MINI EVENT: GARDEN OF EVIL

[sticksandbonesmods]

GARDENING

Content Warning: Carnivorous plants in a very unconventional way, horror hunger, attempted violence towards animals

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EVERY ROSE HAS ITS THORNS

You've done well to avoid the flowers, haven't you? Though some hapless victims here and there may have nearly fallen to it, but even they've been rescued and taken to safety. And the flowers can't approach the General Store, the Trader's stalls, the inn or the house Elsword has built- something prevents the forest from creeping into it ever so softly, so of course it's minions couldn't either. But they're so hungry.

Starvation tears at the flowers like claws, and what should help them- the water and sunshine- burns like ice. The only thing that satisfies is flesh and blood and bone and they're hungry. And they've had enough of being told no.

As everyone goes about their day, the flowers still. They do not reach for and try to grab anyone, and for a moment all seems well. Up until Rusty begins snarling in a way uncharacteristic of him, trying to tear the nearest one out of the earth with his teeth. He is immediately ensnared in vines and leaves, with the full intent of tearing the old dog apart. The flowers shake and there's an odd hum in the air before they all seem to turn, looking at the denizens of the nest as if they had eyes. You will not look away. You can't look away. They are everywhere. On the ground, crawling up the walls of the fence, growing larger to block off the routes to safety, and always shifting to be in your line of sight. Look at them. Look at them.

Look at them.

The madness won't creep in slowly- as they force themselves into your vision, already you can see vines creeping at the edge of your vision, tearing into flesh that isn't there. Ravenous maws biting into the people around you and not letting go. Blood and sap pouring out like ichor. Blink once, blink twice, and it shakes away to reveal the truth but if you aren't careful the visions set in again. Misfortune radiates off of the flowers in waves, tripping you up and interfering with your aim and casting. Get ready, because the flowers aren't going away without some blood.

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Comments

[mooninthewater]

I. I don't wanna know all your secrets 'cause I'll tell (Open) (cw: needles)

[ Hallucinations... suck. Hallucinations where you see your worst fear? Sucks worse. Mizuki is here, though! Assuming you managed to get safe from the flowers even in your frantic state, there's a jellyfish trying his best to calm you down. ]

Hey, hey, it's alright. Will you let me help you...? It... it'll only hurt for a second...

[ Hm, maybe trying to hold onto someone while holding a hallucination when they're suffering terrible visions isn't his BEST plan, but... ]

II. It's hard enough being alone with myself (Open)

[ There's few situations Mizuki finds himself at a loss with. Maybe it's because he's always been put into those situations, or put himself into those situations, though? He can deal with the nethersea brand, he can deal with the politics of Iberia, he can deal with bad guys, social debates, conversations, making friends, cleansing evil from people, but... maybe not non-seaborn plants. No matter how much they may remind him of his kin from home, they are not. They are worse.

They're evil.

And he can do nothing here about it. He can't control ice or fire, and his harpoon can only do so much, and he can't risk the flowers eating more of his tentacles, so those are off the table, too. He hates this. He hates feeling useless. But he thinks he isn't smart enough to know what to do, so... if you just so happen to be nearby, then, congrats, you have a very clingy boy death-gripping your sleeve or wrist or bottom of your shirt -- whatever might be within grabbing range, and then: ] Tell me... what to do.

[ Order, orders, orders, he can take those. ]

III. I don't know how long I'll be holding on (Closed to NPCs)

[ This is probably some sort of... karma, or something, surely. He deserves it, surely. Inflicting fear and hallucinations on these nice people, unintentional or otherwise, must have been an awful experience. To relive those traumas when that is the very, very last thing Mizuki would ever want - it's only fair he got a taste of that, too. The smell of smoke and the overwhelming amount that filled the air. The intense crackling of the flames, and the smell of what burning flesh the flowers had eaten...

