excessive rate of growth - unlike many here she had no magic to speak of, other than what Astoria had granted her - so she accepts it somewhat as another facet of life here, keeping her ears open and what remained of her sight, recovering far too slowly, focused on staying out of trouble as much as possible.

She stumbles her slow, halting way past a room that appears to be occupied, and she blinks as she peers in, the light that would normally be pouring through the windows at this time of day is instead a strange dappled lattice pattern, and she hears an expression of apparent dismay.]

Ah... are you already awake? Do you need any assistance?

a.

[lumberlady]

[Konoha has... never felt such a roller coaster of emotions and thoughts while listening to music.

If that... could even be called music? It's honestly so different than anything she's ever heard that isn't even sure what to call it. The most complex music she's ever heard is lute ballads with solemnly sung war stories, and what she's actually used to is just... drums and simple flute to folk song rhythm.

And this... it's exciting? But terrifying? But scandalous? But interesting? But dizzying? But confusing? What were those lyrics about? People actually made music to sing about that sort of thing? And those outfits? She's dancing around mostly naked? It's an inspiring beat, though, but-

Then it's over, and she hasn't moved an inch, and her eyes hurt, and everyone else has gradually dispersed but she's just. Still standing there near the lake shore, blinking at the sun.]

iii.

[lumberlady]

[Despite being what many people would consider a mythical creature... Konoha has been giving her fellow non-human half-human things a wide berth. Her world didn't have mermaid stories exactly, but there were plenty of folk tales about the sorts of demons that lurked in rivers and lakes... and none of them were really good.

Nier she recognizes from a distance, kicking into a slow trot to go and greet him... but then he's talking to those women, then he's under the water... and what comes out as she begins to feel fear that something's gone horrbly wrong isn't him, but some... monstrous hand? (Was that his power?)

The trot turns into a full gallop, hooves churning up sandy soil along the lake shore before then it's splashes of water, on her hocks, then past her knees, then past her lower chest, and she's looking about frantically for any sight of him beneath the surface, balking a moment at the deeper water...

Before the memory of an accident at the lumber yard two years ago resurfaces, the bloated corpse of a man who had slipped from the logs they were shipping downriver and been trapped beneath the water, his body barely recognizable. She imagines it with white hair, a familiar face turned wrong-

And dives in.]

iii

[fuck1ngusernam3]

Motherfuck.

[Hank waits a second, sighs, and starts wading toward the dog’s head, hoping the kid’s not far. It’s not that he minds water; it’s that he’s already learned the hard way that, without being able to feel what his hands are doing, he’s got about as much chance of hitting the poor kid further into the water as he does of actually grabbing onto him. He keeps wading, looking around with his permanently numb hands waving through the water. He’ll feel the pressure if he hits anything, anyway, if not the actual sensation.]

[juniberries]

i. eat me! [or insert one alice in wonderland reference here]
[The flowers are, honestly, a welcome edition to her otherwise threadbare quarters in the Circle. What isn't welcome is that with the suddenness of their appearance, they've crept their way off the walls, snaked up the legs of her bed, and tangled themselves into her hair all in the matter of one night.

So when she exits her room, in a dress she managed to still have on her from their time in Struxta, Allura looks every part a fairy tale princess, but instead of flowers and vines woven in her hair they're knotted, and as she walks through the halls towards the baths, she's running her fingers through her hair in a lackluster attempt to disentangle them, looking flustered and a bit annoyed.

She's too busy fussing with her hair to notice just how...like herself she feels. That there's magic within her that hadn't been there for months, crackling and bursting just below the surface. She's absentmindedly touching upon it, pausing in the hall for a moment, and it's in that moment when a peach thrown from somewhere smacks her square in the face, causing her to start and--

Her skin suddenly turns a distinctly peach colour in turn, all while she feels the familiar pull of her body changing height, growing taller and taller until she whacks her head against an archway.]

Quiznak!

[She rubs at the crown of her head, hunching her body forward and stopping her abilities short of bumping her head one again, lingering in the middle of the hall at a towering height.

How embarrassing. She can't even revel in the fact that her abilities have somehow returned, because she's back to feeling like a toddler again who can't get a handle of herself, complete with peach-juice splattering the front of her dress and face.]


ii. lakeside
[Allura's heard of mermaids; Ancients know how much Lance and Hunk talked about their adventures in the Depths. But, despite talks of having their people join the Coalition, Allura hasn't met any face-to-face.

Not like this, at least.

After the seeming hopelessness of the sickness finally coming to pass, Allura has set out to explore the land surrounding the Temple, to marvel in the overgrowth and the enjoy the water of the lake lapping pleasantly at her feet. But, at one moment she's stepping onto a large stone, and the next a hand reaches out and flips her face-first into the lake when she wasn't even planning on swimming!

Resurfacing, Allura sputters, long white hair fanning out around her as she looks around for her attacker, seeing only a face of a mermaid peek out, sticking its tongue out at her angrily, only to then swim away. Not before splashing her for good measure with a sharp whack of its tail.]

Hey! [For a paladin of the Blue Lion, Allura really isn't much of a swimmer, so all she can really do is tread water, splashing in the direction of the mermaid who's already long-gone.] G-get back here this instant!! That was uncalled for!

[...so much for being a dignitary.

Please say nobody saw that.]


iii. i'm a healer, not a doctor (NETWORK)
Greetings, my name is Princess Allura, and I hope this message sees you well. While we all seem to be on the road to recovery, some appear to be healing faster than others, and I wish to help as much as I possibly can.

If there is anyone here who finds themselves still afflicted with any remnants of the disease that plagued us, please, do not hesitate to reach out to me for assistance.

I may be able to help alleviate the remaining symptoms. It appears some of my abilities have returned.

[she also re-records this message, reading it outloud verbatim, so that it may be seen and heard by anyone who chooses to check the Network. she's no idea if the return of her abilities is permanent, but she is going to take advantage while they're here.

as...finicky as they may be.]

B

[fuck1ngusernam3]

[Hank doesn’t exactly rush to follow the order. He raises his eyebrows, pretty content to watch her struggle with it on her own.]

Why, can’t manage your own redecorating?

network!

[resistivity]

Hello, Princess. My name's Mako, I'm a detective back home, in a place called Republic City. I think you've met my friend Korra?

I'm curious about these restorative abilities of yours, would you mind elaborating?

[extirpator]

[ this guy...isn't moving...alright, well — with haste, nier summons a lone arm (at the cost of all of the others, which have no dissipated) to go and catch one or two of the pumpkins flying in his trajectory.

he succeeds with a relieved sigh. ]

I'm sorry. Are you alright?

[ that question is...uh... ]

Hm...well...ah— magic? It's magic.

[ weiss, where are you— explain this for me, please...is what he wants to say. ]

I've had these powers ever since I made my pact 5 years ago, but I don't know the specifics...

Magic is weird.

[juniberries]

Yes! I have met your friend. It is good to speak with you, Mako.

How would you want me to elaborate on my abilities?

[resistivity]

( uh. well. to start, he supposes he can nail down a few specifics. he's not really thinking about himself or even bolin, who seemed to have been hit the hardest with the sickness, because korra having her avatar abilities back, however brief and on the fritz, will always be his go-to for any manner of healing. but he is curious, and he's a nosy detective boy who likes to know things. )

Is it innate or something learned? Would you say that it's more analogous to magic or science? Are there any known side effects of its use, either for you or the people you help?