songerein | { flower festival 2023 }

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{ flower festival 2023 }

FLOWER FESTIVAL 2023

It's the annual Flower Festival! More details on everything can be found here.

Only current players can TDM new characters this month as our apps are closed to the public for May. Everyone should know the rules, but if you need a refresher, information can be found here. Don't forget to include "TDM" in your subject line!

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Battle for Dream Island: The Power of Two: Puffball
Dr. Stone: Gen Asagiri

I. MAIN FESTIVAL

The Flower Festival is in full swing the entire weekend! All over town there are numerous food stalls, music stands for dancing, flower swings in the trees, and a plethora of flower gardens to walk through. All the shops are decked out with flowers with a lot of sales going on. But this year there seems to be a lot more flowers than usual…

A. Flower Viewing. There will be numerous designated flower viewing areas around and outside of town, making it a perfect opportunity for a picnic. Food and beverages will be provided by numerous restaurants and food stalls. Flower crowns can also be made or received by some fairies that will fly around to drop them on anyone's heads who don't have one already.

B Ambient Pollen Effects. There is a lot of pollen flying around through the festival and inhaling enough of it could affect a person's mood. The effects will eventually wear off, but a good "cleansing" (ie, splash with water) will clear them up pretty quick. Possible effects include:

🌹 Rose Tinted Glasses. Rose pollen will make everything seem nostalgic and seem better than it actually is.
🌿 Green with Ivy. The flowers of some ivy are giving off some green pollen that will cause one to feel more envious than usual. Possibly to the point of wanting to wrap their target with said ivy instead….
🌻 Sunflowers and Rainbows. Pollen from sunflowers will cause one to be either extremely happy and hyper…or become so sensitive they cry at anything, be it a touching or sad thing.
🌺 Violent Violets. Inhaling too much violet pollen will cause someone to become so impassioned about something they will be quick to defend it—with violence.

C. Games. Of course it wouldn't be the Flower Festival without any number of games to entertain! Try your hand at some of these! Work together with a friend or compete for prizes! There's also a simple, easy going flower maze if a classic is preferred.

🖌 Flower Chalk. The Plaza has been converted to a giant "chalk zone," where chalk made from various flowers are scattered all over and everyone is encouraged to get in and paint to their heart's content. Some creations may burst into flower petals and fly up into the air, briefly animating the image before dispersing into the wind and creating a new space for the next creation.
💐 Flower Arrangement. Just a nice, relaxing crafts activity where participants can create whatever kind of flower arrangement they want. While dreamotion may help give it extra effects, it's not needed. There are also paper flowers available that can be dyed and used in lieu of real ones. Perfect for gifts!
🌸 Bouncy Flower Pad. Ever just feel like having fun and bouncing around giant flowers? Because this is exactly what this is. No special gimmicks or anything, just giant flowers to bounce around in.
🌱 Make It Grow. A contest for individuals to use dreamotion to grow the largest and brightest colored flower. Some are capable of growing to be as large as a house…and some flowers become rather animated. Might need to help take care of that.
🏇 Topiary Races. A cousin of the "Make It Grow" activity (or perhaps created because of it), the objective here is to use dreamotion and perhaps some gardening skills to grow a special plant into large topiary animals. The form is random, influenced by whatever dreamotion is used. They will be large enough to ride and can be entered into a special race, where at that point it's all dependent on skill and dreamotion to keep it moving! Can't grow one? That's fine, too, they have a few that one can just hop on and try to ride on.
🐝 Bee Herding. A lot of bees were used to help pollinate the flowers for the festival, and now they need to be returned to the fruit orchards out on the various farms. As part of the celebration and to promote bee awareness, the beekeepers hold a little contest to help bring the bees back. Participants must lure the bees with special fruits AND they must protect the bees from birds.

II. SPECIAL BUSINESS PROMOTIONS

There are a few special businesses that have their own stalls up during the festival, so be sure to stop by and check some of them out!

A. The Wild Harvest. The Wild Harvest is coming up on a year and a half of serving Reverein! The staff can be seen handing out floral cupcakes along with origami flowers in the color of the passerby's choosing. On the back and probably on the cupcakes' wrappers, there is the Harvest's logo. They will express that the cupcakes will look and taste better to someone in good spirits, meaning the staff are especially inclined to put on their best customer-service face. There also small samples of their new drinks called Spring Dreams, which give patrons a small view and taste of home.

