A new life bared its face to the newly-awakened lights of the caves; or at least, new in the sense that one could have sworn it wasn't there an hour ago. Or had it always been present? It was difficult to tell.
Throughout the various caverns of Origin cave, mysterious flowers had sprung up in secluded alcoves and precarious positions, nigh impossible to find without guidance or a healthy dose of coincidence.

Petals bloomed in elegant heart-shapes from a shining core that might be a gem, appearing almost like a tiny pearl. Ribbon-like leaves curled into smooth spirals, giving each flower an ornate look, as though meticulously designed by some greater being. Even though there is no wind, each flower appears to sway contentedly, though if one looked close enough, they would have to admit that it didn't seem to be moving at all.

But loveliest of all, each flower exudes a tantalizingly sweet aroma which can be caught from miles around. To most creatures, the scent would lead to a dead end or they'd follow it in hopeless circles. But someone out there, somewhere close, will find themselves lead directly to a flower as it sits, softly swaying in wondrous harmony.


This flower appears to be... burning? And although it reeks of smoke and ash, it's not crumbling. How odd. @Kin-Kin will find this flower growing in her den, as though waiting for her to come home.


This flower trembles softly, as though itching to pull free of its roots. @Blackberry will find this flower growing precariously in a window of the tower.


It would seem at a glance to be an ordinary flower, but its scent is heady, floral, and alluring. It's still unclear how it came to grow here, though, in this secluded alleyway... The scent of this flower reaches out to @Zevruu .


This flower's petals are crystalline, and its stem is hard as stone. It appears more like a bizarre rock formation than a plant. @Aries will find it growing on the rock he uses for training.


The air around this flower shimmers with cold. Its delicate petals are clear like glass and icicles have formed on its leaves. It looks like a single paw stroke would be enough to shatter it. @Sizzle will find this flower growing on the seat of the ancient throne.


You could swear that no matter where in the room you stand, this flower's head is always facing you. @Horton will find himself drawn to it by a strange tug, but can't help feeling an odd aura lingering around it.

Event participants may now post their responses below!
Note: Characters taking part in this thread do not need to interact with one another, as flowers can be found some distance apart.

Sizzle

Sizzle slunk along the ground, eyes gleaming dangerously. Before her, a cave-mouse nibbled on a plant obliviously, unaware of the predator only a few paces away. She slithered forward, feeling her fangs swell as she prepared to release her venom.


As the mouse turned, stretching up to reach for a leaf, she struck. The snake moved almost impossibly fast, lurching forward and sinking her fangs into its rear. The mouse squealed loudly, heart racing as the venom worked to stop it. The snake stretched her jaw, soon swallowing the mouse whole.


She allowed herself to relax, strong muscles working the mouse down. However, only moments later, a strong, sweet smell reached her nose. She raised her head, sniffing the air. Sizzle had to find out what this was.


The Bush Viper began to slither across the ground, following the sweet scent. It wasn't long before she was approaching the ancient throne, seeing something blue and glittering. She approached it, and raised up the front half of her body, eyes focusing on the flower as she swayed from side to side in time with the flower.

"I'm speaking..."
'I'm thinking...'

we burn the brightest

in the dark

Sweat clung on to the ram's muscles as he traversed the steep, harrowing paths up the Cliffs. His hooves carried him swiftly upward along the vertical sides in the zig-zag pattern. He had ran these trails for most of his life and now, climbing them was second nature, but they were fun to race up every now and then. Occasionally, he would find new paths to explore. Those were always exciting, as he didn't know were they would lead. Aries had just returned from such an excursion. He had been scouting all over Orion for awhile, and decided to fall back to the cliff face were his home sat. In just at few bounds Aries had already reached the top.

He trotted along a overhang and spotted a medium-sized boulder clinging to the side. I wonder if can knock it off? Aries took a quick peek below to make sure no one was below him then pranced around to get in position. He pawed at the ground in excitement and gave a heavy snort of smoke. He charged forword in reckless abandon, and his gem collided with the hard surface.

"Aaah!! He shriek echoed throughout the cliffs. Aries recoiled in pain and shook his head. He plopped down and gently rubbed his muzzle on his foreleg as if it would sooth the heated throbbing. He hoped nobody witnessed that. That was pretty embarrassing, and worse, the boulder didn't even budge! Oh, he would have never been able to live this down.

As Aries sniffed, a sweet aroma filled his nose. Forgetting his turmoil, his got up and investigated the air once more. The scent seemed to be wafting over from his old training rock. Curious, the ram walked over the beaten rock formations, nose following the scented trail. Eventually, it lead him to what looked like a strange, twisted stalagmite, with a flower blooming from its top. Aries blinked in confusion. He didn't recall this thing being her. He bent over and gave it a sniff. It sweetest scent he had ever smelled, and it made him hungry. Well, at least I know where that scent is coming from, but what is it? It resembled a plant, but it was clearly made of crystal and rock. Probably won't be a good idea to eat it. Aries gave its stem a few curious taps with his front hoof.

"Listen to me."
Thoughts...

TAG: // OOC:

Zevruu was walking around in Orion when something made him pause. Something was...different. Wrong, maybe? A sweet aroma drifted toward him from somewhere, and he found himself following it. It led him to a secluded alley. He paused at one point, wondering if this was some sort of trap, but found he couldn't really stay away. The aroma was just too sweet, too alluring, he couldn't stay away.

When he finally found it, he stared down at it. A flower? What was a flower doing here? Why would a flower grow in this alley? He looked around, but couldn't see anyone nearby. Staring back at the flower, he lowered his head and sniffed the flower. Immediately, all his senses were flooded with that floral scent.

