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

"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."

"Ah yeah, sure. He's an android about my height. White hair, pretty. Um... wearing all black, has a visor that looks like a blindfold."

He let out a sigh. "He's probably gone. Woke up back in his world. I'm hoping that's the case."

"I'll keep an eye out! Even if he woke up, he might dream of this place again. I'll let him know you'd like to see him again," Gen assured Nico with a genuine smile.

His expression softened. "But, I suppose we'll all wake up eventually, won't we? I'd get homesick if I couldn't visit my own reality."

Edited 2023-05-04 15:51 (UTC)

"Yeah, I miss my sister."

He felt guilty, wishing Hazel was here with him, so the two of them could have time just to be a couple of teens, doing sibling things.

"She'll be there when you wake up, won't she?" Gen reminded him softly, though he hoped that was the case. It's ... entirely possible that the boy's sister was no longer with him, which was part of the reason he had said so with that certain gentleness. If he was accidentally stepping on a landmine ...

"Yeah, but she's in California, and I'm in New York." He let out a sigh, trying not to think about his other sister, who is dead and being reincarnated.

He took a breath and let it out. "I can't visit as often as I'd like. And she has responsibilities to her camp, and I have responsibilities to mine and our father."

Gen nodded, here's genuine sympathy in his expression - though to Nico, it's perhaps indistinguishable from when he was only giving a sympathetic affect. "I won't lie and say it's easy to deal with distance, dear Nico. Especially within these last few years, I've been traveling so often around the world, to various countries - I've rarely had the chance to see my friends."

"But it will be different now - I can't pick up a phone to call, or a pen to write," Gen thought aloud. "I will wonder eventually if I'm truly dreaming here, or if they miss me in the waking world. I'm glad I do have my dear friend Senku here - but I'll miss the others. It's natural for us to, even if in the waking world, we're distant from them."

"Normally, yeah, but I usually have an ability that makes distance mean nothing." He sighed. "I'm still so drained after the last war I was in."

He let out a low chuckle. "I can't use a phone. For some reason, cell phones make Demigods smell stronger or something. And neither of us had the chance to get used to modern tech before getting swallowed up in the world of demigods."

Gen blinked. “I wonder how much modern tech would’ve cooperated if cell phones were so tricky - I suppose it’d depend what part of the phone was so disagreeable to you.”

Thoug he giggled. “Not that I know much to help you. That’s very much Senku-chan’s department. At least I can relate - we’ve only recently gotten more of our modern technology working again. When we travelled through the world, talking to each other over radio was the best we could do if we were apart.”

Nico offered a shrug. "We have magic, so we get by."

Nico doesn't need to have technology like some of the other demigods seem to need it. He barely touched it during the half year he was in a modern school. He didn't have mortal friends on the outside. All of the people he cared for were demigods, and if he really needed to talk to them, he could shadow travel to them or use Iris Messages. Or talk to them in their dreams.

"Radio's not as bad as cellular. At least, that's what I'm told. I don't need to use it, so I don't bother."

"Now that I'm certainly envious of," Gen said, smiling brightly. "Magic wasn't a thing when I was awake - beyond the little things I can do, of course."

As if he couldn't resist showing off, he snapped his fingers to flip a playing card 'out of thin air' into his hand. A hand-drawn ace of spades. He tapped his chin with it, afterward. "An up-side to your family drama, or can anyone learn magic where you're from?"

He blinked. Oh, that was cool. He always liked magicians when he stayed in Vegas. "How'd you do that?" he asked.

Giving a snort, Nico answered, "Yeah, the magic is an upside. Though sometimes it's more of pain than a blessing." He looked down at his hands, thinking about his necromancy and Hazel's cursed precious metals and stones. "Chthonic powers tend to be looked down on."

Gen made a little mental note, unwilling to probe into anything painful too soon. When the boy looked down at his hands, the Mentalist just saw a giant caution sign. Tread carefully. If he remembered right, chthonic referred to things that related to underworld - he was hugely curious and hungry for any info about real magic -

But the boy's mental well-being came first.

They'd ease into harder topics later. Gen beamed and spread open a deck of cards, also suddenly appearing ~~from his sleeves~~. "A magician shouldn't easily reveal their secrets, my friend. Though I should clarify, I was a Mentalist. Would you like me to perform a little trick for you?"

Fortunately for Gen, Nico was more interested in the magic trick to really dwell on the past discrimination he felt in the past. When he looked back up, his dark eyes were bright with curiosity.

"Mentalist," Nico repeated. "... I think I read that in a comic once? Like hypnosis and stuff? I think we had one that put on a show once in a while at the Vegas hotel I was stuck in for a month."

"Mmhmm. Hypnosis, mind-reading, fortune telling ... I'll talk to spirits but only for fun, it seems rather unfair to ask them all sorts of questions about their past lives," Gen said, and winked at Nico. "It's a performance, my dear. And I did explain how some of it worked, too. Psychological tricks don't just teach us how our brains can work against us - they also sell books."

Gen sighed wistfully. "Ah, it's been so, so long since I've last put on a real show. Do you think they'd enjoy that, here? When they have real magic to use instead?"

Edited 2023-05-18 17:35 (UTC)

"Talking to spirits is my deal," Nico said. "Though talking to ghosts here is harder than back home. Zombies are always easier to deal with."

He says it so causally. But it's true. Ghosts still have their own personality; zombies only have an echo of one.

"I guess it'd be less about the content and more about the presentation. If it's entertaining, people will probably like it."

Gen had to laugh sheepishly, clearly the wink didn't convey it well enough. He rarely would say such a thing - but he rarely needed to. This weird dream, with its weird demigods and actual magic. He so very hoped he could learn some.

But, for now? "Ghosts don't actually exist where I'm from, my dear. No matter how much people might believe otherwise. That's why I said it's only for a performance - I wouldn't try to fool anyone to think I could give them something more than I am. An entertainer is all I could be, as a mentalist."

However, he then grinned. "It is all about the presentation though! And if I could've summoned real ghosts, I would've given them quite a show."

{ flower festival 2023 }

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