In addition, if you're so inclined, a little fishing game has been set up at their stall using live koi fish of varying sizes from their pond. Nets are provided and winners can keep the koi if they wish. There are colorful jars made of tinted glass available for transport, and they also get a prize based on size of the koi caught. These range from small keychains, to glass trinkets crafted by Susato, which can be anything from glass flowers, small animals, or more useful items like glassware.

B. The Songerein Wikki Archives. The archives are here to advertise! Its one year anniversary is nearing, and Trahearne, along with his four staff members, are here to spread word of its services and answer questions about its function in the community. A few books have been brought in as examples, such as an outdated, but detailed map of Reverein. One large tome sits open in the middle of the table, acting as a guest book of sorts--anyone who drops by is more than welcome to write whatever they like in its pages.

But it isn't a festival without food or drink! The nine-foot-tall woman is handing out massive portions of freshly-roasted moa leg, and the two imp-like creatures with big ears are handing out shots of Rata Sum rum, but they're being oddly stingy about how much they're giving out. A little taste of Tyria in Reverein!

C. The Starflower Café and Sanctuary. The newly opened Starflower Café is here for all your cute food cravings! They have brought some of the animals along as well: Flutter the fairy cat, an autumn dog, and some of the corgis, so people are free to meet and play with them around the stall! While there is plenty of food to choose from at their starflower-covered stall (such as dango, crepes, and cakes, as well as alcoholic beverages for the adults in the evenings), they do have a special featured item:

The various flavours of boba tea with themes fitting with the animals. Upon drinking them, customers will sprout a new set of ears to match the drink as well as gain the following temporary traits: Milky Fox drinkers will have the sudden urge to cause a little bit of mischief. Matcha Cat enjoyers will want to search for a sunny, quiet place to nap. Chocolate Bunnies will be granted a burst of energy, and the only way to expend it is to talk someone up. Caramel Dogs will chase anything that is shiny or moving.

However, there is one more thing: drink any of these, and you will be an instant attraction for animals of all kinds. The only way to get rid of the effects is to cuddle and play with the animals. Be warned, too much of the teas and you may have bigger problems—like the Ents wanting cuddles—to deal with.

D. The Music Studio. The music studio has been open for a year in Songerein and have set up a small performance area nearby! Phantom is sometimes at the stall, and it is staffed by various talking animals as well as people with noticeable animal features (ears, tail, etc). Members of the studio will be playing an assortment of spring-themed and relaxing songs, though they'll also take requests. The stall offers various snow globes as souvenirs - the globes contain a miniature landmark from one of the dream walkers' many worlds and will play a short song from the source world when shaken.

The studio staff will also be advertising their lessons in music, composing, singing, as well as welcoming people to just hang out at the studio. They will also encourage people to attend the basic dreamotion how-to lessons that are held every weekend afternoon; they'll be taught through acting simple plays, so everyone is welcome to join in and have fun.

III. NIGHTSCAPE

On the first night of the festival, the fae will host a special dreamscape for their own version of the festival. Anyone is welcome to come on their own will, but some may find a special door appear either awake or in their dreams that will "lure" them in. And once inside, they will themselves in a dark, mystical forest and have taken on some form of a fae. Full details can be read here.

A. Fake Names. To go with the theme, everyone has a "fake name" as giving one's real name would be taboo. These can be completely new, something based on a canon nickname, or just simply shortening their first real name. Everyone will still be able to recognize each other, but no one will be able to immediately say the person's name, at most just the first letter or syllable. Only after the person says their own name can someone else say it, and if another person does say it, the named will now owe them one favor or must do some kind of task.

B. Fae Dining. The fae love to eat and drink, and within a dream, one can do so to their heart's content with little to no consequence. Well, one may feel a bit hungover or bloated upon waking, but better than the real thing, right? There's a delectable feast and an unlimited amount of alcohol available that is surely too good to pass up.

🍷 River of Dionysus. The river that runs through the forest is made of fruity alcohol. Just grab a chalice, dip it in, and drink to your heart's content. Because this is a dream, it takes a bit more to get drunk…but it's still possible. And, well, drunk shenanigans.

🍲 Careful What You Eat. Upon seeing the food one will feel a very strong pull towards it to the point that food will be in their hand and in their mouth before they even realize it. While a lot of the food is harmless, some will have physical effects. There's no tell, no specific food that does what, which makes it even more troublesome to figure out. From changing size, to colors, to growing another pair of horns or wings, gaining invisibility, turning into an animal or a random plant or object—anything. The effect can either naturally wear off over time or someone can try and help find or try to create an antidote to get rid of it.

