March | Event: What Lurks Beyond

[jikan_mod]

What Lurks Beyond↲ OOC Plotting

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As the month carries on, more and more strange things begin to happen around Tokyo. The number of ayakashi roaming the streets rises sharply. An entire block of Little Edo is rendered blind and mute as the frog-ayakashi Ano invades family homes. A kaoseki is somehow found to be embedded in the Nihonbashi bridge itself, resulting in a near-catastrophic outbreak of severe facial paralysis for all who walk across it. And reports of house pets disappearing continue to increase, as hungry nekomata patrol the streets at night. Somehow, only Yoshiwara and it's new blend of incense seems to be spared. And yet even still, the worst is yet to come.

On the morning of the 20th, an erratic radio broadcast can be heard on every channel in Tokyo and other neighboring cities -- including from every magi-comm device held by refugees and citizens alike, as if something were forcing a message through.

"Tokyo, calling Tokyo, do you read!? Can anyone hear me!? This is ------ calling from ------ at the skytowers in Chubu! It's coming from ------ you must tell your emperor! You lot can't handle this on your own!"

A loud noise follows, and the signal goes silent.

Pollen Nation

As the people stir out from their homes looking for ways to address the situation, they notice an odd fog in the air. A distinct red color, it carries with it a powerful floral scent similar to the curious incense that Yoshiwara started using earlier this month. But this isn't incense: it's pollen. And the effects it carries with it are much worse than the watered down incense form.

All around the city, citizens find themselves completely overwhelmed with emotion. Some scream and cry in terror at whatever unknown threat the radio broadcast promised. Others react in anger, waving their arms uselessly at the clouds of pollen as if to brush it away. But overall, the picture is the same: the city is all too quickly falling into madness.

And yet only the refugees seem unaffected...

Flee or Fight? Nanjikan Research Lab, Tokyo
All refugees are immediately called to gather at the NRL for their own safety, should they miss one of the many trains evacuating towards Yokohama. Once there, they'll find that only a few of the scientists seem unaffected -- the others, apparently, locked in various offices and closets around the lab. Just ignore the frantic banging in the background (and also the frantic banging, probably, it's an emotion, too).

It seems they were quickly able to deduce that Kizuna is making them immune to the curse carried by the pollen, and the remaining scientists are the ones who first experimented with Kizuna by making bonds with one another. It's not just any pollen, after all. It's the pollen of a jubokko tree, the life-draining ayakashi. Ordinarily, these trees are very rare, often cut down once they're found due to the nature of their pollen. The tree feeds on spilled blood, and the pollen is designed to drive those who smell it into such madness that they grow violent, attacking anyone and everyone around them. Its effects on humans at a distance are unclear, but apparently it does more than just make them violent, given how the people of Tokyo are reacting.

It seems the refugees have a choice to make. Will they stay here in the safety of the NRL? Or will they take matters into their own hands, and seek out the source of that distress signal in the neighboring region of Chubu? Whatever they choose, the scientists will support them -- with Goro himself offering kizuna-powered weapons to anyone who volunteers to go. However, these ones are definitely still proto-types, and will only function as ordinary weapons after two weeks. What will you choose?

An Unexpected Ally City Limits, Tokyo
It seems it won't be an easy trip. The trains aren't running in any direction towards Chubu, and going on foot seems like a poor choice. Particularly because it's now obvious why the city has been crawling with ayakashi: all along the outskirts of the city, ayakashi of all shapes and sizes can be seen fleeing from the strange pollen. While it causes madness in ordinary creatures, in ayakashi, it seems to very irritating.

But those in Tokyo weren't the only ones who heard the distress signal. From towards Hakone, a large airship is making its way over, with a white emblem that might just be familiar to those who witnessed the rogue ninjas stealing from passengers on the Kanagawa cable car. Revealing themselves to be known as the Tsuiraku Clan of Chubu, they offer their assistance in seeking out the distress signal in order to save Tokyo from the pollen. Considering they spend their days balanced over boiling water and sulfur vents, naturally they all have proper gasmasks with them at all times, making them immune to it. And hey -- if the people of Tokyo can't go on vacation, who are they going to steal from??

But their criminal history aside, it seems the refugees don't have the luxury of choice. They need to get to Chubu as fast as possible, and an airship is the fastest way. But alas, not even flying is a safe choice right now. At some point mid-flight, the ship suddenly shakes with a loud crash, as an emergency landing alarm fills the halls. Something struck the ship, leaving what will appear to be a large scorch mark on one side of it... but what was it? Alas, there's no time to investigate. Better hold on to the person next to you, because it's going to be a bumpy landing.

Rumble in the Jungle

The ship manages to land more or less safely on the edge of a lake northwest of Mt. Fuji. Unfortunately, there are no Yokai among the Tsuiraku, meaning all injuries will have to be taken care of the old fashioned way, unless there's a healer among them. For the others, now begins the hard part. Judging by the trail led by the bright red pollen as seen from overhead, the jubokko must be located somewhere at the foot of Mt. Fuji. But to get there, they'll have to navigate through Jukai, the sea of trees.

One of the most densely packed forests in Kanto, Jukai is known both for its unusual plantlife and unusual lack of wildlife, due in part to the ayakashi who call the forest home. Compasses don't work, and due to just how far they are from the city, magi-comms won't work either. As safe as it would be in numbers, they need to make sure they actually find the trees. Which means splitting up, and hoping they cross paths again.

Vegan Bondage Jukai, Chubu
As the groups split up to search for the jubokko grove, most accompanied by at least one Tsuiraku ninja, they'll begin encountering stranger and stranger things. Passing through one part of the forest, they'll find that the whole area is eerily quiet, the thick groves of trees making it hard for any sound to travel very far. But one area is practically deafening in its silence. With strange creeping vines coating the landscape with a carpet of leafy greens, the Tsuiraku ninja informs them that they're silence vines, a plant that needs absolute silence to grow. And if they want to pass through quickly, they'll need to stay completely silent as they walk.

Or at least, that's what the lucky ones will hear. For those who wander in without recognizing the vines first, making any sound will trigger the plant's defense mechanism. As the leaves absorb any sound they hear, the vines quickly move towards the source of it, smothering the one causing the sound in the hopes of silencing it. It'll take nearly a full hour of silence to be freed, meaning those prone to bickering will understand why this is frequently known as the get-along vine.

But silence vines aren't the only aggressive plant to be found in the forest. Should someone smell an oddly sweet scent and decide to follow it, they might just find themselves wrapped up in a nuruname bloom (nsfw). These plants require warm conditions for their seeds to propagate, often seeking out living creatures to carry the seeds for them. Unlike a traditional flower, the nuruname's blossoms possess a long and slimy appendage used for injecting the seeds, of which no two nuruname blooms are said to be the same shape. Likewise, the seeds come in a wide variety of sizes; only the female variety is capable of injecting seeds, while the males produce additional slime. It's not uncommon for one to be cornered by both.

While the scent alone is usually enough to entice one to get close enough, the slime they produce makes for a powerful aphrodisiac. And unlike the silence vines, nuruname blooms are loath to release their incubators, and have been known to keep victims entangled for days on end. Those captured might just need someone to cut them free if they hope to continue their mission.

