The Blooming 🌼 01

[thecanopycrew]

Once a month, the Life Stream pulses and brings in new Adventurers. Some get their names etched into the shrine in the Ruins, while others disappear after a day. Uncertain if this is a game for you? Curious to see how your character would act in it? Testing the waters? Then you're welcome to this Home Tree Test Drive! directions 🌹 Don't forget to view the Arrival, our Rules and check the F.A.Q. 🌷 Post with your character with their name and canon in the subject line. 🌹 Use the prompt(s) given here or make up your own! 🌷 Tag around! Make friends. Don't be afraid to discuss OOCly while tagging. 🌹 Feel free to ask any prompt questions in the Questions section. 🌷 The Test Drive Meme can be used for your application's second sample. 🌹 This meme is considered IC and part of the game's canon. prompts 🍃 THE MEET AND GREET Each Blooming, a feast is supplied on the Food Altar. Berries, nuts, mushrooms and more have been served in larger portions to fill all stomachs, and both honey-sweetened water and berry juice is served to the thirsty. Tables and chairs are set up everywhere along the walkway between the houses, allowing the new visitors to meet and greet - or try to hide in the corners and eat berries all by themselves. Try your new wings to be the first to grab those delicious crumbs of walnut bread? Or say hi to your party lights, courtesy of some excited glow-worms and fireflies that just want to be your best friends. 🍃 THE FASTEST OF THEM ALL Speaking of those wings, isn't it time to really try them out? The Servant Chime is excitedly waving her hands and pointing upwards to the next floors, mimicking taking off as fast as possible and timing them. Some attempts might be difficult, while others catch on quickly. Unfortunately the somewhat dangerous crystal floors can easily knock a faerie down, or even tear their new wings - so caution there is needed to keep this a bloodless race. The winner of each round gets a... ...bottle cap. Well, nobody said there was even a price! 🍃 IT'S DUSTY IN HERE Another Servant, Tone, is ready to hand out vials to each of the new arrivals when they visit the Dust Fountain floor. These small glass bottles come with attached rings to hang from your belt, and are about the size of an Adventurer's hand. Arrivals are welcome to fill their vial with any of the differently colored dusts, although he'll make serious musical tones of warning to anyone attempting to grab some black dust. (He won't stop you, though. Sometimes people just have to learn from their mistakes.) Despite the markings on the fountains, what these dusts actually do might be a little difficult to understand, but that's what trying them out is about, right? 🍃 EXTRA SOFT FRIENDS There appears to be a small infestation of caterpillars in the Tree, but they're not here to cause any kind of chaos. No, these extremely fuzzy and soft little creatures are seeking out both the Life Stream and Adventurers for a big dose of happiness and pets. They seem to really crave some attention, and unlike many caterpillars with their appearance they're not poisonous or risking irritating any skin. No, they're silky smooth critters of floof with tiny red 'shoes' on their legs, about the size of a lapdog for the shrunken newcomers. 🍃 IN THE MOUNTAIN HALLS As the evening comes after the Blooming event, the sun is still out even at late hours this far north. The massive pines and spruces are casting long shadows, though, and the forest doesn't look as inviting anymore. Just as the first signs of night appears, the ground shakes so hard that even the Tree sways slightly, and the loudest yawn anyone has ever heard thunders through the land. Those brave enough to fly up over the canopy to see what on earth this is all about can catch one of the faraway mountains move just a little bit. A face can be seen in it, blinking a large, glowing eye at the setting sun before it closes again. Another tremor hits the forest as the giant(?!) appears to settle again. Just what kind of place have you been sent to, where such giant things exist yet you're the size of a fairy? Are the other mountains creatures as well? 🍃 WILDCARD Have something else in mind? Feel free to make up your own prompt!

Night Gem Wing Inspiration 💐 Day Gem Wing Inspiration

Arrival The Tree The Forest The Homes Chime's Shop Fairy Dust Application Reserves Taken Drop/Hiatus Housing NPCs Premise Rules F.A.Q Main OOC Contact

Comments

[devilstongue]

I'm not sure it is allowed to be called a party without at least some wine, but it is at least full of food and people to talk to.

[ There's no way to get drunk and he's having a mild life (or death) crisis. ]

Mollymauk Tealeaf, Molly for short.

[toothaches]

<sub>[Maurice seems surprised at the sudden introduction, but it only takes him a moment to warm up. His life's been a whirlwind these past few hours and a kind word is more than welcome!]

[He holds out a clawed hand for a shake.]</sub>

Cool. Good t'meet ya, Mollymauk. I'm Maurice.