C. Dream Egg Mosaic Hunt. Everyone is also given a white, crystal egg and are tasked to find and visit certain locations throughout the forest that have special mosaic glass just floating around. Each location has a theme, and if one can have one of their dreams manifest and reflect onto the glass, a piece of the mosaic will break and attach to the egg. Create as many pieces to decorate the egg and upon leaving the dreamscape, the egg will appear next to them and will hatch into a surprise creature. What could it be? Hmmm~ The mosaic glass will affect their future personalities.

D. A Tale of Two Stags. There is a pair of stags, one white and one black. These are legendary entities that have manifested into the dreamscape and can risk imbalance…though the fae don't seem too worried. In fact, they will reward those who are able to "stabilize" the deer with a "favor," though they're ambiguous as to what that is. The white stag must have nightmare energy used against it. The black one must have dreamotion energy used against it. Rather than killing or destroying them, just some brief encounters will help. Traps, tricks, even giving it food somehow will work.

E. Lost Your Voice. Oh the fae love their tricks and pranks, and this one is quite "harmless." Little blue wisps will suddenly ram into the back of their target's head and then giggle way—with their new voice. After stealing their target's voice, they fly off, giggling and blabber away in a poor imitation, leaving the now voiceless victim to chase after and try to signal for help. The wisp will eventually return the voice; they get bored easily enough and will want to mess with another person sooner than later. But it's possible to catch the wisp in a special glass jar that can be found growing off a tree. If caught, the person must "swallow" the wisp by pouring it into their mouth. No wisps are harmed, they'll pop back out after returning the voice.

IV. FINAL DAY

At the start of the final day of the festival, the winners of the Flower Royal Court contest are announced. Just like last year, everyone will find themselves in various costumes and with varying effects. Fortunately, they are a bit more "lenient" this time in letting people modify and take them off after a certain time has passed. But there's going to be just as much silly chaos, especially as the royal court members have a more "commanding" and "persuasive" aura that will make anyone feel swayed to obey and serve them to some degree.

Then at the end of the day, the flowerworks show will be held by the riverbank the moment the sun sets. Instead of explosive fireworks, canisters filled with flower petals will burst in the air, illuminating the night sky. Those who are touched by the glowing petals that drift and float down will be blessed with good dreams for the next few days, dreams filled with hope and leave them feeling refreshed in the morning.

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

"Mm, he really is," Gen mused as if wistful - he was - but he also saw the uncertain expression on the boy's face. The suspicious way he narrowed his eyes. Gen's smile turned knowing, a hint of fondness that he allowed to show in hand with his charisma. "Why, has he done something which needs apology already?"

"Or," Gen said, not without a little gentleness, losing some of his manic excitement to speak to Nico on this subject, "was he simply, incredibly to the point? That is something I will apologize for, my dear - my friend doesn't intend to be ude-ray, not at all. But in his honesty, he often skips over the social niceties which help ease the impact of blunt truth. I am sorry if he hurt your feelings in the process."

Nico rolled his eyes. "He was thoughtless with words," he said. "He already apologized for it. He shouldn't have to relly on someone to make soothe down ruffled feathers because he's so smart. He's smart enough to learn that himself. People aren't going to listen to him just because he's smart."

Gen considered how to answer, though he barely paused - there wasn't a hesitation, as he went through those thoughts as he spoke. "People do listen to him, my dear friend - he has lead our Kingdom of Science for decades now, was the driving force to bring civilization back from a stone age into an era with modern technology once more. Once he knows he missteps, he apologizes for it - because he is not heartless, far from it. People listen to him not just because he's smart, but he's cared a great deal for others to sacrifice much of himself for progress."

He hummed. "Then again, I should perhaps work with your theory. All intelligence must surely be on par, then - all skills easily accessed by everyone so long as they have it. I have a brilliant social intelligence, why don't I understand his chemistry? Or, perhaps, my dear friend Tsukasa, with his tactical mind and physical prowess - it makes no sense, as smart as he is, that he cannot write an epic tale to describe our adventures. "

"Everyone has something they are better than others," Nico said. "Look, I don't think he's a bad guy. In fact, I think he's kinda cool. Just a bit thoughtless when it comes to words. I know a lot of people like that. I can be like that. I just think people should try to own up to their words if they inflict hurt on accident instead of letting someone else do it for them."

"I can agree with you in a sense," Gen told him, smiling at the compliment to his friend. He looked relaxed and at ease, settling in beside Nico as they discussed this. Musing, as if it was a philosophical exercise. That should help him ease into his point, he felt. "I suppose that's why I had asked if he apologized, my dear. He did own up to the fact he inflicted an accidental hurt. Mmm, I think what struck me ..."