Mushroom Road Jukai, Chubu
In another area of the forest, the landscape grows more alien, with large amounts of fungi having overtaken many of the trees there, resulting in large mushrooms towering over twenty feet tall. They're called mario mushrooms, named for the long tendrils hanging down like strings on a marionette, and most creatures tend to avoid contact with them. But even so, this area is far from safe. Simply bumping into one of these mushrooms will make them release their spores, causing those who breathe them in to begin hallucinating. But not just any hallucinations.

The purple mushrooms cause one to hallucinate their greatest fear, clouding their senses to make its sudden appearance seem both plausible and real. The green mushrooms cause hallucinations of lost friends and loved ones, appearing to them just as they were in life, or moments before their deaths. The red mushrooms, however, have an aphrodisiac effect, causing them to hallucinate someone they're sexually attracted to, compelling them to have sex. While it's far more likely they'll see their companion transform, it's not unheard of for someone affected by this mushroom to just start humping a random tree. The effects will leave once an afflicted person moves away from the mushrooms and towards fresher air.

An Unexpected Cameo

For those who make it out of the forest, they'll finally find the source of the distress signal. At the base of Mt. Fuji stands a small group of Tengu Yokai, rarely ever seen this close to the ground. They're visibly alarmed at the sight of the refugees -- it seems they were expecting back-up from the Western Kingdom of Yokai, and didn't think humans could handle it this close to the trees. But they certainly won't turn down the help.

"For you to have made it this far, Tokyo may yet be saved after all. Come, we shall take you to the forest! You may stand a better chance than us, whose senses become clouded by the ayakashi's curse."

Anyone still lost in the forest will be rescued by a Tengu, but will also miss out on the final confrontation as a result.

The Bloody Forest Mt. Fuji, Chubu
The situation is worse than they could have possible imagined. Hundreds and hundreds of trees, defined by the blood-red markings on their trunks, are spewing more and more pollen into the air. At this close of range, not even kizuna will protect them. The refugees will feel themselves overcome by whatever emotion they feel strongest, as the ayakashi works to turn them against one another.

But there's a way around this. The stronger the bond, the more easily they can fight off the jubokko's curse. In order to keep their wits about them, they'll have to hold hands with someone they've bonded with, and hope their combined kizuna is enough to fight off the curse. Otherwise, they'll fall into the same madness as the people of Tokyo did, too overwhelmed by their own emotions to be of much help.

There are multiple ways of dealing with the trees. The simplest involves driving a metal spike through the large red patch on the front of the tree. Once deep enough, the tree will start to bleed, before turning to stone and then crumbling. Another involves simply cutting it down along the same red patch, causing a similar effect. Burning them is also very effective, though the pollen is rather flammable, and the trees may explode if superheated.

But one question still remains: how did this happen so suddenly? Jubokko trees need to blood to survive. Where did these trees get the blood necessary to grow in such high numbers?

When the grove is nearly half destroyed, they'll get their answer, as a large rumbling sound comes from the other side of Mt. Fuji...

Go Go Godzilla! Mt. Fuji, Chubu
In the distance, an impossibly tall creature can be seen lumbering towards the refugees. Standing hundreds of feet tall, every step it takes causes the ground to rumble. And with a loud roar, it rears back -- and fires an energy beam of the exact same type that destroyed their airship, aiming right for them. Mercifully, the beam only manages to hit some of the trees, igniting them instantly. But they may not be so lucky a second time.

As the Tengu is quick to inform them -- the creature is an ancient ayakashi named Gojira, the god of destruction. Despite its name, it's lived peacefully around Mt. Fuji since time immemorial, and is highly revered by the people of Chubu. But with just a glance, it's clear something horrible has happened -- as the god has been severely injured, one arm bent oddly, with bloody wounds along the side of its head. Somehow, Gojira itself is the source of the blood that allowed the jubokko to grow at such an alarming rate.

But the refugees now have a decision to make.

Will they ignore Gojira, avoiding it's long-range attacks, and focus on destroying the trees? While it's the fastest way to act, who knows what damage Gojira will cause amidst its rampage.

Will they attack Gojira, risking killing it while it's so heavily injured? Despite its title as a God of Destruction, the Tsuiraku will be vehemently against this.

Or will they try to help Gojira, finding a way the pull its arm back into place in the hopes of calming it down? They'll have to delay destroying the trees, and it may not even work to calm it down.

The final prompt of this log will go up on March 18th with the outcome depending on how characters choose to act! Please have your votes in as early as possible!

FINALE: An Ancient Blessing Mt. Fuji, Chubu
Despite the looming threat of the trees, the refugees overwhelming decide to try and aid the ailing god. Gojira won't make it easy for them; with the trees still spewing pollen, it continues to rampage, wary of the refugees attempting to restrain it. But with a concentrated effort to reset the dislocated arm, and a little help from a Tengu in providing the necessary healing magic -- Gojira suddenly calms down.

Or at least... it does for a few minutes. Because once it has been healed, it stomps over towards the trees and begins to aggressively crush them beneath its feet. And while this is certainly a more effective way of dealing with the trees, there were still refugees trying to take care of them as well, and they won't be getting out of this without any injuries. While no one is killed, Goro is among the wounded, breaking his leg after failing to clear a fallen tree trunk while fleeing. But he'll be in good spirits, insisting that all rumors about him allegedly crying for his mama were lies and slander.

But once the trees are destroyed, something curious happens -- a voice speaks inside the minds of all refugees present.

"Children of Gaia.
Peace has returned to these lands.
Accept my blessing."

The mighty ayakashi tilts its face towards the heavens and fires one last beam of energy. But this one is different, arching up and then downward like a water spout, before sending a shining wave of light over the land, causing a strange, warm sensation in the chest of every refugee. And yet, while the Tengu praise everyone present and proclaim just how rare it is to receive the blessing of a god-- neither they nor the Tsuiraku ninja will know what they're talking about should they mention a voice, insisting that Gojira was not considered capable of speech.

As the refugees gather to treat the wounded, a small fleet of airships arrives, manned by crews entirely composed of Kitsune Yokai. The wounded will be tended to first, while everyone else gets a leisurely first-class flight back to Tokyo, where a hero's welcome awaits them, as reports of their heroism quickly spreads throughout the city.

But before the Yokai depart, some may happen to overhear something odd from the Kitsune working on the airship. "That's strange," they'll hear them whispering to one another, "Refugees from another world? But they have the same aura as Hanyo..."

OOC Notes
Welcome to Jikan's March event! Please direct any questions to the Question Thread in the OOC Plotting post.

• Due to the plotty nature of this event, it is slightly future-dated, and ICly will take place on March 20-21st. Characters will have to camp in the forest overnight, as the confrontation with the jubokko and Gojira will occur on the 21st. Camping supplies can be assumed to have been brought by the Tsuiraku ninjas.

• Regardless of the outcome of the final prompt, the pollen will have completely cleared from Tokyo by the 22nd, with the city left shaken, but in one piece.