_{[He can feel the weight of wondering what on earth Molly IS start to weigh on him like an overfed cat standing on his chest. But. He can't ask that! He just can't!]}

[devilstongue]

[ Molly is quick to take that hand for a shake, because putting on a show is kind of his life and it's honestly the only thing that is stopping him from screaming.

...those claws has him interested, though. His own had grown out a bit from being on the road, but still just little points. ]

What a lovely name! Where are you from, my friend?

[toothaches]

OH! Uh--haha, thanks?

_{[That's not a comment he's ever gotten before. Slightly emboldened, he finally takes a swig of the berry juice. Perhaps it is because of their size, or perhaps it is simply the nature of the berries themselves, but it packs a punch and Maurice makes a face.]}

Oh, aughk! Wow, that's sweet! I'm from--uhm, from Texas. Uh. Earrrrth?

_{[His throat squeezes out that last word with the tiniest question mark tacked on.]}

What about you? Did you have, ah, those before?

_{[He gestures his cup toward Molly's beautiful wings.]}

[devilstongue]

Huh, I can't say I've heard of that before.

[ Molly haven't been to all of Exandria, though. (He's still getting used to the 'tiny' part, he's definitely not ready for 'different universes'.)

At the question, he glances back a bit, stretching out a wing. It is really weird, but then again, he already has an extra appendage in his tail, so maybe he has a one-up on humans. ]

Nope, these are... new. I'm surprised they can lift me at all.

[toothaches]

Yeah...

_{[Maurice wonders aloud. He's flown before, but only as a bat. His own wings give a nervous little twitch but stay pressed flat to his back as though he were trying to take up as little space as possible.]}

Rurn't this shirt though. They coulda told me what would happen before touchin' that rock!

[devilstongue]

I'm lucky mine were small and just got all squished, or I'd be really upset.

[ Molly gestures to his intensely colorful coat on a nearby twig chair. Ripping that would have been a mess. ]

[toothaches]

<sub>[Maurice follows the gesture and his brows raise. Oh man, yeah, it would suck to ruin something that looked so nice! This Molly guy must be rich or something!]

[He finishes his drink and reaches for what looks like a crumb of walnut and turns it over in his hand.]</sub>

Who d'you think put this out for us? They had'ta know we was commin'?

_{[No, Maurice, don't think. You'll give yourself an anxiety attack.]}

Why us?

[devilstongue]

I have no fucking idea, and I'm not sure thinking about it is healthy right now.

[ Shrug. ]

I'm still not convinced this isn't just a really bad trip.

[toothaches]

I guess so...but I've never done drugs! I mean--sure! I downed a bottle of Everclear by itself but it shouldn'ta done this!

_{[For once, Maurice spreads out his wings, revealing the brilliant owl-eye spots on them.]}

But...so what if it did? You seem cool. This party seems cool. Nobody's tryin' to stab me! AhahaHA!

_{[A manic look flashes across his features but the thrumming peace of the tree's Heart keeps him from fully tipping headfirst into some kind of Event. Instead he shoves the crumb of walnut in his mouth so that he can reach out with both hands and place them on Molly's shoulders.]}

Let's party!

[devilstongue]

I am very cool!

[ Technically he's very hot, and not (just) physically. Still. ]

Party it is!

[ Never say Mollymauk isn't up for dancing, even if there's no music, so he grins and grabs Maurice's hand for a spin. Anything works when you're doing your absolute best not to think. ]

[toothaches]

_{[Maurice laughs at the absurdity of it all. He's more than happy to horse around, dip, and twirl with Molly even though there's no music playing. His wings knock several things off the nearby table.]}

How high d'ya think we can get with these wings?

[devilstongue]

Noo idea. I'm honestly a little terrified they will just disappear as soon as I get very high up.

[ He's just fluttered a bit up from the entrance. ]

[toothaches]

_{[He pauses in his dancing and looks at the canopy overhead. It feels like the trees around them stretch up for miles.]}

Well, I'm gonna try. Why go through all the trouble of growing wings if you don't use 'em? Besides, if this is a dream or we're already dead, it won't matter!

_{[The escape from the stone chamber was disorienting, but out here? Maurice feels like he actually has a choice. He spreads his wings again and opens and closes them experimentally before pushing off from the ground. They carry him up, up, up! A gentle breeze instantly shoves him off-coarse and into the gnarly trunk of the great oak tree. He digs his claws into a mossy patch and hangs there. Looking down is not an option.]}


See! It's--fine! It's fine! Come on up!

[devilstongue]

[ Molly watches with an unconvinced look on his face, but what the hell. What does he have to lose?

His small wings really shouldn't lift him at all, but with a rush of shimmer, he does take flight (while keeping close to the trunk). It takes him a moment to reach where Maurice is, colorful pixie wings flitting as quickly as a hummingbird. ]

This is amazing and terrifying.