"Speech" l 'Thoughts'

Kin-Kin was returning back to her den after what felt like the longest day ever. She sighed, worn out, wondering exactly what she'd gotten herself into. there was a part of her that was bitter, another disappointed in no-one but herself. But of course, Kin-Kin would see it fade. her bruised pride would heal. She was Kin-Kin, magickal champion and demigod of the caves; she was indomitable!

Kin-Kin returned with the intention of sleeping, but she certainly wouldn't be able to sleep with whatever had sprung up in her sleeping spot. wha-!? Kin-Kin paced around the burning flower, a look that was mystified beyond belief coming over her face. She'd never seen anything like this before; what was it doing here? How had it gotten here? She lowered her muzzle and sniffed. It smelled... charred, but not unpleasant.

She kept a solid distance between it and herself, knowing that there was a high possibility it would set her cape on fire. it was a pretty thing, or at least, it would be to some, but she couldn't just... leave it here. It was in her sleeping spot! What if it set her den on fire? Her den might be made mainly of stone, but... it was a possibility! Kin-Kin finished admiring the flower and drew her sword from its sheathe to give it a testing poke with the tip of her blade.

Blackberry frowned. She nestled deeper into her nest and pushed her head farther under her wing. Something was off and there was something out there, calling to her. She didn't want to go. She wanted to rest, for once. She was still tired, her brain reeling from the bloodlust that had taken over.

The thought still scared her. Were those memories real? Had she really gone searching through the caves for blood and death? Sure, she enjoyed fighting and showing others their place, but it had never been for the sight of blood. She just simply liked seeing herself over others.

But that wasn't important now. She had brooded about it long enough. Now her attention was being pulled by the calling. She raised her head and stood, giving up on her rest. As long as this annoying thing was pulling for her, she needed to follow.

She eventually found herself at the tower, looking up. Her eyes spotted something in the direction of a sweet aroma she had caught not long ago. Perhaps that was it, in the window? But she couldn't fly. Her broken wing had healed wrong. But she hadn't tried, so there was no hurt in trying.

She opened her wings and leaped into the air, but after one flap, uncomfortable pain shot into her shoulder and she fell back to the ground with a crash. Angry that she could not longer get herself in the air, Blackberry resigned to walking up the tower, sulking the whole way.

But that was all forgotten when she found the flower, its sweet aroma intoxicating. That was annoying. She had been pulled all this way for a flower. But still, there was something about it that pulled her in. Conflicted, her anger won and she leaped forward and snatched the flower, ripping it from its roots.


___________________________________________________________

Hear my honk.
Why are you listening to my thoughts? Get out of my head!

tags: here
notes: here

As Kin-Kin poked the flower with the sharp-tip of her blade, the flower finally began to shrivel as it burned, stem, petals and all crumbling into ash. The small pearl-like object that had been the flower’s core tinkled as it dropped lightly to the ground, sending up a small cloud of soot as it fell.

And in that moment, a new feeling would wash over the red wolf; feelings that were not her own. Perhaps Kin-Kin would see a sight through the eyes of another; a glowing flower growing in the waterfall room. Perhaps she’d feel a sense of power and wrath, washing in over the mental link.

@Kin-Kin is now bonded to @Imperia , and the two may now speak to one another, and share thoughts and feelings between these threads, or any!!

The flowers have left their cores behind! If they are not reunited within two cycles, then the cores will crumble, the connection severed and never to be reunited again, in this life or the next...

Kin-Kin tilted her head slowly as the fire died down. Well... that was easier than she thought it'd be. Her cape, along with the moth-eaten blankets she slept on, were safe for now. But, a strange image lingered in her mind, of a glowing flower in Pisces; one that Kin-Kin thought was too clear to be borne of her own creativity. Hmmm... Well, I wouldn't have minded having that one in my den, she thought. Woulda' fit right in.

A strange feeling lingered, too- she felt powerful, but it wasn't her usual power. She felt dangerous, a mysterious anger lingering and festering at the back of her mind. When she reached out to it, it became all-consuming- but it still didn't feel like her own. Reservations left behind for the moment, Kin-Kin probed at that strange feeling, feeling that the flower was the source. Kin-Kin knew better than most that magic was strange and oftentimes unpredictable, but she'd never seen it do this before. Kin-Kin just hoped that this magic would fade; she didn't want it to put a damper on her own reputation, somehow.

At the very least, it's a distraction from sulking.

Kin-Kin moved closer, hesitantly sniffing at the crumbled pile of ash, pawing some of the dust aside so that she could take a closer look at the strange pearl it had left behind.

---

When I speak.

When I think.

@Imperia

Still following Miss Blackberry like the faithful moose he was, Blueberry never said a word. Instead, he watched her, sleepy and not really comprehending anything. Until she ripped that flower out of the ground.

"Miss Blackberry, why'd you hurt the flower?" He asked, curious as to why. It was rather pretty, although a bit colorless. He didn't mind. Beauty could be found in anything.

@Blackberry

What's this? it appears that the link between characters is beginning to fade, and soon, it will be gone. The flower's cores are losing their power, and soon the chance of reuniting them will die, leaving behind a useless pearl, lovely but sad. The flowers that have not been found begin to wilt, their petals dropping one by one. The wonderful scent, fades.

If the cores are not reunited by the 16th of April, their magic will fade for good, and the remaining flowers will wither! (Note: reunion threads started before the cut-off date will have until the 1st of May to finish them)

If you've reunited the cores and are waiting for a response, please use the Request GM button to let us know!

@Kin-Kin @Zevruu @Aries @Blackberry @Sizzle @Horton