• If you would like to opt out of this event: Yokohama will remain unaffected by the pollen due to it's close proximity to the ocean keeping the air clear. The radio broadcast occurred very early, and was brief enough that it could have been missed. And those who just want to play with the ayakashi are free to say they've invaded both cities regardless, and can be encountered anywhere.

• The effect of Gojira's blessing will become apparent in the coming month!

• Because they didn't attack Gojira, player characters now have the option of traveling to Chubu to hike around Mt. Fuji safely. Please see the setting page for more information.

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NPC Chat Opportunity

[jikan_npc]

Characters traveling to Chubu will be accompanied by Goro, the NRL's Kizuna specialist and weapons guy. He's also, at a glance, a chain-smoking ten year old. If your character would like to take the opportunity to ask things, he is available:

1. At the NRL before leaving.
2. On the Tsuiraku's airship.
3. Wandering in Jukai.
4. Immediately after finding the jubokko trees.

As a reminder, talking to NPCs is not necessary for game plot, but is just a fun flavor to add to the game if you like!

[darkdisgrace]

Can Chuuya have a smoke with Goro. Because there's nothing weird about that, right.

1.

[chichichi]

[ Don't mind Setsura looking over the weapons on offer with a critical eye. A certain katana is sheathed at her side, but after examining the katana Chuuya received some time ago and keeping her ears open about kizuna, she's curious and all too casual with her next inquiry. ]

Have you tested any of them in conjunction with, say, something like the effect of an ayakashi's curse?

Ike Atalanta | Original

[electricalburn]

1| Dicked and Squicked | OTA (No smut unless plotted beforehand please!)
What is that!?

[Oh boy, guess who just stumbled upon an entire grove of nuruname blooms. He refuses to walk through them. That's disgusting. But it really doesn't seem like they have much choice? They can only detour so much before they're risking getting lost, especially with just how thick the overgrowth is here n the forest.]

You don't think maybe there's a way around them, do yo-- oh my god they're moving! They're... gyrating...

[This forest is disgusting. Will they try to walk through the plants, or give up and look for a way around? As gross as they are, it seems rude to just destroy them when they aren't doing any harm.]


2 | It'sa me Mushroom | OTA | cw: underage smut, incest if Ike is the one hallucinating
[The mushroom area is bizarre, but kind of pretty, in a way. Perhaps that's why he doesn't think twice about walking through it. But at some point, he's going to wind up bumping into one-- and depending on which it is, he might need a little help.]

[The purple mushroom sees Ike screaming, as if in pain. He looks down at his hands and sees them bursting into flames, burning himself and everything around him. And it hurts, as he yells for someone, anyone, to save him. He'll be in no position to reason with like this, and will shy away from anyone who gets close, not wanting to burn them as well.]

[The green mushrooms will see him softly crying, as he apologizes over and over to someone who isn't there. A tight embrace will be enough for the kizuna to dissipate the hallucination, but it might still take him a moment to actually calm down.]

[And the red mushrooms-- whoever happens to be nearby will have, in his mind, taken on the form of the first person he ever loved: his cousin, Lunia. He'll see her beckoning him over for a kiss -- which his addled mind won't turn down, perhaps resulting in something he may come to regret later... of course, you're also welcome to find him kissing a tree, too. Might wanna pull him away from there.]


3 | Overwhelmed | OTA
[Ike wasn't prepared for what would happen upon finding the grove of jubokko trees. The air was thick with pollen and hard to breathe in -- but there was more to it than that. Suddenly, he felt an overwhelming sense of utter despair and panic. Holding his hands tightly over his chest, he curls forward, letting out of a choked sob as he fights to stay on his feet. What was he doing here? What was the point? He didn't know this world, these people... he couldn't be a hero. How could he, when his own birth is the reason his mother was killed?]

[He starts hyperventilating as panic overtakes him, his hands gripping the front of his shirt. But it's more than just an emotional panic for Ike -- as from underneath the bandages on his hands, steam begins to rise, as the area around him grows warmer. Anyone who attempts to take his hand will find themselves burned by them -- as elemental flames build up in his veins, threatening to boil over and burn his skin. He didn't have good control over his flames on a good day, let alone while being overwhelmed with emotion as he is right now.]

I'm sorry... I-I'm sorry...

[Note: If you would like to assume our characters have gotten somewhat acquainted on the trip here for this prompt, feel free!]


4 | Fucking Godzilla Of All Things | OTA
[After learning to the trick to warding off the jubokko's pollen, Ike keeps on hand tightly held onto the hand of his partner. Of course, when your partner is Ike, a lightning elemental, the sheer amount of static electricity building up is hard to avoid. While there's no risk of being electrocuted, chances are all their hair is sticking up in funny directions because of the ambient static.]

S-Sorry if I shock you a little. It's hard to hold it in while using it this much...

[His methods of certainly effective. He raises a hand towards the sky, causing the clouds overhead to flash -- before a bolt of lightning comes down and strikes the tree, causing it to practically explode as lightning tears through it, with whatever remains quickly crumbling as the ayakashi dies. But after doing this for a little while-- that's when they hear the odd rumbling from Mt. Fuji.]

...what do you think that is? It's not a storm.


5 | Wildcard
[To be used for the final prompt when it becomes available!]

I'm so sorry lmao

[protectorofsmiles]

Ugh...I need to stop for a minute...

[Even the more experienced warriors needed their rest. We're all only human. Genbu looks around and finally decided to sit down and nap against a nice looking tree for a while. Its so quiet in the forest right now. So silent, so peaceful...it was the reason Genbu could pick up the sound of someone weeping somewhere in the distance, something he can't do when other ambient sounds preoccupy the area.

Instinct kicks in and Genbu quickly gets up and starts heading towards the noise, and it's common sense kicking in that caused him to stop. ...on a small mushroom, releasing it's spores into the air. And soon, Genbu begins to hallucinate.

On his shoulders, two chibi versions of himself appeared. On the right, he is wearing a fluffy white body that shows only his head, and on top of that head is a stem with a fluffy yellow ball on top. He is hovering over Big Genbu's shoulder on small black wings that flapped quickly like butterfly wings. On his left was him wearing naught but a big, round, white diaper. He sported a single purple horn on his head, and hovered over Big Genbu's shoulder with larger, purple daemon-like wings.]

Stop, ya moron! Are ya really gonna fall for such an obvious trick, grr? [The daemon-like Imp-bu hissed.] Ignore it and go back to yer rest, grr!

What?? B-but I can't just ignore that! What if someone's really in trouble!?

He's right, kupo! [The angelic Moogle-bu chimes in] Genbu is strong! If it is a trick, he can get out of it, kupo! He's gotten out of many sticky situations before, kupo!

HOW DO YA THINK HE GOT IN MOST OF THOSE SITUATIONS, GRR!??

By having a kind and just heart, kupo!!

[Genbu whines, trying to fight over his common sense and sense of justice. It could be a trick! But it could be real? Does Genbu risk his life falling for a trick so he could help someone? Or ignore the possibly in danger innocent who has gotten into a sticky situation themselves??]