He tilted his head, "is your phrasing before, 'he's smart enough to learn that himself'. Senku-chan of course has learned to apologize if he happens to hurt someone and he realizes it. But perhaps you know other people, whose strength might not be realizing when someone else is hurt. And as we've demonstrated, not because they are bad people. It's a different sort of intelligence."

Gen grinned playfully. "This is why I am the diplomat, and he isn't, hm? And why he jokes that I make his apologizes for him. He might not realize he's hurt someone with his honesty. Sometimes, he's blind to these little social things, that seem perhaps easy for other people. Just as I can't understand how he's building a friggen time-machine. Can you believe that?"

Edited 2023-04-24 19:16 (UTC)

Nico feels his eyes start to glaze over. It's what happens when people begin to talk a lot about something that doesn't particularly interest him.

He's pretty sure that he and Gen are going to have to agree to disagree or something because he's kinda getting tired of this conversation.

And then Gen says something that captures his attention again.

"Oh yeah, he mentioned that. I told him that, as much as he wanted to save everyone, that some deaths can't be avoided. And some should be allowed to happen."

Nico was a teenaged boy. Gen could lead him to water, but he certainly couldn’t force him to drink it. Maybe, however, next time he spoke to a neurodiverse individual … he might not say ‘aren’t you smart enough to figure it out’ to their face.

Gen smiled knowingly and mock-shuddered. “Oh, we’d both agree with you there. That creepy thing that petrified us all to begin with was trying to entice us with immortality - that’s a hard pass for me, my friend.”

"You mean the aliens?" Nico asked.

"No one is completely immortal, not even the gods," he said. "Though they do live very long. I wonder if they're alive in your time if there's no one to keep their memory alive."

"Yes, the aliens - I thought Senku-chan must have told you about those," Gen nodded. "On the moon, very creepy, very difficult to get to after they sent us all to the stone age - I should tell you about the azy-cray effort it took us to get there sometime ..."

He blinked, his head tilting a little. Along with his kind of ridiculous tone with the pig-latin, it probably made him look just a little daft. "Gods? I'm afraid I know only the stories - but you make them sound much more real than that."

"Senku said he made rockets to get you there."

Nico nodded. "The Greco-Roman pantheon is real. Probably others, but I'm only familiar with them. I'm the son of Hades. There are three other demigods here with me. Percy, son of Poseidon; Leo, son of Hephaestus; and Jason, son of Jupiter. And yes, Zeus and Jupiter are one and the same, but his father was Jupiter when he, uh, sired him." Nico's cheeks turned a little pink at that.

Gen made a soft sound, amused and disbelief. "As if it was as simple as that. At first, the rockets were one-way. He was going to turn himself into stone and ask us to collect him later. And then he didn't understand why we were upset by that plan! I tell you, I'm glad the other scientists figured out a plan to get them up there and back safely."

He hummed, considering that. It's tempting not to believe him. Oh, he believed Nico thought it was true - the boy wasn't lying - but believing something was true didn't make it real. But this was a dream. Anything as possible.

"Do forgive me for being presumptuous, my friend ..." Gen hesitated before he said, "... but you have my sympathies, if that's true. Based on my understanding of the myths involved, of course. If that's unfounded, I certainly apologize ..."

Nico gets both sides of the argument. His respect for Senku goes up a bit for that. "Sometimes, sacrifices have to be made. But at least his wasn't going to be fatal."

Nico shrugged. "The Greeks were famous for their tragedies for a reason," he said. "It sucks. We live until we die. And we generally know where we're going to end up. Which isn't a great comfort to most, but to me, it is." Granted, unless he pisses off his father, he's basically just going to be doing more of the same.

"I'm shallow and selfish," Gen claimed, "and I know all too well how my dear scientist friend operates. It'd take too long to break another in. Besides, what if a stray meteor strike should shatter his statue? It's too isky-ray."

It's not politically or practically expedient for Gen to have played favorites. And yet, Senku was his closest friend. Of course he didn't want him up there, smashed or not, for decades while Gen aged without him. Gen didn't influence Chrome and Suika to find another way - he's just grateful Senku was beloved enough by many people for them to want to find one of their own free will.

Gen, of course, deflected away from his own motivations out of habit.

Nico's explanation got a thoughtful hum, a more honest and sympathetic nod. "If nothing else, my dear friend, you have it better than others. Everyone's life has a chance for tragedy - everyone can easily die without any meaning to it. And yet, to know where one will end up after ... that is a comfort few have the luxury of."