Though, as much as he did think he deserved this, he didn't want to deal with it. He couldn't. He needs to help, but what if he just... didn't... do that? What if this one time it was okay if he huddled inside, in the safety of curling his knees in to hug them on the floor. Surely, that's okay. Surely, surely, surely. It's not like the last time this happened, anything bad happened. Haha...

...

At least there's people here, maybe he could try talking through it? ]

... Um, has... anything like this happened before now...?

IV. I know you tried your hardest, I know you meant well (Wildcard)
( Winks at you but it makes a duck sound- )

it's for me prompt

[sticksandbonesmods]

[Both the looming, shadowy figures of the Shopkeeper and Trader (and her turtle) are in the inn, for good reason, and so they're relieved when Mizuki comes in. And less relieved when he curls up into a ball on the floor.

The Trader will make her way over and give him a long, lingering hug.]

Nothing so awful, dear. Nothing so awful.

[Bad shit Happens in Aldric's Grove, Mizuki has seen it, but the plants eating people is uh... certainly a new one. She quite misses the forest handing out free game animals.]

I read that w a pirate accent, yarrr

[mooninthewater]

[ Hugs are more than welcome!!! He gives a very quick rub of his neck as it suddenly felt very itchy, before he decides he's just imagining it and should just return the hug. ]

Is it... mad at us? Did we do something wrong? [ If this is new, than surely they're the problem, right?? ]

[sticksandbonesmods]

[While the Trader squeezes Mizuki, the Shopkeeper speaks up:]

Son, nothin' we could do would've made the outcome better.

[Well, maybe not feeding the forest in the first place, but that's kind of small potatoes comparatively. And it's not like he's going to say that.]

It ain't mad. You don't wanna see it mad.

[mooninthewater]

[ Hh. That's not a comforting answer at all. Not that he was expecting one, but to hear that this isn't even the worst it could do is very unsettling. He doesn't want it to hurt his friends? He doesn't understand. If it's not angry, then what's wrong?? ]

I-is it... [ Beat. He feels a little dumb asking this, but the physical comfort from the hug is quelling his anxiety well enough. ] Is the forest evil, then...?

[sticksandbonesmods]

[They're silent for a moment. Then, the trader softly speaks, but the disdain in her voice is apparent:]

Not the forest, but rather the thing in it.

[mooninthewater]

[ There's silence for a long time, and then a soft sniff as he closes his eyes. ]

I don't like it.

[sticksandbonesmods]

None of us do, sweetheart. None of us do.

[They'd love to just get rid of it for good. Some things are easier said than done.]

Do you need something to drink, dear?

[mooninthewater]

[ He picks his head back up and nods. Honestly he just wants to lie face down in the tub, but he's also too afraid to be alone. ]

[sticksandbonesmods]

[She'll go get him tea, then. The Shopkeeper will stand by with him and make sure he doesn't need anything else. Provided he doesn't... she comes back with a nice chamomile blend and passes him the cup.

This should help his anxiety, she thinks.]

II. It's hard enough being alone with myself

[devilishkouhai]

[ BB embraces him tightly, steadying him in her arms, a barrier against the relentless storm of his thoughts. ]

BB has you now.

[ Gently, if he allows her. More so definitely, if not forcibly, we only care about Muns consent in this world.

A tendril of hers soaks out from the within darken shadows of their merged forms. A peculiar sound of horrors akin to the moaning and aching of metals mixed with the squelching of tentacles follows suit of their movements. It cranes along her shoulders as she speaks sweetly unto her little Cnidaria friend. ]

You want orders, yes? How about you first start with moving everyone out of the flowers - The ♫ H I G H E R ♫ the better [ The woman sings, and that tendril that slowly warped along her shoulders. Inching ever closer to him, comes peeking beneath his chin. Lining along his jaw line to tilt it enough so he is forcibly looking into her red eyes. ] If you can get them out~~ then, the cute one with the loud voice can set everything here ablaze. Or do you want everyone here to suffer more~?