I'LL RIP OFF YER POM FROM YER HEAD AND SHOVE IT UP YER ARSE YOU FURRY LITTLE SHITE, GRR

TRY IT! I'LL RIP OFF YER HORN AND MAKE IT INTO A SOUP TO PRESENT TO CHIEFTAN MOGLIN AS A GIFT, KUPO!

[...In the end, his sense of justice won over, and Genbu went off towards the weeping, leaving his hallucinations to rip each other apart. Godspeed.

And finally, after breathing in some fresh air and clearing his head, Genbu comes across a silhouette of a person, crying over what looks like a dead log. Apologizing to it over and over. That's...definitely a trap. ...Right? Genbu ever so slowly approaches the shadow, on his guard, ready to strike if he needs to. He can't quite figure out who it is, it's just so dark in here.]

H-heeyyyyyy, buddyyyyyy! You okaaaaaay?

2 - green

[envycatwalk]

[One important thing he figured out during his lifetime: mushrooms are bad news. There was one time he'd decided to eat one before -on a whim, a really stupid whim - and his brothers had found him with Jyushimatsu on top of a very tall building, screaming about how he was the ruler of the world, demanding that all the cats be brought to the bottom floor....

....It was stupid. And humiliating. But whatever. Ichimatsu had stoutly refused to enter the mushroom field until he saw...some kid. Some kid bawling his eyes out. And no one else was going to help him, he assumed, as he looked around.

Well, shit.

He walked forward, slowly, cautiously, before speaking up in his low tone.]

Hey...uh, kid...what's wrong?

caesar zeppeli - ota

[casaposa]

A

[Mushrooms are an ingredient in meals, not an item to be feared. If there was a warning given to those who decided to make the trek through the forest, he didn't care to listen. He's fought beings of unimaginable power-some grocery store sale item isn't about to make him second guess his decision.

It's when he sees his father standing under one of the green tendrils that he tries to rapidly recollect the warnings given from the natives and-

It feels real. Doesn't seem fake. The dead come back unannounced and why wouldn't his father be one to return. It makes sense-the Joestars have sporadic ancestors arriving, why not his family. Why not the Zeppelis?

His father could be here too. Is here. Stands before him with the same gentle eyes, same powerful aura Caesar remembers in his youth.

A short conversation, a quiet reunion-his father is just how he remembered. Strong and kind, determined and resolute-the man recognizes him easily and Caesar has to hold back every single apology that his guilt laden mind pulls to the surface. It's over and done with and the man is here now.

And you might stumble upon him laughing, cigarette dangling from his lips and in the process of lighting another cigarette that is resting against the fungi's tendril. Look, smoking is a family bonding activity. Let him live. He's being a good son.

At least he seems happy-all smiles and laughs through the puffs of smoke.]

B (probably nsfw, 18+ only)

[Now this is irritating.

After being caught in the thrall of those trickster mushrooms that brought his father to life, he isn't moving so recklessly through the woods. They're deceptive. A problem. One he wishes the world would burn down so he didn't need to deal with it now.

But he's a Zeppeli. A man on a mission and no stupid plant is going to stand in his way.

He's seeing people again-faces of those who aren't lost. Some of which who never made it to this new world from Lunatia, others that he's seen here, some he's stayed with and that's frustrating in an entirely different way.

He hates this place.

Don't mind him trying to pointedly avoid eye contact with anyone, pulling at the front of his shirt and waving a hand at the front of his face to blow away his sweat soaked skin.]

This place is a joke.

C

[He's livid.

The pollen itself is an irritating allergen he's sick of hearing about. This whole ordeal is a gigantic farce and he can't stop himself from lashing out at anyone who tries to make conversation with him. He's mad. He's tired of this-of being pulled and jerked and twisted by forces he can't control and-

Hello anyone within ten feet of him. He's not having a good time and any eye contact, any touch, really anything in his general beefy vicinity is going to be met with a sharp-]

Back off!

D

[wildcard baebee hmu via pm or drowninginpears]

A

[tsukky]

[ Finding out the hard way that these mushrooms are Complete and Utter Shits™ isn't great but at least now Tsukuyo knows she needs to try and take precautions... How effective they are remains to be seen but she's doing her utmost to avoid touching the mushrooms and attempting to keep her mouth and nose covered in case these fucking things release anymore spores in her vicinity that she might just up and inhale.

Of course she's going to run into ravioli man Caesar- apparently off his face on the spores if appearances are to be believed. He's laughing and joking with nothing and he's got two lit cigarettes, one of which he appears to have given to the fungi. She's got no damn clue what he's hallucinating right now and so she's cautious when she gets closer, her tone a little gentler than usual. ]

Caesar- Who are ya talkin' to?

A

[protectorofsmiles]

[... Unlike Caesar, Genbu was no gourmet. He was a survivalist, living most of his life on the road in a caravan for a home.

Everything is good to him, even something as simple as a plain fish cooked over a fire. But there's one keyword he knows: survive. And what better way to survive than to be knowledgeable of the plant life around you?

To summarize, Genbu was no mushroom-eating idiot. He only foraged the mushrooms he knew were safe back home. In a foreign world like Nippon, eating random mushrooms he saw was a no go! But that was the least of his worries at the moment. He sat at his campfire, which he made for a moment's respite, snacking on some rations he brought from Nihonbashi. Despite the crackling of the fire keeping his attention, he could still hear a sudden shuffling towards him, grabbing his attention. Ready to defend himself, Genbu grabs hold of the dagger on his person, wondering if it could be a harmless critter seeking warmth or a dangerous beast. Genbu keeps note of where his axe is, and waits and waits, only to come face to face with the man known as Cheddar Zipline.

Or...something like that. Genbu could never remember his full name. Did he get lost? Didn't matter. It was great to see a familiar face.

But...something is off. Caesar is giving him an unusual look. Was there something on his face? Genbu looked behind him and back, trying to understand why instead of scowling and calling him insults, he looked like he was about to cry.

And that's when Caesar shouted "Papa!".

Genbu's heart sank. The way Caesar looked at him with such love in his eyes, calling him his dad, it brought back memories of his own father. Oh how little Genbu would scream "oton!" and chase him around, how he'd tackle him and they'd laugh...

But why? Why was Caesar calling him dad? Genbu once again tries to look around and see if he isn't imagining things or if some man was behind him, but nope, Caesar was looking right at him. It was then when he noticed Caesar's eyes, specifically how HUGE the pupils were! It was like looking at an excited cat!

...Oh. he ate something strange, didn't he? That's not good. Genbu wanted to say something. Anything. But he just couldn't do it. How could he break such a beautiful illusion to someone who shows such a face? And he was seeing his father of all people! Genbu just didn't have the heart to bring him to reality. In fact, the first thing he thought of doing...]

H-heeyyyyyy! Y-yeah I'm yer dad!

[...Well it was worth a shot. He figured the moment he opened his mouth, the illusion would break.

But yet, it didn't?? Caesar continued to speak, in a language Genbu never heard before. Perhaps this man was even hearing illusions? The next thing he knew, he was sitting next to Caesar in front of the fire, having a conversation he couldn't understand. All he said was random sentences and words, and yet Caesar continued the conversation as if it were normal. The way the man smiled so warmly, the way he laughed so genuinely, Genbu's heart was melting and yet growing heavier with each passing moment. Caesar was talking to his father, presumably his dead father. And all Genbu could do was keep that illusion going for just a little while. This man missed his dad so much, why should Genbu end this moment so early?