Nico looks at him with sympathy. Here's his 'I won't tell you you're not smart moment.' He gets the sentiment; he really does, but sometimes.

Sometimes sacrifices need to be made. Especially when you didn't want to make them; he's already made that choice for the gods. His memories flash to when he found out Jason was at Camp Half-Blood and telling everyone about Camp Jupiter, and then finding an amnesiac Percy at Camp Jupiter.

"I'm glad it worked out for you," Nico said softly. "But sometimes, it's not going to. And you realize, sometimes, you just have to honor the sacrifice your friend is willing to make."

Gen was used to that face - if he went around acting like a fool so people discounted what he said, he needed to be used to people thinking he's not smart. The kid was much more polite about it than most fourteen-year-olds were, too. It helped, of course, that Nico's angle was one that Gen would usually be arguing.

He's usually the realist who had to bring people down to Earth.

On this subject, however? Gen smiled, something genuinely fond coming through, when he said, "If Senku-chan can stubbornly insist on trying to save six billion people ... I can stubbornly throw in my efforts to save just one. I'm being lazy in comparison, hm?"

"Oh," Nico said, something clicking into place. "You love him."

He fiddles with the hem of his shirt. "I've... been there. Ready to do anything for one person. No matter what." Even if that person couldn't return your feelings. "I wouldn't call it lazy."

"Well."

There's few around Gen who would claim something so bluntly these days - perhaps because the two of them, thick as thieves, had been like bookends for over a decade. It could be their friends thought they'd be stating the obvious by pointing that out. And, despite how much Gen obviously loved to talk - he had nothing to say about the truth.

Instead, Gen laughed softly. "I've heard so many people call me lazy and shallow - perhaps you'll change your mind in time," Gen told him with a wink. "In fact, when we see Senku-chan together next - would you remind repeating that? That I'm not lazy? It'd help me score points in a few arguments."

Edited (this face from one of the recent episodes fits better imo) 2023-04-27 17:47 (UTC)

"We'll see," Nico said.

He watched Gen for a moment. "Sure, I'll tell him." How that would help Gen win arguments, Nico had no idea, but he could show solidarity with a man who gave his all for one person, as he did.

"Much appreciated, my dear friend," Gen said, smiling a little smugly now. It might be fair of Nico to wonder, with that kind of expression, just what exactly he agreed to.

He carefully picked one of the nightshade blooms and tucked it into a fold of his yukata. "We seem to have digressed, just a little bit, from our original topic - what is your favorite flower, if nightshade blossoms don't catch your eye?"

"If this comes to bite me in the butt, I will get revenge," Nico warned when he saw that smug smile.

He looked over the flowers, thinking. "I can tell you my least favorite is dandelions. Persephone once turned me into one during what she called a 'family spat.' Pretty much sums up her feelings towards me."

He considered his favorite flower. Hmm... "Ghost flowers," he said after a moment.

Gen gasped a little, before he grinned, more innocently this time. “I promise that I mean no harm. It’s only a bit of playful fun.”

Which was actually quite true, though this he didn’t think Nico would necessarily take his word on yet.

He hummed. “Mohavea confertiflora? They’re mainly in Mexico and the southern United States, if I remember correctly. Unless you’re referring to the plant monotropa uniflora ... Legends say they grow in the places friends have quarreled, to inspire peace.”

"I'll have zombies stalk you," he warned. "Make sure it doesn't."

Nico didn't know the scientific names of... pretty much anything other than homo sapiens for reasons entirely unrelated to science.

"Um... the first one? They're kinda green with red spots."

“Zombies!” Gen can’t help but squeak a little. “Unless they happen to be friendly, I shall definitely do my best to avoid them.”

Even if it’s only a bluff. Again, though, this was a dream, and this boy apparently a demigod. It’s probably not a terrible idea to take people at their word when they threatened him, until he understood the scope of what was possible.

He hummed. “It would be the first one indeed; the second flower is entirely white, as the plant does not produce chlorophyll at all. It’s a lovely choice, my dear. And entirely possible that, somewhere, they’re growing some here for us to view?”

Nico smirks and crosses his arms. Yup the goth kid was a necromancer. Stereotypical, but sometimes you had to buy into the stereotype.

"I dunno. I haven't really been looking for flowers. Mostly, I'm looking for someone I met back in February but haven't seen since."

Gen tilted his head. That seemed like a much less whimsical errand, and he wouldn't sidetrack Nico from it. But also, this was the sort of thing Gen was good at. "Do you mind if I ask their name, perhaps a description? While I'm new here, I'm rather observant, my dear - and if I should see them, I'll let them know you're looking for them."

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