He continues to let Caesar talk, and ties the cigarette he is given to a green tendril, hoping the illusion still stays. He sure as hell wasn't smoking it himself.]

A because everyone wants the soft salad

[sweetsleuth]

[With a scene like that, Ranpo almost wonders if it would be all right to leave him there just a little longer. But they can't stay here forever, and there's no telling what effect these spores could have long term. Which is what has him approaching Caesar, eyes flickering between him and the cigarette resting against the mushroom.]

Caesar-kun. It's time for us to move on.

[It's intentional, the way Ranpo steps closer to grab one of Caesar's hands. A more casual touch than they might be used to between them, but it for a good reason. He can only hope that the little burst of Kizuna between them (which absolutely exists, as much as Caesar wants to deny it!!) will be just enough to pull him out of the mushroom spore induced stupor.]

[It's hard enough to ignore the one he's seeing, after all. Maybe this can help both of them.]

You don't want us to get to left behind, right? The people back in Tokyo can't wait forever.

Kashuu Kiyomitsu | Touken Ranbu

[saigawa]

► Vegan Bondage (Sex Prompt)
[He's not cautious and fast enough. By the time Kashuu step into the area full of nuruname blooms, they're already reaching out and grabbing hold onto him. The appendages are wrapping around his body, and the slimes are being spread on him. His skin and his clothes are covered in the slippery slime, and oh god they're in his hair as well.

Not only that, but he's aware of his body growing warmer and warmer as well.]

Gross, gross, gross!

[UGH, HE HATES THIS BUT-]

HELP!

► Mushroom... Not Quite Madness
[With how many mushrooms there are, there's always a chance of someone bumping into them. Whether it's himself or another person, Kashuu would find himself breathing in the spores... unfortunately.]

Purple (Fears)
[After breathing in the spores, something cause him to stop and step back, as his eyes widen in shock at the familiar scene in front of him. The scene of that man being told he can't use him and being left behind. It's a memory he never want to dwell on for too long. The suddenness of their appearance catches Kashuu off guard, emotionally.

He glances down at his body, seeing himself battered and covered in familiar, familiar marks. Marks that represent that incident, leading to this-]

Oki—Okita-kun!

Green (Loved Ones) [Red Mushroom optional]
[Unlike the purple ones, the green ones got him to see someone less stressing on his heard. The figure in front of him, in those familiar haori and modelling his appearance after that man.]

Yasusada? Oi, Yasusada! Is that you?

[Kashuu goes over to approach his "friend", to see if it's really him. This may get Kashuu closer and closer to more mushrooms, regardless if they're green or red.]

► Wild Card
[Bring your own scenario here! Hit me up over my plotting comment, PMs or Sonica if you want to hash out something.]

Vegan Bondage

[nisaetus]

[ Useful old man to the rescue! Kashuu's exclamation catches his ears as he's cutting down vines or evading them, and call it a natural sense of responsibility befitting the leader of the Ichimonji— He'll come to aid without ]

Hold on!

[ He cuts the vines while trying to reach Kashuu, maybe a bit too close for comfort were it anybody not a sword he's trying to free. When he gets close enough, he's about to free him but vines keep getting in way to either catch him or stop him from cutting loose their prey. ]

Kashuu, is it? Are you hurt?

[ He says that, preoccupied with the plants. He doesn't pay too much attention to him beyond that, focusing on this task at hand. One them is being cut down allows Kashuu freedom of one of his arms for the time being. ]

Purple Mushrooms!

[electricalburn]

H-Hey! Don't go that way!

[Ike has already had a bad encounter with these wacky mushrooms, one he'd rather not repeat. Which is why he has a cloth tied over his nose and mouth to try and block out the spores. But when he sees a familiar face trying to run deeper into the mushroom-side of the jungle, he reaches out to grab him by the arm. Who or what Kashuu thinks he's chasing after... it won't lead to anything good.]

Come on, the air is cleaner if we stick to this side. You might get lost if you go that way alone!

Ranpo Edogawa | Bungo Sungo Dungo

[sweetsleuth]

1 | Mushroom Madness | OTA
[The mushrooms are an odd change in scenery compared to the rest of the forest, and he's not too keen on sticking around them. But at some point, he manages to cause one to release its spores, cursing under his breath as he realizes just what kind of effect it'll have on him.]

[After a purple mushroom, Ranpo can be found in the area, stumbling around. The moment he hears a sound, he looks up -- eyes wide and fearful. Even if he looks right at someone, he doesn't seem capable of seeing them. There's an uncharacteristic tremble to his voice.] Is... someone there?

[But after a green mushroom, well... he realizes all too quickly that he's just seeing things. But even if he knows it isn't real, it's hard to force himself to walk away. Which is why he'll quietly grab onto the sleeve of the first person he sees passing through, a silent plea for them to lead him out of the area. Because there's no way he'll be able to bring himself to leave behind these visions of his dead parents otherwise.] Keep walking. I need fresh air.


2 | Dickplants | OTA* cw: dubcon, tentacles, oviposition, stomach bulging, mild cum inflation BRING UR KINKS
[After running from some rather aggressive wildlife, Ranpo somehow ended up alone. Which wasn't good -- he needed to find someone else quickly, lest he end up too turned around to meet up with the group. But it's at this point that he stumbles into the grove of nuruname blooms.]

[It only takes a second for him to realize exactly what kind of plant this is, but it's a second too late for him to turn tail and flee. One vine coils around his leg as it drags him back into the thicket, its sickeningly sweet slime dripping over his clothes as the plant tries to seek entrance into his mouth. He's keeping it shut tight, but it's the sight of someone else being pulled in at the same time that makes him cry out--]

H-Hey! Are you--

[But that's all he gets out, before the plant thrusts one of its long floral stems into his mouth, the effects of its aphrodisac causing all thoughts of escape to slowly leave his mind. Hopefully whoever else is stuck here with him has a good view, because they're about to see one hell of a show.]

[*OTA for this prompt since Ranpo is not in his right mind/not exactly the one in control here.]


3 | A Lonely Heart | Previous CR Only
[As soon as they reach the jubokko trees and the true power of their pollen flows through the refugees, Ranpo falls to his knees. Ordinarily, Ranpo might be overwhelmed by feelings of pride, vanity, maybe even just happiness-- but things are different here. In just a few short weeks, he's lost both Poe and Kiki -- both leaving not long after he rejected their romantic interest in him. All this time, it's been hard not to think that perhaps he was the reason their bonds with Nippon broke, after their own bonds became weak and brittle.]

[He curls his arms around himself as a sob climbs out of his throat. What was he doing here? This wasn't his home. These people didn't care about him. He was all alone here, with no one to look out for him. Would anyone even cry for him if he died back in that forest? Would anyone back home even be left to notice he was gone?]

[--of course, these thoughts aren't true. But the jubokko tree's influence has greatly magnified the feelings of loneliness in his heart, twisting it into a deep despair. Even surrounded by others, he won't see any hands trying to reach out to him right now.]

[It's going to take a lot to pull him out of this. He might just need to be pulled away all together, at least until some of the trees have been knocked out.]


4 | Wildcard
[For pre-plotted scenarios and final prompt things!]

1 - purple

[protectorofsmiles]

[Genbu is getting rather sick of getting lost all the time. Using his dagger, he cuts through the tendrils of the mushrooms. Unfortunately for the mushrooms, their spores won't reach inside of him, not this time. After learning his lesson previously when he got chased around by a megalodon, the survivalist put two and two together.

Breathing spores bad.

His breathing labored thanks to the handkerchief around his neck and mouth, he slowly makes his way through the strings, hoping for a clearing at some point. Curse it all. Curse these mushrooms, curse this trip, curse getting lost, curse the Twelve...

After his rare moment of crankiness, Genbu stops. He was sure he heard a voice.]

Godsdamnit, if this is another one of y'all's spooky tricks I'm gettin' out the axe!

Osamu Dazai | Bungo Stray Dogs

[bluemackerel]

Mushrooms
[Of course Dazai had chosen to come along, and of course he'd decided that honestly, he had nothing to lose. He'd dealt with mushrooms before. What more harm could they do? Well, so much as he'd hate to admit it...it doesn't go as planned. Not that he had a plan in the first place, mind, but...

With the purple mushroom, he finds himself trapped in...nothingness. He's blind. He's deaf. There's just this strange sense of nothingness overwhelming him, and a crushing sense of guilt. He looks like he's staring into space, but there's a certain deadness in his eyes. He's scared. But he can't hear or see anything around him until someone else helps.

With the green mushroom...even worse. The person nearest to him makes him stumble away, just because he's shocked. He doesn't want to be shocked, but he is. He's shocked, and he feels sick, and he's looking at none other than Odasaku. He swallows fearfully, looking up at the person he believes to be Odsasaku from the ground.]

...How?

[his voice is weak. so weak. it's unfamiliar to most. but it's an obvious giveaway that this is hitting him hard.]

Buddy-Buddy[cw" suicide ideation; BSD Manga spoilers, this is all just kind of heavy]
[So, he's trying to keep calm. He's fine. He's strong, and he's fine. Dazai is far too used to this - whatever emotions he has, push them to the back of his mind, don't let them show, don't let anyone see who you really are, because that's when you're weakest. Even if you turst someone, never show them all of you. Never show yourself to be anything more than what they think you are. But he's struggling with a fair bit. Normally, he might not even feel anything. The biggest thing might be apathy. He can't care. He's not able to tie himself to this world.

That's why he adores death so much, clings to it, has comfort in the idea that it will end. Because then, maybe, it'll hurt, even if he doesn't want it to. Maybe then, it'll show that it all meant something. Maybe, he'll finally be afraid. Or sad. Or angry. Or relieved. Or anything.

But no, that's not what he's dealing with right now. What he is dealing with, however, is guilt. Which is unfamiliar to him, as someone so used to pushing his emotions away some might say he feels no guilt at all, but now it's crashing over him like a wave. He's tried so hard to find a purpose, a reason - he's tried so hard to listen to the words of the one man who made him feel anything, the one man that got through to him: help people. He doesn't know what good is, what evil is. Some of the people he could call 'good' were also murderers, extortionists, terrorists, but they were good to him. Morality was complex and meaningless. But he knew one thing: he was not a good man.

He hadn't helped people. He'd hurt people, and he'd done it while looking like he was downright gleeful to do it, which he wasn't, but there was that haunting numbness, that disconnect between what he felt and, which was nothing, and what he did, which was...a lot. And he said it'd all work out. It'd all be for the best. Was it? He doubted it. And then, he wondered - was he always hoping for that easy way out? Death? He was always...no. Even that didn't matter. There wasn't a way to erasse a person's existence. Not entirely.

So this is an unfamiliar position anyone who knows Dazai finds him in. He's pale. He's curled up on the ground, and he looks sick. If anyone tries to reach out to him, he immediately reels back like he's been slapped or sprayed with cold water. He just stares blankly at them, wondering why.

And then he looks them in the eyes, his expression still distant, and asks a simple question that cannot be answered so simply.]

Hey...who am I?

[it's asked so earnestly. even he doesn't really know. even if he needs someone to take his hand...he doesn't want them to.]

Kaiju A-Go Go
[So that entire experience was a mess. Dazai lets out a little sigh, crossing his arms behind his head. Right, so, let's go over the basics...experienced a lot of trauma, promised a guy he'd have sex with him after realizing clearly said guy had a thing for him, and now he seemed he was okay...mostly. He tapped his foot...

And that was when there was a THUMP. Like an earthquake. He barely stayed on his feet, but he grinned a little.]

Never a dull moment, huh...

[He says to no one in particular.]

Wild Card
[For anything else or the final prompt!]

Buddy Buddy, writes u a novel

[sweetsleuth]

[Perhaps it's because neither of them were known for being the openly emotional ones in the ADA that the jubokko's curse was affecting them so strongly. Sure, they had their mannerisms, and by all means, they were some of the most lively members in their own ways. But neither of them tended to let others see beyond that outer shell. Dazai, whose entire persona seemed to be an act at times. And Ranpo, who masked the depth of his feelings under layers of childishness. It was odd to think that they had something like this in common...]

[Ranpo doesn't see Dazai at first. The swell of emotions strikes him down far too quickly, emphasizing that loneliness that's been eating away at his heart for these past few weeks. Sure, Dazai was here now -- but how close were they really? Ranpo's spent a good amount of time by himself lately, sulking in his room, overwhelmed by a sense of loss he couldn't explain -- no doubt magnified by the breaking of his Kizuna bonds with the ones who left. Even now, his chest felt hollow in a way he couldn't explain. But even if he weren't, it's not like Dazai was someone he'd seek out for comfort. They didn't have that kind of friendship.]

[And yet it's Dazai who pulls Ranpo out of his own swirling thoughts. Amidst the feelings of hopelessness and despair, the guilt of feeling as though he's failed both his friends here and back home, he recalls one single thing. Back then, when he was just a child and almost lost all hope... what was it that pushed him through?]

[As his eyes trail over and he sees Dazai starting to curl up, he realizes... he can help him. And he might be one of the only people here who can.]

[He doesn't know by what strength he manages to lift himself up. His own eyes are brimming with tears-- an unfamiliar look on Ranpo's face. But rather than reach down, perhaps knowing he wouldn't have the strength to help him up anyway, he kneels beside him, and then practically falls on top of him in a hug.]

Dazai... I-I'm here.

We're... both here. So... s-stay with me... okay?

[He's not alone. He's not alone. He needs to focus on that -- because he needs to be that pillar of support for Dazai right now. Just as he was for everyone back at the ADA. He can't afford to fall into despair here.]

Chuuya Nakahara | Bungo Stray Dogs

[darkdisgrace]

Magic mushrooms - Possible Storm Bringer Spoilers
[Honestly, Chuuya wasn't the type of guy to be worried about foliage causing him any problems. Why would he? They're just plants.

Except they aren't just plants. He stumbles into an area full of green mushrooms and bats some hanging tendrils away, only to cause a cloud of spores to fill the air around him. The coughing fit that follows has his eyes watering, which is why it takes him a second to realize what he's seeing.

who he's seeing.

Chuuya never talks about the past.

That doesn't mean it never haunts him. It doesn't mean he doesn't mourn, in his private moments. He feels all of sixteen again looking at those grinning faces, tears trailing down his cheeks.]

....You're...

Vegan Bondage - Wildly NSFW, Dubcon, Tentacles, Bring your own kinks
[You'd think the mushrooms would have taught him to be more cautious, but unfortunately not really-- he's just avoiding all the giant mushrooms now. Which is a mistake on his part, because he ends up stumbling right into the reach of a Nuruname Bloom.

He'd just thought the sweet scent was the scent of a flower. He wasn't expecting the vines to wrap around his limbs and yank him in, tearing at his clothes and smearing slime all over his skin, making him feel dizzy and overwarm.

He tries to fight against the vines, but every one he tears away gets replaced by another as the aphrodisiac works it's way through his system. Soon he can barely struggle thanks to the slime's effects.

Someone might stumble across Chuuya in such a state: Bound tightly by the vines, legs spread with one thick vine thrusting in and out rapidly from behind him, another curled between his legs. His body jerks with every movement, twisting and arching but unable to free himself. Thick slime drips down his thighs, evidence of some lengthy amount of time already spent in the plant's grasp.

He arches again, letting out an exhausted gasp at a particularly deep thrust, his head lolling to the side... only to meet the eyes of someone who's stumbled upon the scene, his own gaze heated and hazy.]

Camp
[Chuuya manages to make his way to camp late compared to most people, for obvious reasons. His first order of business is finding a way to clean up and change if he can, and he can be found dunking himself into a small stream to wash off the worst of the slime for a little while. It's not properly clean by any stretch of the imagination, but at least it's... tolerable. There's reddened marks on his skin from where the vines had caught him, as well as a few others.

Later, he can be found dressed in clothing that's a strange combination of pants salvaged from his torn pack and a top gained by menacing an oddly agreeable (and slightly flustered) ninja in all his 5'3 glory, settled in near a fire eating rations with a tired expression.]

I'm ready to rip every one of those trees out of the ground when we find them.

What is that? It's...!
[So: giant lizard? Not exactly what Chuuya expected.]

You've got to be kidding me.

[But once it seems like people are mostly leaning towards 'helping', Chuuya's going to try his best to... well, try and hold it in place. His Ability is good for that, but if he tries to do much else than that he's probably going to hurt Gojira, and no one wants that.

He manages it for a very short period of time. Unfortunately he can't keep that up long against an opponent this big without--

One second he's using his ability, the next he's sent flying trough the air like a small, screaming rocket.]

FUCK.

[....Chuuya is out of the fight until... uh, he gets back from that abrupt one way trip.]

Wildcard
[For pre-plotted things! Or chat with me about something and we can make it happen.]

bondage

[thesettingsun]

[Dazai isn't sure what he expects to see when he finds his way in the forest, but it sure as hell isn't this.

He sees red. Silently, he reaches for his book and transforms it into his scythe.

Even if the plants were - well, smarter than plants usually are - they wouldn't have time to react. Dazai slices the vine between Chuuya's thighs in half, before taking out the ones binding his limbs. Even when all the vines have been severed and Chuuya is free, he shreds the remains of them until they're in tiny tiny pieces.

How dare anything touch him?]

wildcard

[thesettingsun]

Chuuuuuuya ♥

[But before that happens, on the 14th, Dazai arrives at Chuuya's doorstep with a wrapped present.]

Happy White Day ♥

Bondage

[blackbeastcoat]

[ This whole mess was absolutely ridiculous but he was still here all the same and making his way through the forest. At some point he realized he'd seen Chuuya earlier but it'd been some time since then and it made him actually a bit concerned.

Akutagawa turned on his heel and went back to try and search for him, doing so for almost a half hour before he caught sight of something vividly colored through the trees and it was the same shade of Chuuya's hair. So he took no time in heading over but what he'd found when arriving was enough to stop him short, dark eyes widening.

Chuuya was definitely being debauched by that plant and it had something strange welling up in his chest. Though on that same note, as those eyes met his? It was enough to have a flush of color rising to his cheeks as he activated Rashomon, several tendrils shooting out and severing each one of the tentacles with ease. Only as that was done, he used them to wrap loosely around Chuuya before he hit the ground and lowered him down safely as he approached and knelt down. ]

Chuuya-san? Are you... hurt?

[ God what else could he even say beyond that? He's never seen the executive in that light before so he has to process all of that. ]

Genbu Onishi (WoL) | Final Fantasy XIV

[protectorofsmiles]

[CW: gore mention, gruesome details]

I. Mushroom Road (Purple and Green)

[The sun is still out, but the density of the trees makes it dark regardless. In the distance there's a campfire.]

teke teke...teke teke...

You're not real. It's not real. You're not real.

[Sitting at the campfire is Genbu, in a horrendously distraught state. His eyes are bloodshot, his pupils so wide they're taking up most of his irises. He's rocking back and forth, mumbling to himself. It was a very strange sight, especially when it came to someone like Genbu. One could almost think they're hallucinating, but the absolute horror in his eyes is so real, it can't possibly be a hallucination, can it? One thing is ear, this man had gone through quite some stress before making the campfire. The bruises on his neck were a testament to that.]

teke teke...teke teke...

You're not real you're not real you're not real you're not real-

[He sees it inching closer. That's not his mother. Whatever it is, it's not his mother. It kind of looks like his mother, but it's skin is bloated and gray, beginning to rot. Its eyes red, full of blood, it's face warped and distorted into a seething rage. There was so much hatred in that dead face. It was a nightmare to behold. And it slowly inched towards Genbu's fire, dragging itself along the ground with bloody fingernails.]

You killed...me...you...killed...me...

You're not real! Stay away! Mama would never look at me like that!

[The 'thing' was now close enough to be illuminated by the fire, revealing why it was dragging itself by it's hands. It's lower half was missing, leaving behind grading entrails and a few inches of spine, staining the ground in it's blood.]

You killed me... ungrateful brat!

MAMA WOULD NEVER BLAME ME! YOURE NOT REAL!

[His cries echoed through the forest, possibly gaining the attention of someone nearby?]

II. Wildcard

[hmu if you want to do something else with Genbu. Smut RP with 18+ humanoids only pls]

I

[neetvampire]

[His mother, huh...

He does gain the attention of someone nearby with all those cries. Kuro could hear him from a mile away with his sensitive hearing, and when he finally locates Genbu, it's to hear that. The guy was always all smiles, so this... It hurts to see.

Unfortunately, Kuro's not the best person to help people with things like this. He's never been a particularly comforting presence for others, and he's never been good with words.

So it isn't a person who approaches.

It's a cat. Obviously it's strange that there's a little black cat wandering the forest but it's there all the same, pattering up to Genbu to offer a soft 'mew!' that almost sounds encouraging, if you squint. He can't see what he's hallucinating, but he can take a decent guess.]

Mahiru Shirota | Servamp

[unyieldingeve]

Mushrooms Galore

[ It’d been an accident, bumping into one of the mushrooms.

He figured it’d be fine, though they were much bigger than what he was used to. This whole place was dangerous but he knew he had to do something to help the people here. Seeing the natives all driven to madness hurt him, and that was enough for Mahiru to want to do something. So he took Kuro with him.

He coughed a couple times, having backed up before those spores could possibly be something his companion could inhale. ]

Let’s keep going, Kuro. There’s still--

[ Before him, only a few feet away? It was his mom.

Mahiru’s heart ached in his chest, eyes wide. She looked over and smiled at him, holding her arms out wide for him to hug and it had him stumbling forwards with his own hand outstretched a little. ]

M-Mom… how… you’re… you can’t be here…

[ In this moment he was no eve. He was just a hurt teenager who just wanted to hug his mom again. Not even listening to the logic that this wasn’t at all real. ]


Bloody Forest

[ This place, Nippon? It was all about bonds, right?

He could feel it, the fear starting to set in. That uncertainty that he wouldn’t be able to handle the situation back home or even his time here was beginning to creep into his mind like a poison and it was horribly dangerous. Enough so that after seeing some other people joining hands, those with bonds?

Mahiru stepped forwards to the nearest person, putting on a smile. ]

H-Hey. So… my name’s Mahiru. I know we haven’t talked before, but no better time to try! We can make it through this if we work together.

[ Forging a bond and being his usual self would work, right? Right. Surely that’s how it will go? He’s just optimistic. ]


A Problem-Solver!

[ Haha. Well. This was REALLY bad, wasn’t it?

There was a giant, injured lizard god here and there was a choice to make for most. For Mahiru? He’s already materialized his broom and looked over to Kuro. ]

We have to help. I’m sure if we can just manage that, then we can probably calm it down.

[ They could get close to the creature and get a better vantage point. He trusted the others to be good with handling the trees. ]


WILDCARD

[ If you don’t see anything you wanna do? Hit me up @ indulgentsin or through PM’s! ]

Bloody Forest

[vapelife]

[Dionysus can feel the madness creeping into his mind, filling him with a familiar dread. In his youth, it had sent him fleeing across the land, afraid and aimlessly wandering, lost and confused. This place is similarly unfamiliar, and the urge to run begins to well up in him.

He clutches one hand to his head, chuckling low and anxiously to himself, when Mahiru approaches him. His eyes focus on him sharply, the purple of its color glowing like the sun reflecting on a wine glass. For a moment, he's still, angry that a mortal dared address him. The sincere tone helps him wrestle some control again.]

Dionysus. [He looks behind him, fighting the urge to disappear into the trees.] Y-yeah, right? Ok, I'd love to talk actually, man. We'll be fine, right? Better than fine.

Venti | Genshin Impact

[notgrande]

I. IN HIS IMAGE

[ He had stumbled into it, distracted by the beautiful scenery. He was composing a song already in his head. He coughed for a moment, inhaling the spores from one of the green mushrooms.

Oops!

To strangers, he looks confused, concerned. Before him, he sees a young boy that looks just like he does. A bard, the bard he had modeled himself after when he took his more human form. The form he took so that he could play the lyre. The boy who had inspired him to make Mondstadt a city of freedom.

He knows better than to think he's dead, and yet. He's never gotten to interact with the boy as anything other than the small, elemental spirit. So he reached for him, wanting to see what this was like. He knew better. ]

You've been gone for so long, haven't you?

II. LET'S HOLD HANDS

[ Nothing like getting endlessly assaulted with pollen. Venti sneezes. He's not having a good time out here. He's sad. The worst he's felt in a really long time. He's sure that his last experience, what he saw, isn't helping his mood. Or, perhaps, the leftover feelings are only hitting him hard because he hasn't had a chance to get away from it before he starts getting pelted with pollen. Okay -

So, he'll approach the mysterious stranger, pop on a smile, and make an offer. ]

This place has been a little strange. You haven't gotten into too much trouble, have you~?

[ He hums. ]

III. WILDCARD

[ Have another spark of inspo? Feel free! Also happy to work with you and write a custom starter. ]

II

[baneofallevil]

[ Let it be said that he was only looking after people where he could, having come along as to try and help put whatever was causing this to an end. This particular area was a bit much on it's own, his nerves on edge and his own mind beginning to betray him in ways he didn't even know possible.

His being absent from Liyue meant the people were in trouble. Noone to help them.

The last remaining Yaksha meant to protect them was no longer present. Did this mean he was a failure? What if time returned to normal and he wasn't able to return afterward? Rex Lapis surely would be disappointed. His suffering over the years was too great, it was-- ]

...W-What?

[ The word is choked out as soon as he barely hears someone speak to him. It takes a second for Xiao to look over and see Venti there, briefly wondering if it was his imagination or not. Familiarity is a nice, rare thing and a small thing as far as a distraction went. ]

Barba-- [ No. That's not the name he went by anymore, was it? ] Venti. No... of course I haven't.

[ Yet he's still quite pale, unwilling to admit how this place and it's damned pollen was getting to him. ]

Dionysus | Hades

[vapelife]

Pollen Nation

[It's not the pollen itself that hits Dionysus like a truck. It's all the emotion swelling in the city; as a god who is tied to madness as a fish is to water, he's almost overwhelmed by it, it's intoxicating. There's so much of it he can't seem to get his head straight. The wine god staggers through the street, trying to make his way to the evacuation, but he eventually steps a little too awkwardly and falls in a heap on the street.]

Daaamnn, now that hits a little too hard [he slurs to himself like he's drunk, trying to find the coordination to put his arms under himself and get back up.] I might be, a little, you know... messed up.

Spores Galore - Green & Red combo (NSFW)

[Dionysus doesn't fear the forest, he can feel the energy of the vegetation within. He travels through uninterrupted, vines parting as he steps by, leading a path through for whoever chooses to follow behind him. At least, until they reach the soft bodies of the mario mushrooms. Fungi are a far different matter.

To a god of vegetation, a mushroom speaks a sort of language that didn't make any sense to him. The soft flesh, some as thick and tall as tree trunks, are an eerie sight. Dionysus' eyes turn up, noting he can't hear much bird song, and there doesn't seem to be many nesting or fluttering around the area. The quiet finally starts to unsettle him.

A mistep and a brush of his hand against a trunk causes a puff of spores to burst in his face.]

Heeey! What the--

[He waves his hand, clearing the air, and then wipes his hands down his face to clear the fine dusting off it. He sneezes, then staggers off away, thinking nothing more of it other than he'd rather get back into the forest. He turns, stepping off to take another path, when at the forest edge he catches sight of someone he'd thought he'd never see again.]

Whoa, no way? Are you messing with me?

[Dionysus is quick to approach the person, fear and joy blooming in his heart. He takes their head in both his hands, cupping their cheeks.]

(ooc: depending on the char's gender, Dionysus either is seeing Ampelos, his first love, or Ariadne, his wife. Both are dead, so be prepared for deep... embracing.)